Day 92, 93: The dramatic comeback.

Day 92:

We did our final miles into Delaware Water Gap (and our final miles in Pennsylvania) whilst being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

The trail got noticeably better (and prettier) the closer we got to New Jersey, and even the mosquitoes gave us a brief reprieve.

We arrived earlyish into the gap and after running errands (post office, outfitters, drop boxes, etc.) we discovered that it was at least a two mile hitch to anything worthwhile.

So we hitched to a Thai restaurant and I got my curry on. I've been fiendin' for some green curry for about a thousand miles.

Appetites satiated, we roadwalked the two miles back into town and spent the night at the (donation based) church hostel. Every other hiker in our bubble was there, including Fin, who (after getting norovirus and lyme's disease) coined what is now my motto, "Death or Katahdin". Why death is the former option and not the latter is a little confusing but hey, English is his second language and honestly Katahdin or Death doesn't sound as good in his Finnish accent.

So now we sleep in our non air conditioned "bunks" (I use this term loosely) and dream about leaving this god forsaken state tomorrow.

Day 93:

I feel good. Wonderful, in fact.

Hiking is fun again.

The trail isn't nearly as strenuous or difficult, it's maintained and although rocky at times, still fun. The landscapes offer variety and views (yes, views! even a fire tower!).

Variety like ponds, lakes, clearings, swamps, ascents, descents. A gobble (a gobble, you know, like a group) of turkeys running down the trail, jumping up and down and beating inadequate wings in half flight. Many stacks of cairns on the side of the lake, the work of dutiful hikers. Frogs leaping off into the pond just beside the trail. Fields of black eyed susans.

It's almost like some indifferent diety in charge of our well being flipped a switch as we entered New Jersey. The "Misery Switch", if you will. I imagine them sitting there on a throne of clouds, looking down on us slogging through the rain and bugs and shit and suddenly feeling a pang of sympathy, thinking to themselves with fingers hovering over The Misery Switch, "Well, maybe they've suffered enough", and finally releasing us from our mortal suffering.

But of course what actually happened was that we crossed into New Jersey and let's be honest, it's just better here.

Highlights of the day:

Sitting for about an hour on top of a ridge with a 360 view, lazily watching the scattered showers drift across the valleys and hills below, hawks and swallows circling in the turbulent air above.

Reading my book (The Republic of Thieves) on a plush couch at the Mohican Outdoor Center, sippin' on soda and waiting out the afternoon storm. Laughing to myself at the witty banter of fictional characters and being so absorbed in this story that I forget momentarily that I'm supposed to be hiking.

Literally running down the trail to catch Stevie and Cheyanne (who passed me in my reading stupor) and are a few miles ahead, now listening to the Rich Roll podcast, now 80s dance hits, now climbing a fire tower, now running downhill and twirling one pole as if a baton, the other occupied as a pretend microphone.