Date: 2014-06-03
From: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel

To: Allenberry Resort via PA 174
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

So the state does have rocky terrain and hills! We haven't encountered much of it so far in here but ran into some good rocky climbs today.Woke up early at the hostel and enjoyed a breakfast of frozen waffles (which I warmed up) and juice. Left early since we had a long day into Boiling Springs and we needed to resupply in town - said goodbye to Rugby and Big Tex (only six weeks left on trail - Rugby's visa is ending), Grasshopper and Runaway (will be off trail for a wedding in June then back on), and Joe (doing a shorter day).During our first climb of the day we ran into Shoo Fly, the ridgerunner for that section in Pennsylvania. He kindly cleared all the spiderwebs out of the way for us up ahead and we stopped to chat about the trail and hiking in general - a very nice fellow!Since we did not have many views and we had extra energy from the ice cream, we were motoring along pretty quickly. From the guidebook we had discovered a grocery store along our route today so stopped at the store to supplement our lunch because of the threat of rain. Green Mountain General Merchandise - a great little store with lots of food and things hikers need! A little bit off the trail but well worth it if you need something.After stopping at the store we walked some more and ate lunch at a campsite near the trail. It looked like it might rain so we put on our gaiters and we climbed up to the rock maze - a surprisingly steep and rocky trail that we had not really encountered in Pennsylvania yet! The humidity and the weather made for some hot hiking but we climbed up and conquered the rock maze.The rock maze was ok - an attempt to take us through rocky terrain up on the ridge but it was less maze and more rock. The trail went through a bunch of large rocks for around a mile or so - not much more than that.After the rock maze we had the last big climb past the shelter to Center Point Knob which marked the original halfway point of the AT when it was first created. Very cool to walk across that knob and reach our third halfway point in two days! At this knob we left PATC land and entered another club's territory - hopefully they try as hard as the PATC does on maintaining the trail! The climb down from the mountains was uneventful and we left the forest to enter...farmland? The AT literally walks along farm fields and very flat land after the knob until Boiling Springs - walking the trail here reminded me of Indiana! We walked passed wheat and corn fields and was just like home.We made it to Boiling Springs and settled in at the Allenberry Resort - a must stay place if you stop here! A great hotel with $40 rooms for hikers that are pretty nice and access to a club lounge underneath the building that is like a large mancave! It has a big TV with some couches and a refrigerator and a pool table and ping pong and everything else you could want - all so easy to access as well. This place was a great find on the trail!Walked to the tavern in the main part of town for dinner and had a great meal. Along the way we learned where the town got its name - a little path leads to a natural spring that is literally gushing out of the ground in such a way that it looks like it is boiling. An amazing sight to see!Afterwards we rested at the resort with Mission and Chops in the lounge while listening to the heavy rain outside - glad to be indoors and dry! A great evening after a good day of hiking.