Date: 2014-09-08
From: Peters Mountain

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.0

Thor, Ranger Stack and I were all heading to Duncannon that day to resupply and meet up with the Latin From Manhattan. Stack and Thor got into a bit of a tiff while we were packing up. Stack can be a little overbearing sometimes. He is definitely not used to being questioned. When Thor did, he got upset. In my opinion though, Thor had been right. Watching a father and son argue in such close proximity made me uncomfortable. It wasn't my place to enter the fray so I tried to pack up as quickly as possible and change the subject.Stack and Thor decided to cut down a powerline and follow it down the mountain towards town. I wasn't totally sure though that the route they were taking wasn't going to get them lost so I kept on the trail I knew until I reached the Susquehanna trail. The Susquehanna trail starts and ends on the AT but cuts off a 0.9 mile steep downhill. Downhills are still my kryptonite so I opted for the more gradual and evenly graded blue blaze. I walked into Duncannon earlier than I thought I would and went straight to the post office where I had a package waiting from my mother. The package from my mother had so much food it turned out I didn't even need to go to the grocery store which was awesome. That left me time to do some laundry! I don't normally get a shower and clean clothes all at once so I was super happy. I called my sisters and my mom. They were all talking about Thanksgiving and my anticipated completion date. Would I be done by the holiday or not. They were thinking of renting a place near the end of the trail and if I wasn't done yet coming to get me for the holiday. It upset me, and my mother ended up getting the brunt of my emotions. I felt bad about it later, but at the time it just felt like they were doubting me. I had told my mother how much a negative email from a friend had upset me back in NY so I was doubly hurt that she would question my ability to be home for the holiday. I have been making great progress and felt like I was burning down the trail. To have my own family doubt me was a hard thing to hear. It makes me not want to call them until I'm done. In retrospect, they were not trying to express doubt but rather love and a desire to spend the holiday with me no matter where I am. Hindsight is always 20/20 though. Someday I hope I can make it up to my mother. She doesn't deserve to be yelled at, especially by her own daughter. Places to stay in Duncannon are limited. The free campsite right next to the railroad tracks did not sound like fun to me. Plus so many NOBOs had told me that I just had to stay at the Doyle. The Doyle is an old, historic hotel that is something of an institution in the hiker community. The general consensus is that the place is a dive but it has great food! The couple who run it have done a great job renovating the first floor where the bar and restaurant are which make a great first impression. Then you go upstairs to where the rooms are, after you have paid of course. The rooms are small and the bathroom is down the hall, but that is to be expected considering when the place was built. What you don't expect though is the level of dinginess. Never mind the inch of dust coating every surface. What got to me was the holes in the bed sheets and the multiple spider webs in every corner. Not old spider webs either. These were spider webs with spiders actively seeking prey and thriving! The showers don't drain well so you have to keep turning on and off the water while trying to get the shampoo out of your hair to prevent the water from overflowing. One SOBO hiker, Knee Deep, didn't turn off the water while showering and flooded the place from the fourth floor down to the first. The owners ended up kicking her out over the incident. They did not however do anything to address the plumbing issue... This was home for the night though so we made the best of it. Basically we stayed in the bar until it closed. Nothing overcomes dingy like a cold beer! And the food was spectacular. I had the most amazing buffalo chicken fillet sandwich with fries and coleslaw. Even if you don't stay at the Doyle, I highly recommend eating there. That man can cook!