1283.6 miles.
Three months into this adventure and we're still alive!
Woke up yesterday to more rain. After a rockin midnight thunderstorm and waking up many times from my legs cramping, I feel like junk. Tom's already up, making coffee and oats with the fresh blueberries we picked the day before on top of a rocky summit. He looks whooped, too. Despite the promise of a yummy breakfast -usually my favorite part of the day- and the weak high five we give to celebrate our three month anniversary with this beast of a journey, the rain's got me down.
Our tent is soaked and splattered with mud. I have one pair of clean, dry socks and one pair of stank nasty, wet, dirty socks. To put the clean ones on would be three minutes of bliss, then they'd soak through and I'd have two dirty pairs of socks and no clean ones. With a sigh I reach for the stanky ones and pull them onto my whimpering feet. My eyes water up and a tear rolls down my cheek. I don't know what's got me today, but it's got me good.
Tom sees my dismay and laughs while he hugs me. I laugh, too. This is just part of the glory. It wouldn't be an adventure if it were easy. It wouldn't be one of our proudest accomplishments if we didn't have to work for it. These wouldn't be some of the greatest days of our lives if there weren't a few moments of agony thrown in there.
We pack up our sopping tent, squeeze into our disgusting shoes, and head back to the trail, rain falling and rocks awaiting. Tonight we'll make it to the Delaware River and the border of PA and New Jersey. With our gear wet and dirty, our legs tired, and our shoes shot, we decide to take a day off in Delaware Water Gap, just fifteen jagged boulder ridden, slippery, sloppy miles away.
I never thought I'd be so happy to cross into New Jersey. Pennsylvania has been the toughest state so far. The terrain is pretty flat, but the rocks are ferocious, rain has been a constant, and the trail is flanked by dense forest, affording few views that let you know you're getting somewhere.
1 comment:
Anna and Tom you are doing such an amazing job!!!!!!!! You are going to look back at the post and smile one day. xoxo
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