Date: 2014-06-21
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Hike Naked on the AT Day, everybody!That's right, June 21st, the summer solstice, is also the traditional date when thru-hikers drop trou and hike in the nude for some portion of the day. And being the by-the-book sort of guy I am, I felt obligated to abide by the rules. So for the first ten minutes of today's hike, on the side trail from the James Fry Shelter to the AT and briefly along the AT itself, I let it all hang out. Mind you, I was wearing my hiking shoes and socks, as feet get a special exemption. I also had my shorts in my hand to quickly cover up had I encountered an oncoming hiker, who might otherwise have been offended to see the skin that had been rubbed raw on my hips from my backpack's waste strap.After fulfilling my nudity obligation, I had three miles to cover to reach the rendezvous point with my brother, Tom, in a little less than an hour, so I double timed it through the rain, arriving at PA94 at exactly 9:59. Tom and his wife, Maria, showed up one minute later. Tom had looked at the weather forecast, which called for sunny skies, and had brought two T-shirts but no rain gear or pack cover. So the first order of business was to drive to Mount Holly Springs, where he bought a poncho that covered both him and his pack. Back at the trailhead, we made a quick decision, given the rainy conditions, to abandon the idea of tenting and instead stay at a motel in Boiling Springs, nine miles up the trail. This allowed Tom to leave his tent and sleeping bag in the car with Maria, thereby lightening his pack significantly. After saying goodbye to Maria, who is visiting her brother for the night in Maryland and will meet us up the trail in Carlisle tomorrow, Tom and I hit the trail.Tom, a doctor in Philadelphia, hasn't spent the last 10 weeks hiking from Georgia and therefore doesn't have his trail legs, so we both agreed he should lead at a pace comfortable for him. We had plenty of time to get to Boiling Springs, and we talked about his move from Temple University to Thomas Jefferson coming up in about a week and the latest news on his sons, John and David. He filled me in on the results of the spring bicycling season in Europe and the lead-up to the Tour de France, one of our common interests. And we also discussed some of the entries from this journal, which he and Maria read religiously.After a ridge walk through the woods, we reached Center Point Knob, the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, according to Tom's 1989 Appalachian Trail Guide to Pennsylvania. The trail then dropped into the Cumberland Valley and entered farmland, crossing corn and wheat fields, before reentering the woods briefly and popping out in Boiling Springs. The AWOL Guide led us to the Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse, where Tom and I are sharing a room for $40 total. The half-mile walk from the AT was well worth it.The $15 buffet was also a steal, though Tom noted that the host seated us off in the corner, a safe distance from the better dressed patrons. I'm still not sure how she could tell we are hikers. After one day on the trail, Tom's appetite has clearly not kicked in yet, as the small piece of turkey on his plate looked kind of lonely in comparison to the prime rib on mine, fighting for space with the pork, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.We'll hike another eight miles tomorrow, and I'll ride to Philadelphia with Tom and Maria for a much-needed zero with my sister, Margaret, on Monday.