#159 Darlington Shelter to Duncannon PA - Day 84: ATMM1138.3 – ATMM1149.6
The dry, dusty ground and small, loose rocks add elements of danger to the long and difficult descent. The trail narrows in places with a rock wall on one side and a long drop on the other........
4-10-2023
The sun shines into the shelter. A human shadow cast crosses my tent. The change in light awakens me.
Alert, in one quick motion, I rise, grab the long knife, and open the tent door, which I purposely left unzipped last night for defensive reasons.
Standing between me and the sun is a man I haven’t yet encountered.
An older gentleman stopped to introduce himself. Colonel is his name.
He says he and his wife Egypt were setting up their tents yesterday afternoon when a “strange acting Mediterranean fella walked into camp and began asking way too many questions. I’m sure he meant no harm, but we thought it best if we move our camp over the ridge.”
I tell him I met than guy at the bottom of the mountain yesterday, and that he bombarded me questions as well, mostly about long distance hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I tell him that he was pretty intense in his questioning, but seemed harmless to me.
Colonel walks over to the bear box next to the shelter, thus solving the mystery of the food bag in the bear box, then sets up his cooking gear at the picnic table. Egypt soon joins us.
I call Kind of Outdoorsy Hostel and Gear Shop in Duncannon PA, seven miles away in the valley, over the next mountain, to secure a bunk for the night and ask about their selections of sleeping pads.
Faze comes over to the picnic table and says she’s thinking about stopping at the same hostel but her phone is dead. I push my phone towards her and tell her the number is ready to redial.
After good conversation and breakfast Colonel and Egypt head back over the ridge to break camp and hike south.
Faze packs up and heads towards Duncannon.
17 and I finish packing at the same time and walk the blue blaze trail to the A.T. She and her pup turn south and I take the northern route.
Rabbit stands in the middle of the trail, “The night overtook me before I could reach the shelter,” he says, while eating a hand full of clovers.
I asked about the crashing trees last night - he heard it as well.
It was a bear.
Off the mountain, across some fields in the valley, I then face a long steep and rocky climb upwards. The four mile spine atop the mountain is flat but very rocky. Hiking is slow going.
Hawk View is the jump-off point for the steep descent into Duncannon PA.
The dry, dusty ground and small loose rocks add elements of danger to the long and difficult descent. The trail narrows in places with a rock wall on one side and a long drop on the other.
Still, the physical challenge sprinkled with the exhilarating rush of near-death moments, is accompanied by beauty as far as the eye can see.
