Date: 2015-05-26
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We left the shelter quite early today, around 6:15 AM. The plan today was to do a short hike and reach the town of Duncannon where we could resupply, do laundry and shower. I called the Boiling Springs post office and had them bump my package to Duncannon; hopefully it will arrive tomorrow as I am not interested in waiting around for it, though I know this happens to many hikers.Today, the famous Pensylvannia rocks made their apperance. The span of Trail from the shelter to Duncannon had at least two thirds of its surface area covered in rocks (Awol did mention it this time). The hike was therefore challenging and slow-going and somewhat dull. It is quite tiresome to have to carefully plan and calculate every. single. step. I need to add that said rocks are not large slabs of stone or huge boulders, which are easier to navigate around. PA rocks fall into three categories: the toe stubber, the (potential) ankle twister and the wobbler. Toe stubbers are small in size - maybe the size of your fists - yet they are firmly packed into the ground and will abruptly stop any foot in motion; this will send a shockwave of pain throughout the aforementionned foot (Newton's 3rd law, bitches). The ankle twisters are modest in size and have an uneven or spiky surface, their distinctive characteristic. Firmly balancing a foot on such a rock is impossible and causes great stress on the foot's connecting ankle. You cannot attempt to avoid these ankle twisters by setting your foot between them: the rocks are closely clustered together and the narrow space seperating them is exactly wide enough to entramp your ankle. Finally, the wobblers are quite large, seemingly innocent rocks that will wobble unsteadily as you hop onto them, causing you to lose your balance. Other categories of rocks may be added to this classification as we encounter them.The temperatures were in the high 80s today and it was humid. Unfortunately, the bugs seem to love this weather. Sun's out, bugs out. We were entangled in numerous spider webs and had swarms of mosquitos and flies flying around us, taunting us. The insects are waging psychological warfare against hikers: it is insanely irritating to have an acute buzzing sound vibrate in your ears. I am crushed to see mosquitos so early in the season. Only the fluffy caterpillars are not annoying.We passed the Hawk Rock, a viewpoint overlooking the Susquehanna River and a small collection of buildings: Duncannon! The final descent towards civilization was quite tricky. The Trail passed through a field of rocks. It seemed as if workers had dynamited the area and left the resulting mess as is. Here's a picture:  Very rocky terrain The descent was only a mile long, but it took an hour as I was proceeding with extreme caution. The Trail, at this point, does not accomodate differently-abled ankles... such discrimination!We arrived in Duncannon in the early afternoon and headed to the Doyle Hotel. The Doyle building is over 100 years old and is DEEPLY in need of a face lift. While the Doyle has good food and drink, Mom, I think you shouldn't stay there overnight. Hikers, on the other hand, I think the Doyle is... unique enough that it is well worth the stay! We are quite alone here tonight - we only saw two hikers, one of whom is from Victoria, B.C.!- Axon