Comments, experiences, opinions, good or bad related to Mountain Momma's.
Comments, experiences, opinions, good or bad related to Mountain Momma's.
Mountain Momma's:
I stayed there two years in a row and had no problems.John and Carolyn Thigpen are very kind people and treated me rght both times.The rate of $15.00 includes a stay at one of the cabins,laundry,shower and ride back to the trail in the morning.Also they have one of the best cheesburgers around.They also have a pretty good resupply.
EZ-DOES-IT
It's mind over matter
If you don't mind it doesn't matter
This place gets a bad wrap but I guess it is what you make it. We had a decent stay here, with a shower, laundry, and pretty comfy cabin (we stayed in the Honeymoon shack; the pink cabin) and the sound of the river drowns out any night noises and makes the sleeping peaceful. Only problem was that it was COLD cold cold the nigth we were there, and the cabins are uninsulated. They have a super-friendly big old dog, and great food, but this year a new place had opened up a few miles passed along the trail, the Bearclaw hostel, and lots of people skipped over Mtn Momas for that place. The people who ran the place were nice, accomodating, and very down-to earth. I wouldn't reccommend it to any thru-hiekr who expects a "cater-to-me" experience, but for the open minded it was a great place ot rest.
"It's a dangerous business, going out your door...if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to."-The Hobbit
the thigpen are nice folks ..but the place is nasty and needs work
and a good cleaning up!
The place over sharges for what you get, the pan cake were from a box! It electrical wire laying on the ground in the back, the showers were grody and the lights did not work. 2000 thru hiker,
You should at least be thankful it was there to get anything at all.
L Wolf is right. When I stopped in 1993, the grill was broken down and I had to settle for a cold meal. The bunks then were in a windowless tractor-trailer box.Originally Posted by L. Wolf
But after coming out of the Park, short of food, tired and discouraged, I thought it a wonderful place. It remains one of the hostels that sticks in my mind as being special. It wasn't Rusty's but it was good.
Weary
I went by there yesterday. The place looked a bit "busy" with all sorts of things in the yard, but I still have fond memories of my 2 days there in 2000. Mr. Thigpen took me to the hospital to have my leg x-rayed. I thought it was broken - thankfully not.Originally Posted by weary
I helped Mr. Thigpen install a windshield in an old pick-up truck, sat by Big Creek for a few hours, and chatted with Mrs. Thigpen. I especially liked the fact that they didn't treat hikers "special". They were just another customer. Mrs. Thigpen was gonna finish her hand of cards before getting up to cook you a burger.
When I left Mr. Thigpen, clearly worried about my leg, he told me to call him from wherever I was if I got into trouble. He said he'd come "fetch" me. I'm certain that he would have too.
Little Bear
'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~
I was and I enjoyed my stay there in 2000... it has character. I stopped by last monday for a soda and even the kittens made me feel welcome.Originally Posted by L. Wolf
Youngblood
What's it like now? Are the Thigpen's still own it? I heard it changed owners. What kind of name is Thigpen are they from Thailand?
Originally Posted by Former Admin
when i hiked thru (w/ "the Model T Crew") this past May 2004...
i was a bit leary of stopping @ Mountain Momma's...as i'd heard the place was very un-friendly to hikers now....but we chose to hike down anyway.....(we had a re-supply scheduled here )..........
Nothing but GREAT SERVICE, NICE SMILES, & EVEN GREATER CHEESEBURGERS! (& of course, trail angels: Ed & Barbara O'brien from Florida gave us a ride down to MM's & saved us over 3miles of non-trail walking!)
i have nothing but GREAT memories of MM's.
Plus the TV in the Honeymoon Shack was not working.Originally Posted by TakeABreak
Pan cake from a box, Oh the horror.Originally Posted by Blue Jay
Thai - uh... NO. I'm not sure what nationalilty they are (most likely American), but they are devout Southern Baptists that appear to have lived in the area for generations.Originally Posted by White Oak
'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~
I dont mean to badmouth Carol since she has been very nice to me over the years. I agree that her place is a little run down but I think the chow is great and the folks are nice. In the winter, talk of her cheeseburgers haunts the discussions at Cosby Knob Shelter from the folks who are cold and famished from their trek through the park... But, isnt there a new place right on the trail now that you would get to (Northbound) at the same time? I think it is Bear Den or something like that. I know they paint little bear tracks on the rocks as you get close to it. I am not sure if they have groceries or not. They are just north of I40.
thanks!
BTW, the friendly old dog died and Carol did NOT harbor Eric Rudolf in the Honeymoon Suite 8-)
Carolyn and John are from Florida. They haven't been there for generations.
Thanks for clearing that up LW. John told me he likes to go to Florida often to pick up a load of "water punkins" (watermelons) with his big old trailer. He sells the melons in towns near Mountain Momas. Anyway, I was half right. They ain't Thai.Originally Posted by L. Wolf
'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~
I didn't like the place and I would not recommend it. I didn't think that the food was that good, and the bunks are not the best thing ever (tho I did appreciate it on the really rainy day that I was there). However, what really got me was that after spending over $30 there (dinner, bunk, breakfast) they wanted $2 to drive me a mile back to the trail. I walked.
It is all about choices. That's one of the great things about a long distance hike.Originally Posted by chomp
'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~
Originally Posted by chomp
kinda cheap isn't it, $32 for dinner, bath, bed, b'fast, ride back to trail is really cheap. what did you have for dinner and b'fast?
"I'd rather kill a man than a snake. Not because I love snakes or hate men. It is a question, rather, of proportion." Edward Abbey