Date: 2006-11-03
From: Table Rock Overlook, Pa

To: Duncannon, Pa
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is the day that Mrs Yolanda Vega-Gorp finishes her thru hike when she walks into Duncannon, Pa. She walked from Springer Mountain, Ga earlier this year, up to Duncannon, Pa, then flipped to Katahdin in Maine and has walked south all the way back to here. It's been a great pleasure for me to have walked most of the way south with her after she flipped up to Katahdin.The day started early on this overlook called Table Rock which is along the ridge of Peters Mountain. It was a frosty night, 23 degrees when I woke up.Yolanda called over to me to get my "old butt" moving because she had things to do today.When I turned on my headlamp, I could see ice crystals had formed on the inside of my tent.I had four frozen chocolate covered donuts and had some Jolt Caffeine Gum for breakfast, then got dressed and packed up. When I got out of my tent, I could see it was going to be a beautiful morning.I finished packing up my tent and Yolanda and I walked south for the last day we get to walk together this year...and the last day I have to listen to all the "comments" from behind me. ;-)))I'm going to be lost without being insulted on a regular basis all day long, but I will find the strength to continue on my long journey south to Catawaba, Va where I'll finish my thru hike. Hummmmm......We crossed the footbridge at Rt 225 and got a few pictures, then walked on.It was windy, so the 23 degrees felt cool, but I had to start taking off a couple layers as we walked along. I had just stopped to take off a jacket and was walking along when Yolanda told me to look in a tree to my left. It was a bow hunter off about 30 yards away waving at us.I always where lots of blaze orange this time of year, so I stand out pretty good in the woods.We kept walking and stopped at Clarks Ferry Shelter to sign the register, but it was full.We could see the Susquehanna River and Duncannon below after we got started walking again. They looked close, but where still a few miles off.We descended Peters Mountain and when we got out of the woods and was crossing the RR tracks, we could see a train racing towards us from our left. We stopped to watch that noisy thing fly by at a high rate of speed, then we crossed the Susquehanna Bridge and walked into Duncannon.It was about a 1 1/2 mile road walk to The Doyle...the last 1 1/2 miles of walking with a good friend. :-(((We took some pictures of the "summit", then took our backpacks around back of The Doyle where Yolanda's car was waiting on us.We drove down to the truckstop and had some coffee to warm up, then went back to The Doyle and walked in and saw Vikki and Pat, the owners.We talked to them a few minutes, then Vikki went in the back of the bar and brought out a leaf catching/pool cleaning contraption that was filled with leaves that are supposed to mean that Yolanda is way ahead of me in The Leaf Catching Game....compliments of Amoeba. These dang women...you let them play in your game and they try to get away with anything and everthing they can!!I try to run a respectable "Leaf Catching Game" and I get things like this to have to deal with. (I found out later in the day that Goosebump The Snow Princess signed my guestbook and said that she was awarded lots of extra leaves for giving birth to Little Jack Spencer)I'm not sure what rule book they arereading, but I can assure you that it's not the official rule book. I have that book memorized, so I'll go through my memory later and make an official ruling on the validity of these claims, but for now, I want to focus on the celebration of the completion of the third time that Yolanda has walked the entire Appalachian Trail from one end to the other!!We partied for hours, drinking diet Cokes at the bar. Woohoo!!!!Vikki said there was a package waiting for me. I knew it was there, but I had been avoiding it, because it was sent there by the former hiker known as "Liteshoe". I was afraid to get that package after an "incident" that happened last year. ;-)))Turns out it was a package with good stuff in it....in fact it had something in it that I'll keep the rest of my life....a comemorative bandana from the 25th ALDHA Gathering and it was signed by Jan Liteshoe who sent it to me at The Doyle, LWOP who bought it, Mrs LWOP, Amoeba, Skeeter, Clyde, Frogcaller, Lew, Zulu, Weathercarrot, Mrs Yolanda Vega-Gorp '06, Marsha, 30-30, Flatlander, Bon Peoples, Baltimore Jack, Jon Phipps, Miss Janet, Jojo Smiley, Skeemer, Bear Bag Hanger, Gypsy, Lone Wolf, Pog, Not To Worry and Oprah W.Thank you each and every one of you...you all a great friends!!!There was also some taco seasoning mix, sleepy time tea, smiley face stickers, a small frisby and a heartfelt card from "Liteshoe" telling me what she really thinks about me. ;-))) Since she was so nice to me and sent all these great things for me to carry in my backpack, I'm going to post a link to her obscure website; www.trailjournals.com/liteshoeAnyone who hasn't read her journal is missing out on the best written journal in the history of backpacking. (Even though she lacks the number of clicks on her website that I have on mine...it takes FRIENDS to add all those clicks on the counter!!)Clyde, thanks for the CD...that was fantastic!!! I can't imagine all the work that must have taken...thank you, thank you!!! :-)))Yolanda and I said our goodbyes at The Doyle and headed up to Honey Boy's to get my truck. We are planning on moving my truck south and spotting it somewhere.We got to Honey Boy's and he had some guests that were just sitting down for desert, so we joined in. Ha!!We also toasted some Glug, a swedish tradition, then ate our pie.We left there and headed towards Frogcaller and Lew's, but it was getting late, so we stopped about 45 minutes before we got there, got a room and got much needed showers, then went out for a celebratory steak dinner.I have to thank Mrs Yolanda Vega-Gorp for being such a good friend and sharing much of this year's walk with me...even though it's been a tough year in many ways, she was always there to help...a true friend for life....love ya Yolanda. Now go home and bug your husband for the rest of the winter and let me finally start walking some decent miles. Ha!!! ;-)))