#85 | Neville Harris of Woods Hole Hostel

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Backcountry.com, we are joined by Neville Harris. Neville is the owner and head honcho at Woods Hole Hostel, regarded as one of the top hostels (if not the top hostel) along the entire Appalachian Trail. Neville shares a bit about her meditation practice and the impact it's had on her life, she walks us through a typical day at Woods Hole Hostel, how COVID has impacted her business, how running the hostel played a role in her recent divorce, and much more. Whether you've stayed at Woods Hole or not, we think you're really going to enjoy this chat.

We also debate where to teleport 10 tons of jello to maximize destruction, do a triple crown of appetizers, and have a one minute gear review.

Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio.

Minus33 discount code (listen to episode to get the code): 15% off your first purchase at minus33.com.

True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug

[divider]

Interview with Neville Harris of Woods Hole Hostel on the Appalachian Trail.

• Website
• Instagram

00:06:18: QOTD: if you could pick a day to be your birthday besides your actual birthday, what day would you pick?

00:10:12 - What is Woods Hole Hostel? How did you get into the hiking culture?

00:11:40 - Where is Woods Hole Hostel?

00:11:54 - Where is the closest town?

00:12:59 - Tell us about the intricacies of Woods Hole Hostel?

00:17:30 - Are you religious?

00:18:20 - How long are you meditating?

00:18:38 - Do you have a particular practice you follow?

00:19:45 - Can you give us an overview of your meditation approach?

00:21:20 - What are the benefits you see from meditation?

00:23:39 - Are you in communication with other trail angels in the area?

00:24:50 - Is meditation offered through Woods Hole?

00:25:30 - Do you lead a yoga class?

00:26:30 - Will you walk us through a day at Woods Hole Hostel?

00:28:11 - What's on the Woods Hole menu usually?

00:33:00 - How do you can food?

00:34:47 - How did you feel taking in hikers during coronavirus?

00:41:53- How many people stay with you in a year?

00:44:40 - Can you talk about the animals at Woods Hole Hostel?

00:49:33 - How do you balance helping hikers and running a business?

00:51:43 - How was running the hostel with a partner vs. alone?

00:52:44 - What led you to choose between the hiking community and your husband?

00:55:16 - Can you talk about hikers leaving critiques about your husband?

00:57:09 - What about the hiker community do you love so much?

01:00:56 - How do you prevent burnout?

01:02:58 - How have you seen the hiking community change over the years?

01:05:16 - Do you think technology has had any effect?

01:07:17 - Do you take outside donations?

• Woods Hole Website — Donation

SEGMENTS

Trek Propaganda

The Beer Drinker's Guide: Best Breweries on the Colorado Trail by Kelly Floro

A Mountain Lion Follows Utah Trail Runner for Six Terrifying Minutes by Kelly Floro

Triple Crown of Appetizers

• Is buffalo chicken a common meat topping for nachos? Discuss.

Point / Counterpoint: Stovetop vs. Oven

Dad Wisdom from Zach: Cleaning a Cast Iron Skillet

Reddit Brain Buster

One-Minute Gear Review

• Chaunce: Weighted Vest
• Zach: Solar Charged Lantern/Charger

Mail Bag (Brought to you by Backcountry.com)

5-Star Review

Pupdate!

Comment _____ for a free sticker!

[divider]

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.

Support us on Patreon to get bonus content.

A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products

A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, DcNerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven

Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram.

Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.