Last day on the way – The Trek

Day 81-12 Miles today from Darlington Shelter to Duncannon Pa. 1,300 feet up to 2,200 feet down.

Darlington refuge

Yesterday’s walk was very fun for me. We leave a mountain area, we went down in an almost flat valley of 13 miles wide, and then climb to another mountain area on the other side of the valley.

I really enjoyed walking through the fields of the farm.

Not only because it was flat but for the landscape. The mountains of Pennsylvania, the Farms of Pennsylvania, the ancient barns, the old houses. The various multicolored crops while we walk in the fields.

When we arrived at Amy Farmide’s stand and we ate the ice cream, we could see the mountains on the other side of the valley that we were finally going to rise. It was a good rhythm change of the ups and downs of the green tunnel that we have passed during the last thousands of miles.

Only Renegade and I stayed at Darlington’s shelter. Another gentleman who was making a choloque was camped near. Temperatures got a little faster but not cold and still bustling. Just a touch of fresco after the heat of the day we had traveled.

Wet or less wet?

Today is just a brief walk to Duncannon for me. Last night it was so damp that nothing dried. This morning, while I took my clothes to pack again, I thought about wearing my other excursion shirt that was stinking but less wet. I was trying to discuss my wet shirt with sweat yesterday that I have only used one day or my slightly wet now starting to smell a little like an ammonia shirt that I have used several days on the road. Therefore, it was a choice between wet and less humid. I went wet because at least I was clean and didn’t stain. I definitely need the opportunity to dry my things and wash a little.

Routines

We get up at 5:00 am when the sun begins to reach a maximum point to break the darkness of the night. It is so routine now that I pass through almost meaningless movements. Pack, prepare for the day, classify food.

Not like a breakfast in the morning (I don’t have a stove). I make a smoothie with powder protein, instant coffee, and more recently I have added instant breakfast.

I grab some of my food bag that will constitute breakfast, in general, a kind of dough that I have of the city or a pop cake. Likes on the way while I start my day when I’m walking. That breakfast gives me a good combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fast and slow burning fats.

Peco my two waist pockets with a variety of food. I try to have a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that I can grab, since I am walking and I constantly push myself in my mouth, even if I am not hungry, since I am walking during the day.

I have two bags of food and use one of the food bags for my midday meals. In general, that is a kind of wrapping, some type of meat and cheese, french fries, etc. I also take out my mixtures of electrolyte drinks to be able to mix some electrolytes during the day.

Meeting!

Yesterday I made more than 18 miles in less than 8 hours. I don’t know that it will have such a fast day again. After today, I have to take several zeros to get to New York to meet Knockerz and take time to visit a family that lives in Pa.

After 4 or 5 days of zeros for me and several weeks of zeros for Knockerz.

I will mark our daily mileage up to 10 miles per day. We will also do a lower mileage because we will jump to Massachusetts, where we will make increases again and we will not have the flatness I enjoyed yesterday on the path.

It saddens me to leave the path for a few days, especially because I really enjoyed my old native state of Pennsylvania. I am excited to have adventures again with Knockerz. It has been different here as a solo hiker.

Another valley

I got on the way at 6:00 am this morning. The temperature was around 70 ° and coarse with moisture, but it was a break from the 100 ° climate only a few days ago.

After 2 miles, we left the wooded area and went out to more agricultural fields. I could see another mountain range in the distance much closer than yesterday’s valley. This valley seemed that it only had a mile and a half. Looking Faraout, I will turn and climb that crest on the other side of this valley.

Another magical moment

It is still such a magical walk. I am alone this morning with just a symphony of nature playing in the background. Several birds squeak and sing, crickets that make their own squeak sounds, the sun still did not rise above the mist. It is a very magical moment for me at this time. My whole body is full of emotion for being in this place at this time.

Water

The path then left the fields and descended to a wooded area. Spring at Darlington’s shelter did not have enough water yesterday. They warn you in the last water source both north and south to grab water.

I took a liter, but it was a good climb at the end of a long day yesterday, so I didn’t want to take too much water to that slope. This morning I stopped at the first source of water to almost 4 miles from the Darlington shelter. I was able to bathe at the top of my body and get a lot of drinking water for the remaining trip to Duncannon. Around that time I began to smell smoke from fire, I think there was a recent forest fire near here.

Hydration

It is so much hot lately that our conversations always include a discussion about hydration. Some people said you should camel when you reach a water source (drink a lot of water at the same time). Others said that the camel does not well.

According to Google, your body can only absorb so much water, so regular hydration is better than trying to walk. Basically, all extra water that its kidneys cannot process will be urinated.

The second myth that circulated was that taking electrolytes in the morning is worth nothing because you will simply get angry. This theory is that you must take your electrolytes in the afternoon. According to Google, it is better to have a constant flow of electrolytes so that it can replace them regularly.

Final mountains

Then, the path began to climb the following mountain range. In the upper part, the path serpent along the crest. The walk was typical rock patches that were not too difficult to navigate. I turned on my phone and I had a long conversation with one of my children. The miles flew. It was mainly open tunnel wood but not seen.

The path began the descent to Duncannon. When I arrived at Hawk Rock, there was a big look with spectacular views of Duncannon and the Gorge below.

There go the knees

I could clearly see what they had warned me. Now I will have to fall into that gorge in a very steep knee descent. There were many steps at the same time approaching 2,000 feet slopes per mile in some sections.

This was the first of this type of rock descent that I have seen from Laurel Gorge, just after Mile 420. I remembered that Mile 420 had passed because it is where Riff Raff established the magic of the days of the days before the trail. That was also a very steep rock steps.

Finally, the descent ended and I was in the city. It was a bit surreal to be in a big city like this with many options of stores and restaurants. The winding path through the city.

Goodbye a

I really wanted to get to Duncannon. I really wanted to stay at the Doyle Hotel. I had listened and read so many things about this place that I wanted to see it for me, so first I stopped at the Doyle.

In recent years they have been remodeling this place. I think it used to be a landfill, but now it is beginning to seem that it is becoming a pleasant place.

Right next to it there was an old bank that a year ago became the Lindgren brewery. They had 25 barrel beers they made in this brewery.

I could definitely spend time here. It is even more pleasant that the Doyle hotel is right next. It is a great town, a big city to take a zero, but I had a trip to get me shortly and would leave the city and the path.

After today, I’m going to change Miles to Miles from Miles Novo. I will have the rest of Pennsylvania from Duncannon to Pawling New York that I need to do later. But I will return to the path in several days in Great Barrington and Knockerz and I will start traveling north from there. Come back soon!

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