Date: 2007-06-11
From: Doyle Hotel 

To: Harrisburg, PA
Miles today: 8.4

I am writing from a house in Harrisburg PA. You just never know where you¢ll end up when you start hiking in the morning. While I did have a couple of beers last night, the blame for today rests firmly, or maybe not so firmly, on Blazer¢s shoulders.        We had a fine breakfast at the caf© across from the Doyle. What, leaving the Doyle after just one night? True story. I had many a Guinness last night. Despite a roaring party in the room above, I slept like a baby. Until the fire siren, which I believe was hanging in our room, started to wail. That was it for entertainment.        The hike out of town was warm. Once you hit the woods, the trail goes straight up. Already warm from crossing the terribly long bridge over the Susquehanna River. We stopped at the first shelter for a snack and entertained the idea of spending the night. The Gypsy moths have cleaned out every tree around the shelter. It looked like fall instead of early summer. The ridge runner said 2 weeks ago they were fine. The ridge runner says he has had lyme disease twice and now is deathly allergic to poison ivy. I wanted to say nature is trying to tell you ¢stay the hell out of the woods¢.         We load up on water as word is the next shelter is dry. I am lugging 4.5 liters of water, enough for dinner and breakfast. I must be hauling 22 pounds of food and water alone. I haven¢t carried this much since 1999. Along the way, one of the load lifters broke on Blazer¢s pack. For those of you who aren¢t avid backpackers, it is the do-hicky that attaches the thing-a-ma-jigger to the pack. He does this about 8 miles out of Duncannon.        Timing is everything. PA 225 is less than a mile away, but goes nowhere that we can see at first glance. Then a little but colorful bird flew down and said ¢Ka¢¦ why don¢t you go to Harrisburg¢. I said what? But it never said anything again. Just like the other day when this frog, in a tuxedo and top hat, was singing and dancing. By the time I got to Blazer, it stopped. Ok, maybe it¢s time to stop eating the wild mushrooms.        A short call to the ATC headquarters gave us a phone number for a shuttle and outfitter in Harrisburg. Now I have to take back all those things I said a couple days ago. I really have to start writing in pencil. The outfitter was closing at 6pm. Gary showed up to shuttle us in. He actually got us there before they closed, but they already had scheduled a staff meeting for that night. We offer to come back in the morning as there is a new Comfort Inn down the road.        Gary asks us if we would like to come back to his house. Both he and his wife, Lois, are retired. Unfortunately, I am what you would call a hotel whore. I love staying at hotels, it¢s a disease. I saw it on 20/20. Anyway, of course we accepted, we¢re not stupid. I whimpered a bit as the Comfort Inn faded into the background.       Gary stopped by Rita¢s Italian Ice. He¢s now my best friend. If there is one thing I love more than life itself, or at least more than Starbuck¢s white chocolate mochas, it¢s Rita¢s Gelaties. I didn¢t see passion fruit, so I went with mango. Its mango flavored Italian ice, layered with custard. Simply orgasmic. In short, if there was a chick with mittens and pigtails, and mango gelati, I would go with the gelati. Sad, isn¢t it. I probably should seek help.      Gary takes us to his house. He is a proud Dean supporter from the presidential election, but we won¢t hold that against him. Whoops, just lost my Vermont readers. They invite us in, feed us, give us a room with beds, shower, laundry, and internet. Dinner was great. Gary hiked the AT in 1987. I really enjoyed looking through his picture albums. It was amazing how much was the same 20 years later. I was surprised at how many people were out hiking back then. I show people my 1999 scrapbooks and unless they hike a lot, I get the feeling that by the second one, they are like ¢yeah, more trees¢. We really enjoyed talking with them and are very grateful for taking us in. I think Blazer was pretty worried when his pack broke. The AT has a way of fixing things when you need them.