Summer on Fire

If you relied solely on the testimonials of Pines boys these days, you’d swear that the Meat Rack was just another iconic myth of gay life…you know, like unicorns, and or a second date with someone you’ve met at the Pavilion. Everyone’s heard of it, but no ones actually experienced it. The stories always start with “someone they know goes there…” As in, “someone” did some crazy stuff there, but no one will fess up to being that someone. I guess it’s kind of like going to the sauna at the gym…we all know stuff goes on in there, and I bet most of us have done it first hand, but unless we’re actually caught in the sauna, we swear we wouldn’t be caught dead in there.

So basically, the Meat Rack is like a 50,000 square foot sauna. Like I said in another post it’s the area of land between the Pines and Cherry Grove, and it’s arguably the quickest way to get from one to the other. Arguable only in the sense that it’s easy to get distracted so a twenty minute walk ends up stealing your afternoon and making you late for tea. Whether you’re a voyeur, an exhibitionist, or madly in love with a new friend for the next twenty minutes, the Meat Rack is the spot for you to get your fix of hedonism. Technically it’s illegal to play in the area but with several ways off the beaten path, to the well hidden beating paths, the action still goes on.

Local Wildlife

According to my sources, who of course all claim never to actually go there, the Meat Rack is at it’s peak in the late afternoon, after getting hot and bothered on the beach, and late night after getting randy at the bars. In the afternoon you mostly have to be careful of the men who set up camp in the Meat Rack. No, not with tents and sleeping bags, but with lawnchairs, newspapers, and cock rings. They sit in strategically marked spots, waiting for some boys to stray from the herd. You can compare them to that guy in the sauna who tries to get involved when he’s clearly uninvited…not that I’ve ever been in that sort of situation, I swear. If you’re looking to find some action in the afternoon, I realized it’s a lot like bird watching, as a friend of mine took me through the woods of the rack. One minute we’re walking along and the next I’m told to be quiet and to slowly walk towards what looks like just a row of bushes. As we near we see a small opening and hidden away from the path is a small group of guys. And I’m guessing that if they were birds they’d be Swallows…ahem, you know what I mean. At night it’s a little harder to find people once you’re in the Meat Rack…there are absolutely no lights and once in the wooded area, even the stars don’t help you anymore. Most often you’ll see groups of boys giggling and squealing their way through, like a remake of the Blair Witch Project. So you’ll probably want to bring a friend with you instead of trusting whatever lurks behind that flickering iPhone in the distance.

Midnight Cardio

Now I’m not one to judge (I swear!!). The Meat Rack adds to the Pines experience, even if you don’t actively seek out any wooded woodpeckers. It is yet another way that Fire Island offers a complete escape and a community where anything goes. I for one think the Meat Rack is an institution worth supporting. Where else in the country can you find a gorgeous stretch of land devoted almost entirely to orgasms?