Date: 2010-04-10
From: Highway 94 (Mount Holly Springs)

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

April 10, 2010 - Saturday - Mount Holly Springs to Boiling Springs - 8.8 milesToday was rated easy in one of my books but there was enough elevation gain and loss over 5 humps, some steep, highest 500 ft, to make it a pretty good hike.I ate a trail bar and had some tea and packed up. The restaurant is not open for breakfast but the lady who runs the place had offered to give me coffee and bread in the little waiting area, which I gladly accepted. The bread was poppy seed and she gave me strawberries too as well as a ride back to the trail, and all of this for free. Nice.Winkle had told me to be careful of the rocks on Rocky Ridge (the first 500 ft bump). She remembered someone breaking their arm there. I think the people who routed the trail in and through the rocks were having a good time. It was the most interesting part of the trail today. One spot was a bit like the "lemon squeezer" in NY and one big step was almost worthy of Katahdin (but only one). I was careful though and ate a couple trail bars at various spots.There were several day hikers out this morning over the rocks. I also passed a SOBO long section hiker headed for Harper's Ferry. His trail name was "B'ar Killer". A ways past the rocks I ran into 2 SOBOs from Duncannon, Flip and Jamie Lone Wolf. Jamie Lone Wolf had the biggest pack I have ever seen. It was humongous! It must have been at least 50-60 lbs, more than twice what I am carrying. She said she couldn't afford lightweight gear, was carrying weeks of food and losing weight. I know she was 20 years younger than I am and did need to lose some weight but I worry about her and that huge load. I hope her joints hold up until she loses weight both from her body and from her pack. After they left, I prayed for her safety through the rocks ahead and was glad Flip was with her.I got within 3.2 miles of boiling Springs before stopping for lunch. There is really no place to legally camp for 14 miles past Boiling Springs so it just doesn't make sense to push on. A young couple with 2 dogs hiked by me while I ate and wrote in my journal. It was sooo tempting to go farther on such a beautiful day. I purposefully stayed a long time for lunch. I even wandered over the White Rocks trail for a while so I would not be so tempted. I finally packed up and walked down the hill to Boiling Springs. The place the book said was available for camping, besides lying next to the railroad tracks, was nearly over run with fishermen - at least 40-50 guys were out fishing. Hiking alone, that did not seem attractive. I walked on to the Regional AT Building and saw an ad on the bulletin board for Allenberry that was not in my 3 year old book. Yeah! A resort for $25 a night! Deal!It was about a half mile from the trail but I had plenty of time to get there and the energy too. I checked in and got my shower and walked over to the restaurant. It might have been just a little pricier than last night but not much and well worth it. Hikers be warned (or anticipate with drooling) that was, if not a one lb burger, pretty darn close to it and almost more than I could eat. I did leave a few fries in a most non-long distance hiker fashion.A TV to watch in the room but I am too full and sleepy and life is good.