Hotel owners suggest rerouting Appalachian Trail - The Patriot-News - PennLive.com

**ki0eh** · 09-08-2008, 07:59

Originally Posted by SedentarySteve

Some Duncannon History re High St. PUD:
High Street used to traverse the entire borough.

Thanks for this information! Further proof that nonsense sometimes once made sense to someone!

Now, what does the purist do when the so-called "subway" (underpass for SR 0849 under Norfolk Southern between town proper and the Twin County Bridge) is closed due to flooding?

**The Old Fhart** · 09-08-2008, 08:18

Speaking of the A.T. route thru Duncannon, you might find this photo of the Hon. D.K. Hoch, a hiker named Earl, and Murray Stevens at the dedication of a "new" bridge in Duncannon in 1955 interesting.
Attachment 4767(click for larger image)

**ki0eh** · 09-08-2008, 09:03

Originally Posted by The Old Fhart

Speaking of the A.T. route thru Duncannon, you might find this photo of the Hon. D.K. Hoch, a hiker named Earl, and Murray Stevens at the dedication of a "new" bridge in Duncannon in 1955 interesting.

I do, thanks! Here's some more background that starts off explaining why the Trail came to be in Duncannon in the first place: http://www.satc-hike.org/history.htm
Edit: This club newsletter has more contemporaneous background and an announcement of the event where that photo was likely taken: http://www.satc-hike.org/bb2-1.pdf

**mrc237** · 09-08-2008, 09:47

The Doyle is a classic and I would detour my hike any distance to visit Pat and Vickey. Classic folks good cooks and great bartenders.

**warren doyle** · 09-08-2008, 10:39

Originally Posted by fiddlehead

Skip the town and ford the Susky.

In 1980, about six members of the AT Circle Expedition forded/swam the Susquehanna River at the Clarks Ferry Bridge without packs. (we walked back across the bridge to pick up our packs)

It was an exhilarating, memorable experience.

**trailangelmary** · 09-08-2008, 11:01

Thanks Old Fhart & KiOeh. Good stuff

**Newb** · 09-08-2008, 13:16

Originally Posted by chief

Bad idea! If anything, the trail (if possible) should be routed out of town.

Boo! Everyone flame him now he dared to break with the group!

**minnesotasmith** · 09-08-2008, 13:20

Why not just put a large (hard to miss) sign up on a corner of the street the Doyle is on that crosses the AT route through Duncannon? The sign would read "Doyle Hotel 1 block" with a BIG arrow. Maybe add one for the PO as well. Problem solved.

**Jack Tarlin** · 09-08-2008, 14:31

Smith:

Local signage would be nice but 99% of folks who enter the town from one end or the other via the Trail have one of the standard Trail guides......they already know about the Doyle and the Post Office, and their guidebooks contain detailed maps.

So missing signage isn't the issue.

Moving the Trail to North Main Street would simply make more sense, as the street is the heart of the community, as well as containing all sorts of places that present-day hikers have to go a bit out of their way for. If the Trail is going to leave the woods and mountains and go thru an actual town, and if hikers are going to use facilities and businesses in this town, then it sems to make sense to put the Trail in closer proximity to these businesses.

If there's anyone who doesn't want to be in town, or doesn't care for the Trail to being town (I thik Chief is the only one on the thread who's leaned this way), then they have an easy solution: Keep walking and get outta Dodge.

But for the folks who enjoy it when the Trail goes right thru the occasional community (Hot Springs, Damascus, Hanover, or Duncannon to name a few), it would seem to make more sense to put the Trail right past the places where hikers are likely to visit.

Moving the Trail one block over would not be hard; would make it more pleasant for hikers; would help local businesses; would make more folks in Duncannon realize that the hiker presence adds to communities and helps local small businesses; and in short, would make a lot of sense.

In short, it's an idea whose time is overdue.

**Pedaling Fool** · 09-08-2008, 15:36

Yes, four pages on this simple subject is pathetically funny. Just walk the town, period. And if you're a purist, well you'll be backtracking (not much, but still backtracking).

This issue/obsession in the AT community of following/passing every single whiteblaze just makes me laugh. I just don't get it.

**max patch** · 09-08-2008, 15:41

Originally Posted by john gault

This issue/obsession in the AT community of following/passing every single whiteblaze just makes me laugh. I just don't get it.

Well, some people decide to leave their family and go without income for 6 months to hike the appalachian trail. I don't understand why some of these people don't end up doing what they set out to do and take shortcuts just to save a mile or so here and there.

**Peaks** · 09-08-2008, 16:27