Creepy-crawlies

So I backpack. Oh yes. I don "the nag" and she weighs about thirty pounds for a day hike and we wander around in the grass for hours. (My trail name is "Tink" since it is my bear bell you can hear clanking along if you do this too and look at the registers.)  I climb river rock beds, cross rivulets, get lost and found and have a ball.  Next year I plan to take on a portion of the Appalachian Trail.  This year? My goal is fifty miles by the end of season and a two day full on through and around a glacial lake. I will surpass it and am really proud of myself. I am almost half way there.

But this passed weekend was the toughest.  It was hot.  I hiked a new set of trails out near where I will end, Bruce Lake.  To get there requires a trek through some marsh.  Did I mention it was 80 degrees? Marsh? Water? Skeeters? Ohhhh Holy Hannah! I looked like Pig Pen with a cloud just whining and shrieking around me.  The trail is old, especially out at the park boundary so it is about a boot wide.  I swung my walking stick to break the spider webs and reduce the number of sticky threads and eight leggers.  I also learned I have to bang that stick to get said spiders off or ... they crawl up your arms. yuck.  

I took on a lot.  It was a five hour schlep.  I had my camelback (water) and my trail mix and "powerballs" I was beat, tired, hot .. and just wanted to sit.  I found a rock and decided i wanted to have lunch; maybe even a nap in the shade.

The mosquitoes wanted lunch too. As did the ultimate nemesis and evil doer of my short story; the ticks. I saw one, then another and another.  I realized that to move was exhausting but to sit still was... horrible.  I began to move.  I had to climb MORE rocks, my ankles twisting and groaning.  my hips, wrists and knees jamming to accommodate awkward crossings.  it was endless.  I wanted to cut in, to quit and cry.  I was out of range. No signal. I had no option but to keep going.  i was so tired that I almost misread a couple of trail markers or missed them all together.  I scolded myself, uncertain if this was really for me. I scolded myself.  

But I saw does and young fawn and I mean YOUNG: wobbly and all legs/knees/elbows.  I saw an amazing HUGE hawk pick off a chipmunk from a log.  I saw turkeys, peepers, snakes, and a millipede as long as the handle on my hiking stick. the breeze cooled me. I got my head right and finished.  I finally got a signal and reached Cheech who came to get me.  

I got home and went straight to my room to shower.  Pulling off my clothes I saw it ~ them. I called to cheech trying to sound chipper and even.

"Please come upstairs."

He did and his jaw dropped.  He all but pushed me down, stripped me bare and  began pinching me.  Pulling ticks.  More than 30. I was almost in tears.  I hate ticks like I hate bees. I quivered and shuddered and washed. and washed and washed and wash....

the stinging came next and I realized I had trudged through stinging nettles.  I washed and washed and washed... 

My legs began to stiffen, my muscles questioned my authority.  I fell asleep only to dream of unstable rocks creating full body jerks... I have been dreaming of ticks.  Ticks so thick they make my mattress soft and wait for me to lie down.  Ticks getting in my eyes, ears, belly button... Ticks eating the kids, the toddlers and coming down the hall in stacks... for me.

It's going to be a couple of days before I recover.  But make no mistake.  I love what I'm doing (and have been) and I'm good at it.  I'm an awesome map reader/navigator and apparently? A great snack.  I have seen amazing things and proven  to myself  that I am (as Christopher Robin told Pooh):

Braver than I believe, stronger than I seem and smarter than I think

but ticks?
Ok... enough.Disgusting little bastards.

Thanks for popping in. I hope we can visit again soon.