Date: 2004-07-06
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Doyle Hotel - Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Hickory nuts plummeted on my tentsite all night long! That's the last time I park my tent under one of those trees. Perhaps the squirrels were having a night game of nut baseball. If so, they had a lot of foul balls. Once again I was awake at sunbreak. I'm too warm with my bag, too cool without it. I'm considering switching the bag out for a silk liner. Then my food can go in its spot inside my backpack and I can bump the lid of my pack forward. I see a few pounds drop in weight if so.My packing-up record was broken this morn: up at 6:20, out by 6:50. The summer sun is starting to gain strength; I do not relish hiking in the heat. Only 11.3 miles today, easily attainable by noon. My energy level was high, my aches minimal, and my spirits soaring. So my feet and legs were flying. I reached the next shelter signpost, 7.3 miles, in 2.5 hours. Matter of fact, I didn't even drop my pack until I reached Hawk Rock, a full two miles further. From there I could look down into the river valley in which Duncannon sits. There's something bittersweet about such a moment. The isolation and serenity, the vastness of space, the quiet and peacefulness unceasingly fill me with awe and joy. Simultaneously, I know I can't linger forever. In the short timespan of 60 minutes I will become a part of the cacophony down below. My dislike for town stops is growing, most likely in direct proportion to my comfort level in the woods.Ursa Minor took a zero with a friend on Sunday. I'm hoping she's only one day behind so we need not tarry long in town.The infamous Doyle Hotel, built by Anheuser-Busch in or around 1900, was probably the ritziest place around in its time. Today, it's less than ritzy! But tradition dictates a thru-hiker stays here so I am here. It is slowly but surely being renovated by the latest owners. The bar/restaurant area is nicely redecorated and the owners/staff are marvelous. The cost of renovation, I am certain, is extravagant. I wish them good luck, best wishes, and lots of patience; I would love to come back in about 10 years to see the improvements. However, in no way am I complaining; we have the luxury of clean running water, hot showers, laundry facilities, great food, electricity, and private space. We have need for nothing more.As I write this from the old balcony of the hotel, an obnoxious high decibel siren is permeating the air from a block away, a freight train is sailing through town one block the other direction, I count 12 moving cars on this short little main street, there's a diesel-fueled Miller Lite truck with engine running unloading its wares into the Doyle, and a single-room air conditioner is threatening to shake out of the window behind me. If nothing else, the place has ambiance.Tomorrow I sort through our maildrops, taking out enough for the next 70 miles and bumping ahead four separate drops. The process always seems to be a logistical nightmare. We can only guess daily mileage and arrival dates. If we use post offices we need to arrive during post office hours. which only serves to complicate the issue. But hey, I'm halfway to Maine and the only trail food I've purchased is trail mix. All my meals have come from home, saving me dollars and weight. My immense gratitude I extend to my home support, Meghan and Jared -- thanks so much! The system has worked well so far, no reason why it should break down at this time. Now it's off to the social part of my day, an evening with fellow hikers to compare notes, share a few stories, meet a few new faces, and have a ton of laughs.