Date: 2017-05-22
From: James Fry Shelter, PA

To: Buck Off Hostel, Boiling springs, PA
Miles today: 12.0

5/22/17, Buck Off Hostel, Boiling Springs, PAMiles hiked: 797.3, Miles to go: 1387.51st Sgt and I were up and on the trail by 6:50 AM. We had a 1.5 mile hike to the Green Mountain General Store and Deli, where we had a yummy, hot breakfast. When we arrived, Cheap Sunglasses and Rabbit were enjoying coffee on the picnic table out front and Ringer soon arrived to join us. It was a lovely hiker trash picnic!  As we were finishing our breakfast, it started to rain. Luckily, it was only a light rain; however, it continued on and off throughout the day. We had a fairly short 12 mile day into Boiling Springs, where we planned to spend the night in a hostel. The problem is that the AT passes through farm fields for the next 14 miles north of Boiling Springs, with no opportunities to camp and limited water supply. Therefore, we had the option of a 12 mile day or a 26 mile day. We chose option number one. Although we haven't reached the big rocks for which the AT in "Rocksylvania" is famous, the trail has definitely gotten rockier as we work our way north. The problem is that our light weight trail runners aren't up to the task (I've already worn through the toes of my shoes and my socks are sticking out). As a result, our feet are pretty bruised and sore. So, 12 miles definitely seemed the better choice. 1st Sgt's wife is flying in for the Memorial Day weekend and they are driving to Asheville, NC, for an event 1st Sgt wishes to attend. I am hitching a ride to Johnson City, TN, where Marguerite will pick me up and take me to Knoxville for the weekend. At that time, we both plan to get sturdier shoes for the upcoming rocks. The trail into Boiling Springs generally wasn't too bad. There were some ups and downs and some rocks to deal with; but, pretty much a typical day on the trail. We did pass through one section that the map referred to as a rock maze. It wasn't truly a maze; but, it did require a bit of boulder scrambling. It was actually pretty fun.At one point, we heard rustling in the brush to our right. Was it a bear!? We decided we'd better check it out. We walked to the edge of the drop off and looked down, hoping to see our second bear. Instead we saw a man about twenty feet below us, raking the leaves on the forest floor with a large bamboo leaf rake. When he heard us, he stopped raking and stood looking at us. 1st Sgt said, "We thought you might be a bear. Is everything alright?"  The man looked at us and said, "Yes. I'm just looking for something."  We looked at him. He looked at us. It was as obvious that no more information was forthcoming, so we shrugged our shoulders and continued hiking north. As we approached Boiling Springs, the trail ran between fields of corn and barley for several miles. We walked around the fields in the open, making several 90 degree turns. I assume that's what all of tomorrow's hike is going to look like. Hopefully, it is overcast tomorrow. The town of Boiling Springs is a quaint town with a shallow pond in the middle of town that was constructed in the 18th Century. We arrived in town around 2:00 PM and were not being picked up by the hostel until 4:25 PM, so we got some lunch at a wonderful Italian restaurant and bought a few needed supplies. At 4:25 PM, Lisa fRom Buck Off Hostel picked us up. The hostel is located in a shed beside their home. It has bunks for five and offers showers and laundry. Nothing fancy, but all the essentials. 1st Sgt and I are here with Ringer, a woman named Ghostwalker, and three other female hikers. It is d finitely one of the more unusual hostels we've stayed at. Tomorrow, we tackle the field walk!