So there I was, sitting on some rocks, applying DEET for the second time this morning. I decided to check the post office hours—often they close at noon and reopen after lunch in these little towns. I check my watch: it’s 10:39am, then I check the hours 10:30-11:30. Daily. Period. That is 2.2 miles over a mountain and 0.7 miles on a road into Arden, NY in 51 minutes—oh crap! Have I mentioned that I hate NY?

Don’t ask me how I did it. It’s too painful to recall. Suffice to say that when Skyline, hiking one mile behind me, asked a southbound hiker if there were any northbound hikers ahead of him, he got the response “No, just some runner.” Well I am dosed up on Advil tonight and not going to do anything again like that in this lifetime if I can help it. Ever surfed down the side of a mountain covered in lichen on wet rocks? No? Good, don’t.

New York doesn’t have any real mountains on the trail. But New York also won’t admit they don’t have the hardest, coolest, terrain in the world either. So New York has routed the trail up and down these piddling little hills and through swamp pits to make the trail treacherous. Please look at the terrain, accept the terrain, then make the trail pretty and fun. Enough of this crap.

On the other side, awesome baked goods sent to me by my cousin Sue & Family. The fruit snacks kept me going this afternoon—thank you Emily and Ben! Cic and Bro sent a batch of baffle bars. I shared these treats and Sue’s brownies with Condor, Einstein, Skyline & Sundance and Mouth as the evening approached. They were much appreciated. I polished off Sue’s banana bread & the snacks sent by my parents pretty quickly. Made for a good eating night!

Should be an easy 15 to Greymoor Friary tomorrow. Good, I need it!