June 7, 2000

Duncannon (Doyle Hotel), PA · 26 Miles Hiked Today · 1126 of 2167 Miles Hiked Total

Did 25.7 with out my pack today. While it was cool to be able to hike so fast (3.5 mph), I didn't like the loss of freedom I experienced as a result of not having my "house" with me. I'm not sure slack-packing is for me. The scenery was beautiful. Twelve miles of rolling farmland. Then, on top of the ridge the infamous Pennsylvania rocks started. Although rocky at times, it doesn't seem like its going to be as bad as I expected.

Then, I got to the Doyle Hotel. It is 100 years old and has the structural integrity to be a great place. Instead, its a "hole." While they did a good job of renovating the bar, the other three floors are terrible. My "renovated" room has/is as follows: walls that simply had the wallpaper torn off, two windows that won't stay open if you don't prop them (only one of which has a curtain -- a sheet), an ancient steam radiator that is connected by leaning dangerously against the wall, an exposed 60-watt bulb for light, a bed with sheets you can see through, a dresser with broken handles and bottomless drawers, and on the doorframe the imprints of the old lock -- a masterlock. I won't describe the community bathroom that was probably cleaned a week ago and has a 1996 Playboy sitting in it. On the upside, its only $10 a night, the beer is cheap, the food decent, and a lot of people I know showed up -- Journey, Heart Magic, Happy Hour, Leapfrog, Candyman, Freddy, Batman, Robin, Cruise Control, and Journey's wife Candy. All in all a dive, but a cool one.