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July 14, 1983 Thursday (1045.2 mtg) From Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal Getting
hotter. No need to hurry today with short mileage into Duncannon.
As long as I get there in time for the Post Office. The only reason
to hurry is to get out of the heat. There was only one climb today
and it was 700 feet in about three quarters of a mile up the side
of Cove Mountain before following the crest for about four miles
and then dropping down into the Susquehanna River Valley. At
a lookout point along Cove Mountain known as Hawk Rock, I stopped
to drink in the view of the confluence of Sherman Creek and the
Susquehanna River. From the lookout point the trail dropped about
700 feet down to Duncannon situated along the bank of the Susquehanna
River. It was common knowledge to most hikers that the place to
stay in the town was the Doyle Hotel, an old hotel with an old time
atmosphere. You can't beat the price of $7.42 for a small room with
a bed, desk and chair, and access to a community bathroom where
a traveler can take a hot bath in the deep, old claw foot bathtub.
The place was kind of run down, but interesting. There were weekly
and monthly rates available and there were residents who had taken
advantage of the deal. At certain times, or days, the bar downstairs
offered .25 cent drafts. I stopped at the post office. Although
I had expected some, there were no packages for me; however, there
were a few letters. Nice to know someone was thinking of me. Ate
at the local sub shop where I met the first hiker that had begun
his Appalachian Trail adventure on a date later than May 15, and
had caught up to me. His name was Mark. He was an interestingly
strange kind of guy. He must have been on a real mission to put
the kind of miles on that he had been doing to catch me. Back at
the hotel I spent the evening in the community entertainment room
watching reruns of "Leave it to Beaver" and other shows.
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