Date: 2006-05-21
From: US 11 - Appalachian Motor Inn

To: Clark's Ferry Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 76 - I didn't sleep well last night, even though I was the only one in the room and the bed was comfortable. I got up about 5, intending to get an early start due to rain being forecast for later in the day. Had breakfast at the Middlesex Diner next door and finally got on the Trail at 6:45 AM. The first two hours of walking were similar to yesterday - fields or field edges, new growth woods along streams, lots of road crossings. I was the first one out on the Trail (you can can tell by how many spider webs you get to eat), but the only people I sas were stone-faced drivers and passengers in the cars on the roads. No one waves in Pennsylvania.After a couple of hours the Trail climbed up on a ridge and has stayed there so far (it's now 12:30 PM), with a significant amount of rocks. They are pretty bad, but maybe I'm getting better at handling them. So far no symptoms of Tourette's Syndrome, at least. I am now at Cove Mountain Shelter for lunch. Duncannon is only 4 miles away. I might stay there, or I might fo on to the next shelter (4.6 miles) to reduce the distance I need to walk on Monday. Weather will be key; so far it has not rained, but the sky is dark gray and windy.Today I am walking for Jennifer, Erik, and Audrey, with love and prayers.8 PM - I'm the only one at Clark's Ferry Shelter, so I have my choice of where tosleep. The temp is already in the 40's, it feels like. Good night for wearing my silks in the bag.Thanks to the Weather Channel for not being right all the time. The "70 percent chance of rain" never occurred, although the wind was strong and the clouds were ominous. I crossed one rocky ridge, made a steep, rocky descent into Duncannon, and walked right by a pay phone, so I was able to call Jane and Bill Ewing. I made the obligatory stop at the Doyle Hotel, now 101 years old and looking it. I was warmly greeted in the bar/restaurant by the owners and other hikers. The staff got me a shuttle to the local grocery (full-sized), where I bought enough food to get me to Port Clinton. Then I came back to the Doyle for a Philly Cheesesteak (1/2 there, half I packed to this shelter for supper). Met Red Dog, who is staying at the Doyle tonight, and 4 Trail "elders" on their way back to Maine from Trail Days in Damascus. Part of their annual routine is to stay at the Doyle on the way home. One administers the Whiteblaze.net website.I would have stayed there if it had been raining, but the sun came out so I pushed on. This way I won't have to do almost 29 miles tomorrow to stay on schedule for getting to Port Clinton on Wednesday night.The walk here was really diverse. Almost two miles is along a mostly residential street in Duncannon, which seems to be an old, declining industrial / railroad town. I crossed a long bridge over the Susquehanna River, then under another bridge and over 2 railroad tracks. Then the Trail starts a long, modestly steep climb of about 900 ft., which surprisingly I had no trouble with at all. Once on the ridge, however, those pesky rocks reappeared. For a full hour I hopped, scrambled, climbed up and down, almost fell, tried to avoid lots of poison ivy, got pushed by very strong wind gusts, and still made it through unscathed. The rocks further south were as bad as these, but this ridge seemed to on and on and on and on. After getting it behind me, I am encouraged that I can handle the worst PA has to throw at me - it's tiring and frustrating and risky and sometimes dangerous, but I can overcome!!