Episode #10 - David Kibiloski, Stumble Inn & AT Kids

The Platinum Blazing Podcast

David Kibiloski, Stumble Inn & AT Kids

Inspired by a 2018 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, David (“Texas”) and his wife Danielle (“Stumbles”) located a great property for a hostel in Front Royal, Virginia. Renovating the ground floor, Texas and Stumbles created a wonderful home-away-from-home for tired hikers, which has everything a hiker may want or need, which they call the “Stumble Inn.”

Not only did David and Danielle want to stay connected with the hiker community and give back by running a not-for-profit hostel, but they created a venture they named “AT Kids” to help introduce young people to the outdoors, nature, and hiking and to expose them to many life skills revealed by such interaction. The editors of Platinum Blazing the Appalachian Trail were so impressed by this effort, they committed all the profits from book sales to AT Kids.

David and Danielle continue to seek adventures in the outdoors as they use the “off-season” to undertake hikes like their recent thru-hike of the Superior Trail and hiking adventures in a number of the national parks in the Rocky Mountains.

Podcaster - Bruce “RTK” Matson

The podcast host is Bruce (“RTK”) Matson, who completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2018 at age 61. His adventures were captured as part of the Hiking Radio Network podcast known as “Returning to Katahdin: An Appalachian Trail Dream.”

Bruce’s memoir of that hike is also available on Amazon.

The Platinum Blazing Podcast was inspired by the book: “Platinum-Blazing the Appalachian Trail: How to Thru-hike in 3-Star Luxury.” A new, updated edition has just been released. It is available on Amazon, on the Platinum Blazing website, and by writing to the editors at [e-mail].

This new edition features many new Best Platinum honorees, including a new, Platinum-Blazing Hall of Fame. It also has a new section of the Best Platinum Shelters along the Appalachian Trail. Another chapter highlights the “Tennessee Hostel Hop” and the “Virginia is for Hostel Lovers Hike” - each listing helps hikers determine an itinerary to permit them to stay overnight in a hostel for over 200 miles straight in Tennessee and over 100 miles in Virginia.

More information about Platinum-Blazing is available as follows:

• Website: www.platinum-blazing.com
• Facebook: Platinum-Blazing
• Instagram: Instagram (@platinum_blazing)

Please email Bruce at [e-mail] with any ideas you have for topics or guests, especially hostel owners, shuttle drivers, AT maintenance club members, owners of best Platinum eating establishments, recent thru-hikers, etc. Please feel free to suggest or nominate yourself.