When an Appalachian Trail hiker stays in town for more than a couple nights, it’s colloquially referred to as “vortexing”. I set out on the trail determined not to vortex. I showed up at Twin Ponds Lodge by accident. I was hiking. I needed a few extra days before new hiking boots were to be delivered. I traded some labor for time here at camp. Technically, this is still my first visit. There’s something poetic about that. What was supposed to be a pit stop turned into the adventure of a...

At noon today, the lodge closes. That sentence sounds restful. Cozy, even. Like staff naps, long silences, and a clean exhale. That’s a lie I tell guests—and sometimes myself. Yes, the guests leave. Yes, the bar stools get flipped. Yes, people technically sleep. But what actually comes next is two straight months of planning, repairing, budgeting, rebuilding, and asking dangerous questions like “what if I just redid everything?” This is not a vacation. This is the deep-winter prep montage....

You don’t have to like me. And that’s okay. I am not here to win a popularity contest. (I mean, I already did that - Mr. TPL 2024.) I am here because I believe in what this place stands for — what it can stand for, if we let it. This isn’t just where I work. This is my home. My life. My community. My family. For most of you, Twin Ponds Lodge is a weekend getaway — a place to unplug, unwind, and be yourself for a few fleeting days. And I always want it to be that for you. But, for me, it’s...