Date: 2003-06-08
From: Duncannon PA (Doyle Hotel) Zero Day 

To: Clarks Creek Stealth Compsite
Miles today: 17.5

Day 87 Avg Mls/Day 13.2Weather: Foggy in morning. Mostly cloudy, overcast and hazy. High temp in low 70's.Today's Nature: Just chipmunks and squirrelsOh, the Doyle...things were a little calmer last night. The guitarist/singer at the bar was good. Hotfoot and I took in a few songs and drinks while Tang was talking to her friend. We went upstairs to our rooms at 10 to soak our feet in hot epson salts and water. Hotfoot likes it...didn't do that much for me.I was up at 6 and went across the street for breakfast. Hotfoot and Bearly bought some food at the mart and started walking. I got some pastries and a hoagie for lunch and started hiking about 7. I didn't see anyone else up and about as I left town. The walk over the Susquehanna River and up the hill to Clarks Ferry Shelter wasn't bad, but was kind of dreary with little or no views.I did stop at the Shelter to sign the register. Some of you may wonder what it means "to sign the register" in the shelters. Almost every shelter has some kind of notebook in it, left by the trail club maintaing it or another hiker. Some hikers just sign their trail name and the date they were there as a matter of record. Others leave messages for other hikers on the Trail behind them and/or just write down humorous or interesting comments. In Virginia, many of the shelter registers had questions posed to the hikers that they could answer with their entries. If I'm not staying at a shelter, I won't hike in to it for a break just to sign the register if it is more than .2 miles off the Trail...unless I need water or to use the privy.In some cases, like this morning, I left a message for the hikers still back at the Doyle and it went something like this,"It's 9 am and I should be in church with The Village Athiest. I don't expect to see any of you again. Wicked is so hung over he will probably give up hiking and take up permanent residency at The Doyle. Lucky thinks you have to eat 1000 half gallons of ice cream before you can leave town. Sue Bear has a luxuary suite and won't give it up. Tang is trying to get a job in the bar. Hotfoot and Bearly did leave to get some fresh air. I will probably find Cosmo dead along the Trail and Tapeworm beside him crying. So I'll have to contine hiking alone...with my friends."I did hike alone although I took a break with Hotfoot and Bearly who I met at noon. Not long after that we met again at the Peters Mtn Shelter. The "caretaker" and a couple of others were there having lunch. I did pass a number of people with weed wackers. This must be the weekend to be out volunteering and working on the Trail. It has plenty of poison ivy and they are trying to get at most of it right along side the Trail.BTW, this shelter is beautiful. It was built in 1994 next to the original little shelter that Earl Shaffer built years earlier. I almost stopped for the day but it was just too early.I got to the spring and campsite shortly after 4. I couldn't go much further as we enter a game preserve where camping is not allowed. A few minutes later up walks Hotfoot and Bearly. Bearly is tented near me while Hotfoot tented next to the spring. A half hour or so later Sue Bear shows up...she tents next to Bearly and myself.I COOKED TONIGHT! It's been awhile...had Mountain House beef stew. Going to finish this and see if I can get some music on the radio. For some reason I kept singing that song from the 60's, Poison Ivy, over and over to myself today on the Trail. I don't even like it that much.I told you yesterday that I would give you Hotfoot's website. It is www.whitetailmajic.net Check it out.Thought for the Day: Now, how much is a cup of water?