Date: 2014-06-04
From: Allenberry Resort via PA 174

To: The Doyle Hotel
Miles today: 25.6

So Big Dawg called an audible and we went with a deep pass down the middle of the field - a marathon distance hike from Boiling Springs to Duncannon. Today we completed what I have dubbed the Duncanathon!Our bold plan required an early start so we made breakfast in the hotel mancave and started the trail at 7:15 - time on!The first leg of the journey was a nice warm up to the Duncanathon - mostly field and forest hiking that was super flat and easy to do. Found a trail magic bag early on that had some sugary treats for us - almost like an aid station! Also ran into a horde of mosquitoes that tried to eat us alive - made an emergency stop to spray down and keep all of our blood! Flew by many road crossings and kept the pace at a great clip all the way until lunchtime.Rested at a road crossing and ate on the concrete wall for a little bridge - a great little place to eat after a lot of fast walking. Here the course changed from flat farmland to uphill inclines - the pace slowed some but we were still moving well. Passer through a tunnel underneath a road and rested by the remnants of a very old rusted car in the woods - still have not figured out how it got there upside down!Charged our way to the original stopping location - Darlington Shelter - and we decided to keep moving on. Now the trail ahead flashed a warning about lots of rocks on the last eight or so miles of the journey. Did we stop and cower? No!The "very rocky" section after the last big climb was not as rocky as some sections in Virginia! Mostly small rocks all over the trail but still sections of easy walking. The rocks did not meet my difficulty expectation but still probably the better for our long hike - Big Dawg was getting tired in this section.Passed the last shelter and we were on the home stretch - four miles left! Luckily we did not hit the marathoner's wall and were able to keep moving well. Did our last big rest at Hawk Rock and enjoyed great views of Duncannon and the valley below from up high - the end is in sight!The last two miles threw a couple of twists at us. The "very rocky" description in the book came true coming down from Hawk Rock - very steep and at times the trail was all rocks! Cleared through that without any issue and ran into another surprise - one final hill before walking down to the road. The original trail went straight to the road but complaints by residents caused the reroute...not a fun climb at the end of a long day!After the climb we walked into town and settled in at the Doyle Hotel. Not sure what the best way to describe the hotel - very rustic perhaps? It is a hiker tradition to stay here but the building is in pretty rough shape. A nice bar area for the hikers and a billiards table but the rooms upstairs could use some help. Broken ceiling tiles, chipping paint, missing switches - just an old building behind on maintenance. The owners are very nice and the hotel is still kinda cool to stay in just keep in the hiker mindset while staying there.Got laundry started at a nearby laundromat and then went to the Christ Lutheran Church for a free hiker dinner. It was their first time doing it and it was a great success! Spaghetti and salad and drinks and homemade ice cream and brownies and fruit and bread - all around good meal. Look for their meals every Weds 5-7 in June and July!The town and Doyle were full of hikers we knew and were about to meet. Saw Mission, G.O.A.T. Chocolate, Cheese, Turtle, Boomerang, Shivers, Sole Power, and Chops that we knew and met Key Lime, Reset, Peaches, and Quicksilver at the bar area. You can really feel the hiker atmosphere here since the hotel really only caters to hikers and it was a great night in town - and we avoided another rainstorm.Great catching up with Chocolate and Cheese and Sole Power again! Our race is run, the day is done - let's go to bed!