Date: 2018-05-16
From: Cove Mt shelter

To: Clark's Ferry shelter
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept great last night, best shelter sleep so far. Had a great bunk with rails so all my stuff stayed in my bunk with me. I was warm and comfortable and felt safe. Mouse Trap was here, great guy of Lithuanian heritage. Today Thumper and I will hike 8.3 to Clark's Ferry shelter but since the trail walks thru Duncannon we'll break up the day. We left the shelter just before 9am after breakfast and packing up. It was raining so we covered our packs and wore rain gear. Rain gear isn't what it seems. You still get wet because either the rain eventually soaks thru or you sweat your clothes wet under the rain gear. They say the difference between the 2 is 35 minutes because either way you're wet. Almost immediately out of the gate we were looking at the famous Pennsylvania rocks. I actually liked them. They were crafted into steep steps and they were challenging but I thought fun. They're not the kind you can just walk down, it's s sideways thing one leg at a time. The decline was nearly 2 miles. There are many views here in PA, we can see them in the guide however we never see them because we're constantly in the rain clouds. I was hiking along and watching my feet because the rocks and steps require 100% focus. I looked up just in time to see the trail take a sharp right. Thumper was about 5-10 minutes ahead of me and I hoped she made the turn. About half mile ahead No Push and another hiker stopped to ask if I were Puddles and told me that Thumper missed the turn and was waiting for me back at the JCT. I wasn't going to back track so I texted Thumper to let her know I'm up ahead and already in Duncannon. I waited at the street but the mosquitoes were awful and I couldn't stand still so I walked further into town and let Thumper know I was under the awning at Sunoco. Eventually she arrived and we proceeded north thru town. Duncannon is not what I expected. It's a sleepy little depressed town with a few hiker amenities. We stopped at Goodies who has a small hiker resupply but they close at 11am and it was 11:20am. I need fuel. I'm carrying 2 partial 4oz cans because I bought an 8oz in Boiling Springs but it stopped working after one use. So River gave me these 2 partials before I left the hotel. We stopped across the street at the Doyle, a hiker hostel with a bar and food. We each enjoyed a local brew and I enjoyed a cheeseburger and fries and a cup of homemade sausage and potatoe soup. Indian ( a fobo who works there) filled our water bottles for us too. The owner , Pat is a nice guy who really likes hikers. Indian hiked into town in 2016 and never left so Pat put him in to work. Pat's out of sorts because his bride of 40 years who he married after a 34 day courtship is in the hospital recovering from a surgery. They're never apart, they work together and he seems lost. One of the hikers who was at the trail magic yesterday gave him a hand picking up supplies and errands to help him out. That was very sweet. I'll add Pat's wife to my prayers. We enjoyed the food, took a couple of pics outside and headed north. We still needed some food because we're both a little light on what we need for 3 days till another resupply. I still need fuel and I'm kicking myself for not getting an 8oz at the Doyle. I just don't want the weight. We skip across a really scary highway to get the the Pilot Travel stop and pick up the food we need and cross back over the highway. We need to use the sidewalk on the bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River. As we're crossing we see Mouse Trap headed south. He has stopped at Sonny Dayz laundry and left his phone there. He was already at the Clark's Ferry shelter and had to hike back down. Bummer!We met up with Evo who was just getting dropped off by the RR tracks to head up to the shelter. He's starting a section hike. He and Thumper headed up the 1 mile climb in front of me. It was still raining. There was a very technical rock scramble up near the top where it required ditching the trekking poles and sliding down some of them. I took my time. I arrived at the shelter at 4:30 and as soon as I walked in a girl in the bunk opposite Thumper said she'd been following me on Instagram! I recognized her as @journeytothetrail and her trail name is Steady. Sweet lady! I'm very much enjoying my time with her and Thumper just as I do with River, Ambassador and T-Bird. All wonderful people. There were no bunks left so I pulled up a spot on the floor and changed into dry clothes. Evo used my bear line to string up a clothes line for us to hang up our sopping wet stuff. Moxie and Mouse Trap arrived soon after we has eaten our dinners. Mouse Trap got his phone!!! I sleep with my head facing out towards the opening of the shelter because of the mice. Many of these shelters have mice. The mice walk along the outside walls mostly so I don't want my head there. We bush and store our food bags in the bear box and turn in. I catch up on my journal and it's lights out.