Rusty phoned today to say that he is "throwing in the towel" and the Hard Time Hollow will not operate in the future. He explained that he was simply getting older, that serving hikers was a lot of work, and that he felt called to do other things with his life.
It's not impossible that he will welcome hikers again in the future, but my sense in talking with him was that he's been struggling with this decision for a while and feels he needs to get away from the demands of catering to hikers.
Let's all wish him well.