Hardest day of the trail: Allergies

Hardest day on the trail ever. The terrain was easy enough but it was SO hot and there are tons of bugs and ticks. The first thing I did when I fell out of my hammock this morning was put on DEET.

I met Red Ryder and Indiana Jones and we walked to the Cup A Joe deli to get bagels. Red Ryder was *covered* in ticks. He’s carrying this awesome walking stick with all sorts of strings on it, each string tremind him of a hiker he has met. He put a thin pink piece of yarn material onto his stick to remember me—he said it was almost so flimsy, he wasn’t going to include it in the collection of strings he ties on, but discovered it to be pretty strong. This reminded me of what PopTart at the ATC said about me: “You don’t look like very much…I would’ve never guessed you are a Triple Crowner!” (Note: the pink also matched my shirt)

It was hot and slow moving for most of the day. It is time for a zero—I’m two days ahead of an 81 day pace. My daily mileage is still good, but my mph seems lower than usual. Looking forward to it…

Red Ryder and Snorkel

Swans at the wildlife refuge

NY-NJ border!

Facejacket and Snorkel