Date: 2010-06-04
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon Doyle Hotel
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: scattered clouds

The two tenters and the one sleeping on the shelter floor decided to get up and hit the trail for a 3:00am departure. They probably neede the bright lights that they used to get ready for night hiking on the trail but a little dimmer for readying in the shelter would have been much appreciated. Probably no worse to deal with than a bad snorer so who am I to complain. All the effects of last nights storm were gone except for the wetness in the trees and lower vegitation as we hit the trail just before 9:00. The day began with a long downhill which helped get some sore legs worked out a bit and then a good long climb to get us back up again. We crossed some fields with shoulder high grass standing straight and tall without the slightest of a breeze to sway or to cool us as we went. Toss'm was still feeling the effects of whatever it is that has got a hold of him. The combination of the sickness, heat and expenditure of energy yesterday wasn't working to Toss'ms benifit. He was low on his energy reserves and neede frequent stops. I took the lead on the trail with Chipper behind me then Toss'm then Bloodshot in the rear. I tried to maintain a slow but steady pace with hopes to keep moving. Most of the day was beneath the cover of thick trees which made the day a little cooler than yesterday. Chipper stayed with me the entire way. Every time I turned around there he was. It reminded me of when Gator hiked with me. Sometimes his steps sounded so close that I expected him to step on my heels. The progress we were making today was less than yesterday but we had 3 less miles to go. Our goal was to get off of the mountain and into Duncannon. I had a maildrop at the PO and we were running close to coming in a little to late. Near the end of the ridgeline that we were hiking had a few minor ups and I maintained my pace in hopes of influencing all to keep going. Periodically we would loose Toss'm and Bloodshot but Chipper remained right on my heals. On the downhill side was some sections that were very steep. Our last rest stop was at a lookout called Hawk Rock. We could see the town of Duncannon opening up to the north of us and the Susquehanna River snaking down below. the trail continued down and it looked as if we would continue going down when all of a sudden the white blazes took a steep upward turn. Toss'm immediately voiced his displeasure with this and it reminded me of my reactions to similar late day climbs early in my hike back in Georgia. Oh no! Oh no! It hurt and I knew it but we had to go back up before completing the hike down into town. I figured it to be a short up so I dug in put my head down and moved nonstop till I crested the top. Much to my suprise when I got there Chipper(Striders Shadow) was right there. Through all the adversity that this 4some has endured Striders Shadow has quietly conquered it all. These kids are as tough as nails and I am glad to have them on my team. A light sprinkle began to fall as we entered town. The famous Doyle Hotel was where we were headed and the PO was a few blocks further down the road. I made it in time just before they closed. We got ourselves settled in before going out and getting a bite to eat. The expected thunderstorms came in with flashes of lightning that lit up the sky. Always loved watching a good storm from the safety and comforts of a covered porch. Met a couple hikers at the Doyle Veggie, abolishonist, Traveler and also Magellan who I last saw in Damascus Virginia. Toss'm ate some dinner and showed signed of coming around. A good nights sleep will do us all good. Sometimes names change based on the experiences on the trail as is the case here. GrizzleyD is now Bloodshot. Diamondback is now Toss'm. Smores/ Chipper is now Striders Shadow. Our adventure continues.