Date: 2004-07-06
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Boiling Springs, Pa.
Miles today: 3.9

Start: Alec Kennedy ShelterDestination: Boiling Springs, Pa.It was going to be a short mileage day for me today, so I was going to sleep late. By 7:30 I was wide awake and could lie in the tent no longer. I packed up and went up to the shelter to get my food bag. I spread the last of my peanut butter on my last bagel, and finished off the Gatorade left from dinner last night. I did not even fire up my stove for hot tea and oatmeal. The four miles into Boiling Springs seem to fly by and before noon I was in town. The trail comes out at Boiling Springs Lake and follows the lake around, winding and turning. This is a man made lake dating back to the 1750's when the springs were first dammed up to power the bellows for an iron furnace. Later the water power produced by the dam powered a forge and a grist mill. Later still it produced electricity for the town. I found me a park bench in the shade and took off my knee braces, gloves, boots and socks and set them in the sun to dry. I had some left over party mix that someone had given me several days ago. I ate and ate from the bag, then the bag got a hole in it and the mix got stale. Perfect food for ducks though. In no time I had quite a flock around me, honking and diving in and out to eat. It did not take me long to empty the bag. I sat for awhile and just relaxed. Glad to be off of my feet. I am looking forward to a real bed tonight. At the ATC Center, someone had brought a chocolate cake and a pan of brownies. I helped myself to a piece of each and talked with Shagbark for awhile. I had lunch at Anile's Pizza. Sausage sub with pepperes, cheese and onion, washed down by all the root beer I could drink. Boiling Springs gets its name from several springs that water seems to boil up from the ground. Actually the water is 53 degrees, but it seems to be boiling. I could not check into my room until 3:00, so I just hung out at the park watching the ducks I have a room at Gelina's Bed and Breakfast. It is a small but quaint room furnished in white wicker. There¢s a small sink in the room, and a fully stocked refrigerator. I share a bathroom that has a Jacuzzi tub. I cannot wait to soak my tired body in that tub later. The house was built around 1870 and has a Queen Anne Facade. There is a conical roof that caps a three story half turret. Leo and Kitty Gelinas have lived here for almost forty years. There is forty years worth of things on the wall, on tables, furnishings. I could spend a week just looking at everything. I join Magoo and Veej for supper at the Boiling Springs Tavern, another very old building sitting in the middle of town. We are slightly under dressed but the food and service is very good. I wonder if they seated us by the fireplace for a reason. We may look funny but we are all clean. Of course we have to go to Leo's Ice Cream shop for dessert afterward, where they make the ice cream on the premises. It is the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Back in my room, I fill the tub with hot water and soak for an hour. I look like a prune when I get out. Barely able to drag myself to my room, I fall into bed, grateful to be in town.Total miles 3.9