The Doyle

It's crazy how after 1 full day of not hiking how I get an itch to be back in the woods. Technically the Doyle hotel in Duncannon, PA is still on the trail, I'm serious, there is a white blaze on the sidewalk right by the front door. Another crazy thing I've noticed is my incredible knack for choosing to take a zero the day after, or before it actually rains! I'll check the weather, which has been scattered showers for the week, pick the day with the highest chance of rain, yesterday, and it will be beautiful. While the day I hiked into town I got drenched and today is a nice gray day, at least it will be cool though. Always positive.

The Doyle, and this town has probably been the most hiker friendly place we've been to yet. Not just friendly people, but prices as well. I have definitely enjoyed my stay here, thank you aunt Mary. The hotel is a dump, but it's our dump. The bar is small, and smells like hiker, but everyone is welcome, and treated like an old friend. The ladies entrance is no longer enforced, but it wouldn't have been hard to make the 3 women I've seen here use it. Apparently it came in handy to keep the women out of the pool hall, and bar back in the day, which makes no sense at all. What is ironic today is that the women's restroom is now in the pool hall, they can't avoid it. Vicky and Pat run the place and live on the second floor, they take pictures of all the hikers that stay here and have binders dating back as far as 2002, and Vicky's memory of the hikers is incredible. This would be a fun place to revisit a few years down the road.

Today, when I do get out of this comfy bed, I'll cross the street to Goodie's. Where I'll eat another amazing, filling breakfast before hitting the trail, or sidewalk in this case, and hiking out of another river valley to another ridge line outside another town. Every town is placed in a V topographically we clamber down a steep hill getting into towns, then climb out. Today is shorter than my average needs to be, but the next day is longer so it evens out pretty well. To be done July 25th, in Knoxville for the weekend, back to Denver and Bo Monday, and working the Sturgis Bike Rally in a booth selling goodies to bikers August 1st, I need to average 17 miles a day! I should fit right in with hairy, smelly bikers after this trip. 17 is a good number, it is definitely a full day hiking, but I can also take breaks to boulder, or swim if I come across any such fun. I look forward to the remaining states especially being in the state that brought us Snooky, the zoo at Bear Mt in NY, visiting anyone who wants to see me, Bean, Brian, Joe, Jean, and of course continuing my quest for 1lb burgers. Although I am sad to say I could not find one in Maryland guess I'll just have to eat 2 in PA, but that will not keep me from Katahdin.