Embrace the Suck

After departing East Stroudsberg we had to hike back through the town, this time via Mt. Minsi, Peeta’s familiar training grounds. We had the chance to grab a few hours of fun and a shower at the church hostel…it is incredible how bad you can smell after just one hot summer day of backpacking!!!

Shortly thereafter we crossed the Delaware River into NJ and hit 1300 miles! So 7 states of 14 officially completed!!

NJ had its own share of treasures which included more rocks, lakes, bogs (complete with blood thirsty mosquitos) and a whole lot of humidity. Fortunately, these were counterbalanced with trail magic and visits from friends and family to help ease the transition and lift our spirits.

The first was from Ksenija and her mother Mili and sister Peach who visited us on 4th of July at Crater Lake. Unfortunately, the parking lot was closed so they hiked 6 miles round trip to meet us with fresh fruit, subs, salads and lemonade!! 🍉 😋 oooh and a bottle of wine!!!

Later that evening we camped on the lake enjoying a beautiful sunset, stars and an early morning skinny dip. 😝

Our other guest visitor was Ann who joined us for a break from the heat and with yummy goodies including watermelon gazpacho, roasted pork sandwiches and fresh garden salad…ooh and a bottle of wine!! 😊

We have both been so pumped and the journey has been exciting and magical. However, getting back to the title of this post, we also felt it only fair to share that it’s not always unicorns and rainbows. Some days it’s just a slog to get through the miles and that’s what it has felt like these past few days.

From the merciless rocks of PA that crushed our feet and sometimes our spirits, to the sweltering humidity of the Northeast where our pores leaked more fluid than our water bottles, to the relentless quest of the mosquitos thirsting like hungry vampires our limits had been pushed.

Several brutal days of humidity made us sweat so badly that our hiking poles could not be gripped because they were soaking wet and constantly slipping from our hands. And that doesn’t bode well when you really need the assist for climbing a treacherous rocky mile long trail called “The Stairway to Heaven” or balancing on a slippery log through a bog (both NJ’s gift to AT through hikers).

At the end of each day the air was still and our wet clothing could literally be wrung out. Hungry mosquitos clung even closer knowing we were now an even easier target once we stopped moving. Even our sexy mosquito head nets that make us look like a school lunch ladies in mourning didn’t help to calm the din of their constant humming zzzzzzzzzz’s as they circled around the net.

We crossed into NY without much fanfare at the top of yet another brutal rock climb.

In our research before beginning this journey we were told there would be bad days in which we were given the following advice:

ONE…remember why you are here and what you set out to accomplish on this journey. This is important to reground one’s self and reflect on the reasons you must push on.

TWO…embrace the suck, because there will be days that suck and you need to roll with the punches. So we are trying to do both and in doing so took a much needed day of no hiking and self-care.

Our self-care day happened in Greenwood Lake, NY and consisted of a delicious Italian dinner, morning yoga, cappuccinos, ice cream, creature cuddles and since it rained all day, hanging out at the local pub. Oh yeah, then ice cream again!! 😊

Our day in Greenwood was one of the worst rain storms of the year which flooded towns in the North East and closed many parks and roads. We felt fortunate to have escaped that bedlam at the Lost and Found Hostel in Greenwood hosted by Pete and his wife Mary.

Returning to trail the next day all the rivers were flooded which made for beautiful waterfalls but also some VERY challenging river crossings.

After so much rain the mushrooms are resplendent!! Katniss even harvested her very own Chicken of the Woods which was later cooked into an egg omelette.

So we’ve had some challenges, but hopefully we are back on track. Like life, we have to be willing to readjust, slow down and sometimes reset expectations. As we head back to the trail, we leave you with this. No Rush, a thru hiker we met at the hostel, loved the idea that every day Katniss “bubbles up” herself and Peeta by visualizing a strong, protective bubble around each of them to shield from trail dangers, falls or mishaps. (I know, it sounds more like a Peeta thing 🤷‍♀️). No Rush loved that concept and shared the following picture and Haiku:

Mother and daughter,
Keep striving to bubble up.
Rolling safely on.

No Rush, SloBo 22-23
(KP Haueter)