Date: 2017-07-06
From: US 11, Carlisle, PA

To:  Duncannon Assembly of God Church Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 17.6

7/6US 11, Carlisle, PA to Duncannon Assembly of God Church Hiker Hostel17.6 miles Total miles:  1147.2I did not wake up until 7:30 this morning, but, when I did, I  felt rested and refreshed.  I got dressed and ate a good breakfast at the hotel's continental breakfast.  I made a waffle and also had cereal and a bagel.  Gravity and I were out of the hotel by 9:00.  We hiked back up the busy highway to the walkover bridge and were back on the AT by 9:15.  The day started in the pastoral beauty of the Cumberland Valley,  but was not destined to end that way.  I made good time as I passed barns with cattle feeding outside, as well as fields of corn, soybeans, and wheat.  The trail was good and the elevation changes gentle.  There were several examples of quite impressive trail construction in getting the trail past boggy, marshy areas.  There were numerous wooden walkways through the valley, some of them quite long.  Later, I would be even more amazed at the trail construction through the rock fields I encountered later in the day. Four miles into tbe day, I crossed under PA 944 through a nifty tunnel and bid goodbye to the Cumberland Valley.  The trail immediately became progressively steeper and rockier,  and soon I was hiking on trail that I consider more typically AT.  It had been a wonderful change of pace to hike in farmland for the past  fifteen miles or so, but now it's back to mountains, gaps, and hills. Rain was in the forecast, and it began around 11:00.  It rained pretty much the entire time I hiked today, and it was the type of rain I love for hiking.  It rained steadily but never stormed.  The temperature was cool but still warm enough that I never put on my rain jacket.  I find this type of rain invigorating and, while I did need to be aware of slippery rocks, the trail never got particularly muddy.  Water falling from the sky does not equal water in a drinking bottle. Although the lower temperature and cool rain meant I drank less, I still needed to pay attention to available water sources, as water availability is an issue on this section of trail. As I entered the more rugged trail, my guidebook indicated that there was a piped spring where the AT crosses an overgrown dirt road. I was looking for signs of an old dirt road when I came across an old wreck of a vehicle resting upside down alongside the trail. I figured this was a clue that an old road was nearby, and  I quickly located the spring and filled my water bottles.  Gravity came along while I was filtering my water and suggested we attempt  to hotwire the old vehicle and drive to Maine.  Any attemots would be in vain, so we decided to keep walking. The misty fog grew thicker. I was able to take a photo of a hazy mountain view from an unnamed outcropping early in the day, but visibility was soon down to perhaps thirty feet.  The fog helped focus me on the job at hand (paying close attention to my feet and the rocks) since I couldn't see much of anything else.  This was important as the trail by this time was quite rocky.  For some reason, I was really tuned in to hiking through the rocks today. Much of the trail was made up of rocks with dirt between, and I was doing a kind of disjointed jitterbug with my trekking poles and my legs to dance between the rocks.  It was actually pretty fun. I originally planned to stop at Cove Mountain Shelter but arrived around 4:30.  I decided to continue the additional four miles to Duncannon, where I hoped to get a room at the Doyle Hotel, an old hotel (actually more of a hostel) with an attached restaurant, bar, and pool table.  It is well-known among hikers. There were still those four miles of rocks to get through, however, and the rocks in Pennsylvania are starting to get serious. The trail construction is amazing, with hundreds of stone steps ascending and then descending steep ravines. Sometimes there is no actual trail, and you work your way through the rocks by finding a way from one white blaze to the next. About a mile from Duncannon, there is an example of new trail construction that is pure AT. The guidebook warns, "Old trail to west.  AT turns east  (uphill for Nobos)." Uphill, naturally.  The "old" trail followed a forest road on a relatively gentle downward slope toward town.  The "new" trail abruptly leaves the road to the east and proceeds up a very steep incline.  It tops a ridge and then begins an incredibly steep decline that includes over one hundred stone steps (an estimate, as I was too busy maintaining my balance on the rain-slickened rocks to actually count). As difficult, and perhaps as pointless, as it was, I couldn't help but marvel at the work that went into constructing the trail.  I eventually made it down and found myself on the outskirts of Duncannon.  Duncannon is a long town, and the AT spends nearly two miles going through it.  The Doyle Hotel is located right on the trail just as you get into town.  Unfortunately, there were no rooms at the inn.  There is a hiker campground 1.5 miles down the trail at the other end of town, but the owner told me of a donation-only hostel a few blocks from the Doyle that is operated by the Duncannon Assembly of God Church.  I followed the trail down High Street until I saw a sign that read, "Hikers Welcome!  Come as You Are!"  I stayed at the hostel and had a great time.  Located in the basement of their activity building, the hostel includes a shower and a complete kitchen. There are about ten of us staying here tonight. This evening we chatted and watched The Wizard of Oz on TV.  We also had quite a hiker feed, courtesy of Radio, Dirty Duck, and Shlog.  They found a ride to the grocery store to resupply before I arrived at the hostel. They also picked up the ingredients for a true hiker feed.  We all feasted on burritos and baked chicken and finished things off with watermelon.  There will also be bacon and eggs for breakfast.  It's hard to believe that only a few hours ago I was standing at the Doyle Hotel trying to sort out a plan.  This evening turned out to be just about perfect, thanks to the good will of many special people, both hikers and non-hikers. The hostel itself is a wonderful ministry of the church, and the hikers tonight, most of whom I have not met before, filled the room with camaraderie and joy.  As Radio said tonight, "The trail provides."  Of course, that means that there are wonderful people and organizations along the trail that provide for each other out of the goodness of their hearts. Tomorrow, Gravity and I will call for the free shuttle to the local grocery store, which is several miles away.  We'll resupply for five days and head for Port Clinton.  I received a text from Dapper Dan today, who lives near there.  He wants me to let him know when I arrive, so he can arrange some special trail magic for me through his family.  What an amazing journey I am on.