Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	057
Date:	Saturday, 28 June 1986
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	10.1
Daily Other Miles	0.4 (around town)
Total AT Miles:	1111.3
Total All Miles	1146.7
Weather:	Hot, humid, rain in the morning.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Mars bar, two health bars. Lunch: Sub, ice-cream. Dinner: Pizza, ice-cream.
Aches:	None.
Animals Seen:	Deer.
People Seen:	Trail workers, many others.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	Got up at 5:30am after a not particularly good night’s sleep – too hot. It was raining a bit when I got up, but the tree was good protection and nothing was really wet. I started walking at 6:25am after a breakfast of a Mars Bar. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as thirsty as I expected. I decided to head for Thelma Marks Shelter, 5½ miles away, and, if hungry, have breakfast there. It began raining quite heavily as the Trail crossed some pleasant open fields and country roads before entering the forest and climbing up steadily to another very rocky ridge – the notorious Pennsylvania rocks. I reached the Thelma Marks Shelter turn-off at 8:30am but, seeing it was ¼ mile away, decided against going down. Had a couple of health bars instead and a 15 minute break. The next four miles into Duncannon involved more of the rocky ridge before a rocky descent which, at one point, gave an excellent view over Duncannon and the Susquehanna River. It looked a bit like Hannibal on the Missouri. On the last part of the descent I met a crew clearing vegetation from the Trail – much appreciated. I reached Duncannon at 10am and, after visiting the Post Office, checked into the old but quaint Doyles Hotel ($7.40 per night!). After a bath, I did my shopping and laundry and mailed cards to Delaware Water Gap Post Office and Clio before picking up a big “sub” for a late lunch. During the day, Gordon, Paul and Tommy turned up and checked in, as well as Paul’s girlfriend, Kathy, from Washington DC. I spent the afternoon watching baseball on TV and writing letters and diary. At 8pm, the five of us went to a nearby pizza joint where we shared two huge pizzas. Afterwards, I got an ice-cream and returned to the hotel lounge to watch another baseball game. At 11pm I returned to my room and finished packing my food and then my pack. It took longer than I expected (as always) and it was nearly 1am before I got to bed. Slept quite well though.