Date: 2007-05-17
From: Super 8 Motel, Carlisle, PA

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today was somewhat of a rollercoaster in terms of my mental strength. I started out fairly well, across the last few miles of the valley, then suddenly folded. The breakfast at the hotel was meager, and I think I just didn't have the energy I needed, because eating something heped me out a bit. I felt better for a while, but bounced back and forth from feeling strong to feeling dead several more times during the day. When Bobcat and I got into town, at only about 3:15, we were feeling good. The first thing we saw of the Doyle was a big sign saying "Hikers Welcome." I liked the looks of that.The place was packed. Dice and Diablo were there, as I knew they would be, along with Boy, Thin Mint, and Luxury. Also there were El-Trom, who I'd met briefly at Stecoah Gap, just before Fontana Dam, The Traveller, Quiet Paul, who I'd last seen in the Smokies and later on Many Names came in. Most people, it turns out, actually aren't going to Trail Days, but a lot of them are taking time off for other things.As soon as I'd gotten settled in the room I'm splitting with Dice, I had some food, a hot Italian sausage, complete with onions and peppers. It was the best sausage I've had in a long time, almost as good as the ones the vendors sell outside Fenway Park, and that's saying something. Later, a bunch of us went over to a pizza place for some (second) dinner. Once again, I've gorged myself in town.I'd gotten a message to call Cannibal, so I did, but only got his answering machine. I let him know I was in town and to call back, but I was out getting pizza when he called, so I've got a ride between 9 and 10 tomorrow morning, but I've never even heard either his voice or his brother's. I also called my dad at work to wish him a happy birthday (it's today), and later got to talk with my mother and check my email, so I'm now up to date on my communications.Along with the food I mail dropped here, I had my mother send my iPod for the ride to/from Damascus. It's so exciting to be able to listen to music again. I have Rammstein blasting over my headphones as I write this, and I'll probably put some classical on as I go to sleep.I was hanging out at the bar downstairs during the evening, and at 7:30 I had the bartender switch one of the TV's over to Jeopardy. It's somewhat of an addiction of mine, and I try to catch it when I'm in town. When it was over, they went to a special The Price is Right, and Bob Barker announced his retirement! The age of The Price is Right is over. I can remember watching it when I stayed home sick from school or had a snow day. They showed a lot of old clips from the show, and it was cool to see him as a young man.As Bobcat and I were hiking this morning, at one of the road crossings, we saw a dead raccoon. We didn't think much of it at the time, but a few minutes later, we heard this weird chittering noise. We stopped to look around for the source and it was coming from a tree with a bunch of holes in it. As we looked, we could see that peering out of one of the holes was a baby raccoon, and it was making the noise. A little below, there was another hole, with a second baby. They were cute, but pathetic at the same time. We figured that the dead one we'd seen was the mother, leaving the babies abandoned, without a chance of survival. We felt bad leaving, knowing that they were going to die, but there was nothing we could have done. I'm really excited to go down to Trail Days tomorrow. I definitely need the days off; my body is wearing out from all the pounding it's been taking. My feet were sore today, all day long. I'm also looking forward to meeting back up with everyone behind me, especially Pinky. Many Names says he saw her in the Shenandoahs, so I know she's still out there. I think I'm really going to enjoy these next few days.The Doyle is a really cool place. The place was originally built by Anheuser-Busch, and has long been a hiker-friendly place. It's an old brick building, kind of run down, but still beautiful. On the ground floor is a restaurant, with delicious, inexpensive food and a bar, with three floors of rooms above. Of course, my room is on the fourth floor, and all the way at the end of the hall. The people here are all really nice, and great with hikers.The Brain$1 million footbridge over US 11 - Click picture to see full sizeCumberland Valley-2 - Click picture to see full sizeSwamp Monster-Bobcat's dog - Click picture to see full sizeCumberland Valley-4 - Click picture to see full sizeStone seat overlooking Cumberland Valley - Click picture to see full sizeMushrooms on a tree - Click picture to see full sizeMidday bath for Swamp Monster - Click picture to see full sizeCumberland Valley-5 - Click picture to see full sizeBaby racoons in a tree-3 - Click picture to see full sizeSusquehanna River from Hawk Rock - Click picture to see full sizeKarl & Bobcat at Hawk Rock - Click picture to see full sizeKarl at Hawk Rock - Click picture to see full sizeDuncannon, PA, from Hawk Rock - Click picture to see full size