(Daily Mi: 11.3) I arranged a shuttle with the owners of the Doyle for my friend Chris who is out to join me for a few days (along with his pooch Toast). We picked him up at Route 501 46 Trail miles north of Duncannon where he dropped his truck and went back to the Doyle to pack up.

It was a steep climb up onto the ridge above town and a kind of a rough start for Chris. Pretty shelter right at the end of the climb. Piper had hiked up that morning and pitched nearby. We took a break and chatted with him for a bit.

Then, shortly after moving on, I managed to lose the Trail for the first time in my hike, leading Chris and Toast about half a mile past a missed turned before realizing my mistake. Not content to simply retrace my steps, I led us on a bushwhacking mission straight up the side and up onto the ridge where bloodied (but unbowed) we did in fact locate the Trail (this actually proved longer than retracing our steps as we rejoined the trail about 1/2 mile south of where we missed the turn).

We were both very tired by the time we made it to the shelter, and I was extremely dehydrated. The water was .4 miles and 480 stone steps down the hill. I drank untreated, straight from the source. Huge shelter with several levels. Can hold at least twenty. 11 thru-hikers in and having a right little party with wine they carried up from town. Also it's Memorial Day weekend and tents are pitched like a garden around the shelter. Chris, Toast and I spent the night under his Moss tarp.