Day 1
Friday May 23, 2014
Trindle Road to Darlington Shelter (Staying in shelter)
This day! Wow! Easiest hiking I have ever done on the AT if you exclude the part just before Darlington Shelter.
Google and I left Trindle Road at about 10 am this morning and got to Darlington about 4:30 pm. The weather was amazing. Scattered showers were in the forecast but they didn’t touch us! The trail traversed the Cumberland Valley floor today under bright blue skies. We walked through lush farm land with views of the mountains in the distance as big puffy clouds floated lazily overhead. Beautiful.
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- Leaving Trindle Road
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- We found a secret cemetery! And a “Chambers”…possible relation???
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- Faces of the AT 😉
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- Google crossing I-81on overpass
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- Gorgeous Cumberland Valley
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- Approaching Scott Farm
After crossing the PA Turnpike, Rt. 11 and I-81 we stopped for a lunch break at Scott Farm Trail Work Center. As we ate a large dark angry cloud blotted out the sun…hmmm…we finished quickly and got back to walking hoping to get to the shelter before the sky dumped on us! Luckily, the rain never materialized leaving Google and I with a delightful day.
Short break at Scott Farm
Once across the valley the trail started to rise to the ridge. The guidebook said the spring at the shelter was unreliable, so we stopped to filter water at a nice stream just short of a double blue blaze. I thought the blue blaze was the Tuscarora Trail which begins in Shenandoah National Park. The map does not show any other blue blaze, so excitement began to build as the shelter is not located too far after that little landmark!
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- Leaving Scott Farm and the Valley
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- Filtering water at the first double blue blaze
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- A double blue blaze (Not the Tuscarora Trail)
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- Abandoned car
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- Up!
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- BoobOnARock taking a break on an incredible stone bench!
Looking back at the Cumberland Valley
BUT NO! It was another ½ mile or so to the Tuscarora Trail head (marked with blue blaze AND a fancy sign). Don’t be fooled!
The Darlington Shelter was very nice. It has a mailbox that holds the log book and the shelter itself has bunks…no throwing out my mat on the floor. 🙂
While there, a thru hiker, “Good Company”, came in to stay. Great guy! He is from Georgia, like Google…I am with the southern contingent tonight…great conversationalists and so polite. 🙂 🙂
As we were talking away, two teenage boys rounded the edge of the shelter and looked startled to see us. One was wearing shorts, tennis shoes and nothing else. The other had on a few more clothes and was carrying a small camo day pack. Pretty sure they came up to party and when they couldn’t find a place to their satisfaction…they left…yay!
Tomorrow we are on to Duncannon!
Hike on!!
Girl Gone Hiking 