I woke up after an inexplicably freezing night.  I sent my sleeping bag away and replaced it with a super light synthetic liner.  I’ve been burning up for weeks and last night it got down to 52 degrees.  I put on all of the cloths that I had and still nearly froze.  

Well, I warmed up pretty fast.  We headed out for an eleven mile hike into town.  I raced ahead of Mishap and Hobo inspired by the thought of reaching the Doyle Tavern in time for a late lunch.  The hiking was easy and flat but with some heavy rocks to contend with.  That slowed me down some but I still rolled into the tavern by 130 only to find a dozen hikers already guzzling beer at the bar.  I texted my compadres my whereabouts and commenced to guzzling myself.  After a while, they showed up and announced that they would do laundry next door.  In true hiker trash fashion, I changed behind the pool table and deposited my soiled unmentionables in the plastic bag provided and recommenced to guzzling.  

We hitched a ride to the grocery for a resupply and polished the evening off with drinks and dinner across from the Doyle.  The Doyle is a hiker flop house right out central casting– exposed light bulbs hanging from shorted out wires and the whole nine yards.  The kind of place where even a hiker is glad to have camp shoes to take a piss down the hall.  

Tomorrow the rocks of Pennsylvania begin.  After a little breaky, we will be back at it if the bed bugs don’t get us.  Happy trails.