Day 105 – Yes, Pennsylvania is Rocky

Day 105

Start: Ridge Drive, Carlisle, PA

End: The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

Miles Hiked: 20.4

Miles on AT: 1150.3

After a glorious night of rest, it was time for me to get back on trail. I had a delicious homemade breakfast to start my day and got back on trail around 9 am.

My goal was to make it to Duncannon, about 20 miles away, where I had a new tent waiting for me. Yes, it was time for me to give up my ‘mansion’ (3 person tent) and get a 1 person tent. I was happy about the weight savings but unsure about whether I would have enough space in the tent. I guess we’ll just have to try it and see!

The first half of the day started on flat land. I was walking through a miles-long valley, crossing more fields and farmland. Interestingly, the AT passed right by a historic family cemetery, with plots dating back to the 1700s and 1800s. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what their Pennsylvania looked like back then.

I passed a house with a girl who must’ve been 6 or 7 wearing a dress and apron reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. She was holding a baby sibling, who must’ve been around 1 and a half, and jumping on the trampoline. They were having a grand time.

The wildflowers were out among the grass, making each view of a field or farmhouse that much more romantic.

Right before it was time to start climbing the ridge I had been approaching all morning, I found trail magic! And what made this trail magic even more special was that there was a chair that I could sit in while I enjoyed my Gatorade. Nice touch!

It wasn’t long before I ran into the couple (@2fish1whale on Instagram) that had set up the trail magic. They were out on a day hike and stopped to give me all the details on what to expect for the next section. The wife even recognized me from YouTube and was happy to see that I was still out there.

We parted ways and I continued the climb up. At the top, I found out why Pennsylvania was nicknamed Rocksylvania. Yes, I ran into the dread rocks, miles of them. The rocks in PA aren’t small pebbles. No, they’re of varying sizes but these were about the size of my foot and scattered on the trail like they were thrown carelessly. It took so much time and concentration to step carefully around them (which wasn’t always possible) that my energy was drained. Not to mention, my feet hurt from stepping on them!

I had a brief break when I talked to the ridgerunner named Bradventure. He had earned his Triple Crown, so of course we talked trails and highlights and lowlights from each one. He was a great guy.

I left him to his job, and continued the rocky hike into Duncannon. Once there, I headed to the Doyle Hotel and got a room. The room wasn’t glorious by any means, but it would do. On the bright side, the Doyle also had a bar and restaurant, so I met up with the other hikers to eat. Lucky for us, the piano man was playing audience requests that night. He was sooooo good! He played and sang and kept the crowd happy and dancing. Even though I was super tired from the day, I stayed all the way until closing (10 pm, way past hiker midnight). It was a great time!

Tired from the day, I climbed to my room, got ready for bed, and hit the hay.

And that’s day 105.

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