AT: Ep19 - The WORST Hostel Experience 😡 - Appalachian Trail

After a horrible experience at the Sterling Inn in Caratunk Maine, we were kicked out for their mistake, shirtless in the rain. Luckily we are able to turn our frowns upside down pretty quickly and could make an unplanned hike into a great day.
Después de una experiencia horrible en el Sterling Inn en Caratunk, Maine, nos echaron por su error, sin camisa bajo la lluvia. Afortunadamente, pudimos darle la vuelta a nuestras caras largas bastante rápido y convertir una caminata no planeada en un gran día.
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[@1024Pete]

Accolades to your agility. Bravo to your enthusiasm. Thanks for the views and insight. Be well. Wishing you peace, safe passage and good fortune ahead. Happy Trails!

[@ChompandWings]

Thank you so much! That's all we can ask for through the rest of our journey!

[@wendygrw]

You all made lemonade out of lemons, for sure. Great campsite, great sunset, lake and waterfalls. Sorry you all had to deal with hostility at the hostel. But, you made your day work out well despite all of that. Well done! Hope the pancakes were delicious!

[@ChompandWings]

Mmm, lemonade sounds delicious 😊 Yes, it did turn out to be a great day after everything! You'll have to find out if the pancakes were delicious in the next episode 😂

[@ChompandWings]

Spoiler alert ‼️ they were delicious 😋 haha

[@SoCal_Fit4Life]

Good to see you guys in good spirits even after that horrible hostel experience from the Sterling Inn!

[@ChompandWings]

It was definitely shocking as we were experiencing it, but we both decided to not have it ruin our day!

[@Fistmele]

Strange a place that caters to hikers would treat you like that. I'll be sure to skip it when I hike.

[@ChompandWings]

Yea, so unfortunate 😥

[@Beloved-of-the-Divine]

​@@ChompandWingsmake sure to leave reviews to warn others. Glad to see that you turned your day around. Great scenery!

[@LionessHiker]

I don’t know if you guys use Far Out but it would be good to leave comments on there on the map of the area. Sorry they gave you a horrible time. I would be equally as hot if someone tries to charge me an extra $10 for nothing.

[@ldeadpirate9432]

Thnx for the heads-up, on Sterling, I'll be doing the pct in spring, so its good to know to skip that place. BEEG love, from Canada!!

[@ChompandWings]

One of our close AT hiking friends is from Canada and hiking lots of amazing trails up there! Cheers😁👍

[@rebeccar1036]

There are reviews on Trip Advisor that state Eric at the inn is less than honest… too bad

[@ChompandWings]

We did see that afterwards 😥 At least 99% of this voyage is through the brutal and beautiful honesty of nature!

[@jamesadams2334]

You guys are moving steady southward and still smiling. You're doing great. The difference between a pond and a lake up there has nothing to do with size but with depth. I think it is 15' deep, anything over that is a lake, under is a pond. geek

[@ChompandWings]

Wow, James! You're always giving us amazing information, thanks so much!

[@lenoredisman3192]

I am so sorry all this happened to you, not like the appalachian community to treat people like that. Stay safe don't let there negatively bother u

[@ChompandWings]

Thanks, yes the community has been so amazingly positive and this was a very rare experience in our journey thus far! We are definitely able to keep our chins up and move on enjoying every step😊

[@karmabum]

I stayed at the Sterling Inn during a 2021 SoBo. Had a long talk with the actual owner. They are not really a hostel, and while they do get hikers through the "warmer" season.. their main business is during winter. They've had their share of hiker shenanigans in the past and they can be quick to turn people away, it's one employee in particular who generally has a short fuse. It sucks you got kicked out, I got unfairly kicked out of a hostel in northern New Hampshire.. I know that sinking feeling of being put out once you're looking forward to a nice warm bed.

[@jim-uu2db]

Sounds like some hostel employees trying to cover some of their own losses. Thats why I stay away from most hostels and some shelter groups. Hostels are only there to make money and influence you to spend or slackpack through them.

[@ChompandWings]

Yes, some are very hiker friendly, and others... not so much unfortunately 😥

[@Kristenm28]

2 sides to every story. Something doesn't make sense.

[@MaineUSA]

I agree. She didn't say what was wrong in the laundry room. Plus they left food on the fridge when its a rule not to. I can tell more going on. I've had roommates who did what they wanted,even tho they agreed to the rules.God forbid you say anything about it. They turn it around on you....yup

[@jurassicjeepdc]

Reading some of the owner’s responses to critical reviews of the Inn on Google, I’m not surprised. The owner is hostile, petty and immature. People like that should not be running a business. Thanks for calling them out! Won’t be staying there when I go through Maine.

[@ChompandWings]

Yeah, we've definitely seen those responses. Not at all how a business owner should reply 🤦‍♂️

[@willswalkingwest7267]

There has to be more to this story... BUT.... I DID see another hiker's video, she got dropped off at this same Hostel, she didn't check in, she said everyone was hostile there and she got a general "creepy " vibe so she left. I wish more hikers who are vlogging would give honest reviews about their stays. It would be a big help and would help other hikers avoid these bad places.

[@ChompandWings]

Yea, from everything we've heard from other hikers, it is completely hit or miss there whether they experience something like this. You can have a great stay there if the owner is in a good mood. We have heard stories from others in person that we also wish were posted.

[@cdcivis]

I am so glad you were able to have fun even after that horrible experience.

[@ChompandWings]

Thank you! 🙏🏼 We were amazed everything worked out for the rest of the day, and the weather improved too!!

[@harrymathis4743]

Hope you two are having fun further down the trail. I enjoyed having dinner and playing corn hole with y’all. Happy Trails! “Spokes”

[@ChompandWings]

Hi Spokes!!! It was so much fun meeting you and having amazing lunch and games! We hope you made it to the summit of Katahdin and had a fantastic rest of your journey!

[@harrymathis4743]

@@ChompandWings I summited Katahdin August 10 😁

[@ChompandWings]

@@harrymathis4743 Congrats!!!

[@sandra4710]

So sorry about your awful experience... How can people be so rude and unkind and be in business??? Were they that way to everyone but just you guys? Just discovered you! I subscribed! Such a cute couple!! Good luck; cheering for you!

[@ChompandWings]

Thanks so much for following and your encouragement! From other comments we've seen after our stay, it definitely wasn't just towards us.

[@dougthebigdp314]

I understand the whole urgency of pushing miles but I must say that all your side trips on the blue blazes and the views and waterfalls are just amazing. As for your rude experience I must say you turned a potentially day ruining experience into a positive. You guys rock!

[@ChompandWings]

Haha, thanks Doug! We definitely tried our best to make the most out of our unexpected hiking day! And yep, we are in it for the adventure and all the amazing sights we can possibly come across!!

[@hamiltonharper]

A hostile hostel. There's probably drugs involved, but good that you just shook it off and hiked on.

[@ChompandWings]

Yeah we weren't about to let it ruin the rest of our amazing day!

[@jim-uu2db]

Was this the hostel owner/manager or a flunky ex hiker needing some extra dollars that gave you the bad time.

[@ChompandWings]

@@jim-uu2db This was the hostel owner!

[@M.R.T.V.Videos]

Hostel around the bend was worst . Paranoid ex tour dealer kids gone yuppie

[@raktoda707]

Nature is home The rest is transitional You have strong spirits

[@ChompandWings]

Yes indeed!! 💙

[@tvtoms]

Sterling Inn hostel? Thank you for the important information! How people treat someone when they're so-called down is all I need to know. The fact that it is just baseless accusation and they threw what they KNEW was your property away already... amazing. They must not like hikers in truth to be so crass and cruel.

[@ChompandWings]

Yea, it really did baffle us

[@DeRocco21]

this place has been hostile to hikers in the past, no surprise, sorry you've experienced that

[@edhespin4104]

👍

[@ChompandWings]

🖐😊

[@spectrum10]

not a very good bridge. If your feet slip, then your leg gets wedged between two logs

[@ChompandWings]

Yeah it was definitely one of the craziest designed bridges we've seen! Definitely very dangerous for the exact reason you said. I like constantly training my balance tho, even on sketchy bridges haha! (Mike)

[@ralphcabezas4178]

Wowwwww, that's terrible! Those people are jerks :/

[@ChompandWings]

Yep, not a fun situation at all :(

[@nintendiscool]

Fantastic to comeback to these. Sorry thwy gave you such a hard time what bums. Happy that you moved through so well

[@ChompandWings]

Yep, very unfortunate but we are definitely able to move on pretty quickly to enjoy the beauty of this wild journey.

[@tammyvincent9417]

Did y'all pass Pink Hot Dog and 2Crab?

[@ChompandWings]

The names do not ring a bell but they sound like they have funny stories! Haha

[@stanthemanhikes2965]

Wow so sorry you guys experienced that at the Sterling Inn. I'm shocked. I was there 2 days and had a great experience from the facilities to the management and owner. Again so sorry!

[@ChompandWings]

Yeah it's unfortunate, as it can be hit or miss there from others we've talked to along the way.

[@grnmtns1]

You guys are insanely limber going over that fallen tree, making this 65-year-old smile. Way to go!

[@ChompandWings]

Haha thank you!! Yep, we've been training our agility and balance long before hitting the woods!!

[@jhonyermo]

Good stuff. Thanks so much, Mike Foxtrot the Hostel.

[@ChompandWings]

Thanks for watching!

[@GUTOMOFFICIAL]

WTF that's scary! Is this the same cult hostel other hikers posted about?

[@ChompandWings]

No it's definitely not that hostel

[@baskets8429]

👍

[@ChompandWings]

✌😎

[@kathybetz9333]

Sorry for you awful experience. Say Hello to Heisenberg a NOBO in your area.

[@ChompandWings]

We haven't met anyone with that name yet! But having seen Breaking Bad, if he resembles Heisenberg then I'm sure I would recognize him if I passed by lol

[@kathybetz9333]

@@ChompandWings It’s because of his stature. 😉

[@chalampakala9788]

what camera and what software are you using for editing your videos

[@m.hernandez1404]

Thought this was going to be ironic, but what the actual hell?

[@ChompandWings]

Still can’t believe it 🙄

[@Larry_M6790]

👍

[@ChompandWings]

😁👍

[@elliottmanning]

A $10.00 Resort Fee???

[@josephramos7120]

🙏💝⛑️💝🙏

[@derekwpennington1796]

Are you southbound???

[@ChompandWings]

We are! Hoping to go from Maine all the way to Georgia

[@derekwpennington1796]

@@ChompandWings just found your channel will be following you the entire time. I live about 45 minutes south of mt katahdin by car. Im real close to katahdin ironworks / gulf Hagas area. Best wishes and look forward to watching you the next few months. I pick one ot 2 people and follow northbound each year your my 1st southbound follow. Im in wheelchair so live my hiking thru you. Mad respect and be safe.

[@sld2155]

I'd like to hear the other side of the story...

[@MaineUSA]

Doesn't pass the smell test

[@MaineUSA]

The worst video ever!!! I literally had to put on closed captions because I couldn't understand half of what you were saying at first. I feel cheated lol

[@Lovesracing19]

Safe travels.

[@ChompandWings]

Thank you!!

[@francesahchong8684]

I wanna hear their side

[@lovesallanimals9948]

Why didn't you just call tge cops if you were in the right?

[@joeswoods]

So, you got kicked out at 4:00? Could the $10 have been sales tax? 5.5% in Maine unless they’re classified as a restaurant which I believe is 7 or 8%. Just curious because I’ve never heard of anyone having any issues there.

[@ChompandWings]

They kicked us out at early morning checkout 😥 It definitely wasn't tax, as that was on there separately. He changed his story multiple times and eventually just kept saying 'we bought something' without being able to tell us what and refusing to check the cameras to verify. We have heard of multiple angry encounters here through other hikers in person, on the app that most hikers use to get updates on destinations, and other site reviews. It is unfortunate, as the place would be very nice if these kinds of owner/customer interactions did not occasionally occur.

[@joeswoods]

@@ChompandWings ahh, thinking back everyone I’ve seen only resupplied there, I stayed in Monson for my section hikes through there. You don’t stay in business long in a small community treating people like that.

[@FirstNameLastName-oy2ji]

I'd be more impressed if you just sucked it up and not whined about it. Shit happens.

[@MaineUSA]

Yes

[@chriswood4791]

Most people would just pay the ten bucks and chill out and have an awesome day otherwise

[@jim-uu2db]

And what if this hostel worker/manager did it regularly to visitors and they didn’t get challenged. You are too easy to give your money away to a thief.

[@EvanNeedham]

Most people are sheep. These two are not