10-13-12

AT miles hiked today: 4.6
Total AT miles hiked: 1630.3
Miles to complete my thruhike: 553.9

I hiked into Duncannon and the Doyle Hotel, today. Because it is a weekend there are dayhikers and families everywhere. They all wanted to talk and hear about our hikes. It's nice when I'm not on a tight schedule and can take the time to talk. Also, sometimes we get treated like we are homeless and undesirable to have around. Other times, like today, we get the celebrity treatment.

It was in the 20s last night and even with my tent across the front of the shelter, everybody complained of the cold. One guy put his feet in his backpack and wrapped himself in his tent and was still cold. Eagle Eye said she didn't sleep because she was so cold. I love my 15 degree sleeping bag and silk liner! I actually slept and only my nose got cold. I need long johns, though, and some warm, wool socks, maybe mittens, and a blaze orange ski-type hat, which I call a beanie and Eagle Eye calls a toboggan (pronounced toe boggan). It's a southern thing, I guess. With a few gear adjustments I can do this, even in the cold.

We met Shrek at the Presbyterian church near the Doyle. They have a hiker box and internet and Shrek thruhiked the AT before, and he and his friend helped us in a truly wonderful way after hearing about the lost wallet dilemma. I have some cash, to pay for both of us at the Doyle, but I don't have enough for both of us to buy our resupply food, or to eat in town. So Shrek and his friend brought us food like granola bars, oatmeal, ramen, tuna packets and peanut butter, as well as long johns and two blaze orange giant hoodies. Thank you! You helped us continue our hike despite this obstacle and we are both very grateful.

I met Vickey and Pat again at the Doyle. Yes, it's a dumpy, old, awesome, historic building with issues, but I quite liked the place. It wasn't crazy loud downstairs on a Saturday, or rather, we weren't too loud downstairs playing pool, but if we were, we stopped before 10pm. The laundromat wasn't too far away, the room was bigger than I had been led to expect, and the shower was hot and it never ran cold on me, like the jailhouse shower did. Speaking of that, other hikers met Chris Godby and Lou at the jailhouse hostel, which we told him about. I'm happy they got out of this cold, even temporarily, and I wish them both the best.

I met Lake and Maverick, his backpack. Lake says he and Maverick don't get along, and Maverick writes some of the blog updates. I'm going to have to look them up on trail journals. Lake just finished the ECT (a trail that includes the whole AT but extends down to Florida and up to, Newfoundland, Canada). He hiked for almost a year and finished at the Doyle. I guess I'm a little star struck. He had all the patches from the three long trails in America on his backpack. The AT, the PCT, and the CDT. Once you have hiked all three, you are called a Triple Crowner. You have hiked the Triple Crown. Of them all he thought the CDT was the easiest, but he did recommend you use a GPS if you want to hike it.

We also met Hermit and Thigh Master/Griz and their dog again. We first met them in Virginia just before we made our leapfrog. Stonewall hung out with us, too. Vickey took our pictures and gave me a hug when I said goodnight and goodbye. We plan to hike on in the morning.