Date: 2013-07-06
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 4.0

Town Day! Yeah! I woke up with an aching right knee. I wasn't surprised. I ate an Aleve and some ibuprofen, and I slip the compression sleeve on my leg. The first two miles were flat and rocky, but the next two miles were steep and rocky. It got hot quickly, and of course the gnats were in my eyes as soon as I climbed out of the protection of the shelter. I passed some day hikers who were from Houston. We talked about Gulf Coast seafood. I was so happy to hit the pavement leading into Duncannon. I pulled out my town map and started looking for white blazes. There weren't many. Instead I kept having to look for SoBo blazes to ensure I was still on track. I passed the VFW and the American Legion. I considered stopping in for a drink, but it was only 10 a.m., and I wasn't feel quite that saucy. The Road Hawg BBQ caught my nose, but it wouldn't open for a few more hours. I happily moseyed down High St towards the Doyle Hotel. They didn't open for another hour so I got my laundry together to head to the laundromat. Double Dare rounded the corner. I was so happy to see him again. We decided to go to the coffee shop to get an iced coffee instead. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy town days? When the time came, we made our way back to the Doyle. I got a room and picked up my maildrop. The hotel was built in 1903 and little has been done to it since. It is glorious in its lack of pretention. It doesn't try to be anything other than what it is nor does it apologize for what it is, a cheap hotel. There are a few antique pieces, but mainly its a hodge-podge of mismatched furniture, bare wires, cracked and missing plaster, torn curtains (my rooms curtain rods are actually old hiking poles), and little hand-written signs attached to the wall with blue painter's tape urging you not to do anything to cause more damage than is already there (i.e. be sure to close the shower curtain so that water doesn't leak out and cause the ceiling on the floor below to collapse). A single private room goes for $25. I love it.I headed up to my room and collected my laundry to drop at the laundromat before HoBo, Hat Trick, Double Dare and I walked to the BBQ place. I could hardly breathe afterwards. I said hi to Davy Crockett as I change my clothes over and headed to the grocery store. The local grocery store is at the top of a steep, narrow road, so they offer a courtesy shuttle that picks you up at the hotel. All you have to do is call. Trail towns are pretty awesome places. Have I mention how much I enjoy town days?Afterwards I called home and caught up on my trail journal. The Doyle Hotel has a little computer tucked in the corner of the bar. So the guys sat at the bar as I hen-pecked away at the key board. A few hours later, we ate again. I went back up to my room, and it was so hot. My Snickers bars were all mushy and melted as was the cheese I had bought to eat with lunch. I propped open the window, using my cookset to keep the window from crashing down. I turned the floor fan so it would blow directly on me. I slept like a rock. That is until the city siren went off at 4 a.m.