Thursday, 14 October Destination: 501 Shelter Parking Lot Today’s Miles: 4.1 Start Location: William Penn Shelter Trip Miles: 28.8 Last night was the coolest night while hiking this section. It also got a little breezy and made for great sleeping. Since it is dark by seven and does not get light until about six thirty in the morning, that…

Wednesday, 13 October Destination: William Penn Shelter Today’s Miles: 13.6 Start Location: Rausch Gap Shelter Trip Miles: 24.7 Shortly before sundown a southbound thru hiker, Zack Boston, showed up. He started in Maine on August first. Zack set up his tent nearby. There was a little rain overnight, just enough for a wet tent. Since I had gone to…

Tuesday, 12 October Destination: Rausch Gap Shelter Today’s Miles: 11.1 Start Location: PA 325 Parking Lot Trip Miles: 11.1 After our abrupt end to last week’s hike, I wanted to get back out as soon as I could to fill in the short gap of the AT that keeps my sections from being continuous. It looks like the weather…

Destination: PA 325 Parking Lot Start Location: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA Trip Miles: 24.9 Some random stuff… Check your packing list, check your pack and do it again and again. Enough said. The Doyle Hotel in Duncannon is famous with Appalachian Trail hikes. It is over 120 years old and was once owned by Adolphus Busch, co-founder of…

Wednesday, 6 October Destination: PA 325 Parking Lot Today’s Miles: 3.3 Start Location: Horse Shoe Trail Campsite Trip Miles: 24.9 Now the tale can be told. At the shelter our first night out as we were settling in, Bob realized that he had left the poles for his tent at home. There was no way to set up his…

Tuesday, 5 October Destination: Horse Shoe Trail Campsite Today’s Miles: 10.0 Start Location: Peters Mountain Shelter Trip Miles: 21.6 Last night just before sundown a hiker came to the shelter. He went down for water and it was dark when he came back up. He is from Asheville and started his hike in June from Maine. He stayed in…

Monday, 4 October Destination: Peters Mountain Shelter Today’s Miles: 6.7 Start Location: Clarks Ferry Shelter Trip Miles: 11.6 Bob and I awoke to a very light rain. It did not last long but we took our time making coffee, eating breakfast and packing. Since we stayed in the shelter, no wet tents to pack. We started hiking about 9:30….

Sunday, 3 October Destination: Clarks Ferry Shelter Today’s Miles: 4.9 Start Location: Duncannon, PA Trip Miles: 4.9 The Appalachian Trail section from the Doyle in Duncannon to the 501 Shelter will complete a continuous section from the start of the AT in Georgia to near Palmerton, PA for me, about 1,260 miles of the trail. This leaves me with…