The 9.1 mile hike into Duncannon was interesting.

We started hiking from our drop off on Route 850 knowing that there was one large climb and one large descent for the day.  The weather was mostly cloudy and a cool 45 degrees when we started, with the temperature reaching around 55 by mid day. 

Right before the big climb something caught my eye in the woods on my right… a porcupine!

The little guy was just starting to climb a tree about 10 feet off the trail, but by the time I got my phone out to take a picture it was probably 15 feet off the ground! It was much cuter than I thought a porcupine would be and it made my day.

Porcupine didn’t want his photo taken but he is the fuzzy looking blob on the right of the trunk

The climb was tough with my full pack on again. There was a nice view from a gas pipeline clearing, and then later (after getting through a pretty rocky ridge) there was an even better view from Hawk Rock. 

Hawk Rock had one of the best views I’ve seen so far on the trail. 

Strangely enough, another hiker arrived at exactly the same time as us coming from the other direction. What are the odds?!

Turkey vultures were soaring nearby, and I could see the Susquehanna River and the town of Duncannon faarrrrr below us. It was awe inspiring and felt almost church-like; Keith and I as well as the other hiker were quiet as we took in the view, speaking in hushed voices. After a short time K and I decided to start heading down, leaving the other hiker to enjoy some solitude.

The descent was very steep, and took a toll on my ankle and knees.

A tiny percentage of the stairs coming down from Hawk Rock (photo by @keithmetzger78 on Instagram)

Most of the way down there were rock “stairs” although the distance between steps was apparently made with giants in mind. About halfway down we crossed paths with a large group of hikers that were on their way up, which gave me a chance to rest my knees while I stood to the side to let them pass.

Just as I thought the descent was getting better we came to a tree that was blocking the trail. With no way around it and unable to get over it, I found myself on my hands and knees getting myself and my pack under it! There had been a few other trees down across the trail that day, but that was the worst!

Here’s the Mystery of the day: The hiker we had seen up at Hawk Rock passed us again, heading back up, when we were most of the way down. 

I am still confused about how that was possible. I didn’t see any other trails she could have taken, and why would she be heading back up? I felt like we had encountered a glitch in the matrix, and have no explanation. She said hello when we were up on the Rock together, and again when we passed her later. Was it her twin? Was she even real? The fact that K saw her too (and couldn’t explain it either) is the only thing that makes me feel a little better about it. She appears in the video I took from Hawk Rock so I guess she wasn’t a ghost. Just a little mystery…

We finally got all the way down that mountain and walked into Duncannon. 

Several businesses had welcome signs for hikers, and our first stop was Kind of Outdoorsy, a hiker resupply and hostel right on the trail in town. The owner was very helpful with information on places to stay, and they seemed to have a pretty good selection of food and assorted hiker needs.

I met my First Trail Angel in the store. Her name was Sharon, and she offered to give us a ride to wherever we needed to go that day!

Sharon was very kind, and very interested in finding ways to help thru-hikers. She drove us to a hotel down the road and gave me her phone number as well, with the encouragement to call if we needed anything. What a terrific first!

Another First in Duncannon was picking up a package from one of my daughters at the post office! 

I am lucky to have a daughter who loves to bake. She made us a loaf of her amazing banana bread, and sent me a few other items and snacks. The banana bread was delicious and didn’t last long; it looked like a couple of ravenous raccoons had gotten into it within an hour of picking it up.

We spent the next two days taking full zero days.

The zeroes helped my ankles and also allowed us to be available for a birthday zoom call for a family member. It also kept us out of some very nasty weather that affected most of the east coast, including thunderstorms and tornado watches for the Duncannon area. 

It was windy but dry when we got back on trail.

The hike out of Duncannon took us through town, past the post office where I sent a few things home (my extra gloves and leggings), and across two rivers. Crossing the Susquehanna river on the pedestrian walkway next to the highway was loud and uncomfortable, but it made me appreciate just how wide that river is.

The bridge across the river, with the mountain we need to climb looming in the distance

After crossing some railroad tracks we climbed UP. It was a very steep climb, and a few trees had come down and were a little bit tough to get around, but we made it alll the way up and started our ridge walk. The views were great, but I was looking forward to completing the planned 4 mile hike to the next shelter.

K ahead of me on the ridge

Things got interesting when we got to the Clarks Ferry shelter, however. There was a strange assortment of items in the shelter – 4 pairs of neatly lined up prescriptions eyeglasses, a bunch of unburned incense, a foot file, a hammer and saw….I felt uncomfortable and so did K. One or two of those items I could explain away, but the combination contributed to the overall bad vibe of the place. Another mystery…

We decided to listen to our instincts and move on, but we needed to pick up the pace to get to a road crossing and arrange a stay somewhere before dark. The next 4 miles were completed quickly, and I was able to get us an Uber ride to an inn not too far away in Halifax. 

We decided to spend the next 2 days slackpacking again, to give our feet, legs and backs a break as we tackle more of Rocksylvania.

Hopefully the strange mysteries of this area are now behind us, but I am looking forward to many more fantastic Firsts!