July in Jersey (the AT journey continues)

7/1

• Distance Travelled: 24 miles
• Day One in New Jersey was just dreamy. Views and blueberries abounded along the ridgeline, and a little lower, there were beautiful spots such as Sunfish Pond.
• Despite having once lived in coastal, lowcountry South Carolina, I have never met as many mosquitos in a single evening as I did this night. It was miserable.
• I caught up again with Squeegie and the other Babes in Boots, and was invited again to share the 2-man tent. There was no way in this big itchy mosquito nest that I was passing up on that opportunity. We sleep-talked to each other again and woke up in the middle of the night when Squeegie had a nightmare of a bear being right outside the tent.

7/2

• Distance Travelled: 15 miles
• Wildlife: mosquitos, again
• Highlight: Mad Hatter (my husband) returned!
• We shared the tarp, and I regretted for the first time not having bug netting. I doubt Mad Hatter got a second of sleep. My deet bottle was almost empty in the morning, and at one point in the middle of the night, another hiker apparently squirted some of the deet in his eye, which made everyone just about die laughing, even though it wasn't funny at all.