Mile 1420. Welcome to hell.

“Nyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”

Slap!

“Nyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”

Slap!

“Nyeeeee!!!  Nyeeeee!!! Nyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”

“Aughhhhhh!!!!    Leave me alone!!!!”   I desperately scream at the top of my voice.   The startled birds stop chirping.

The mosquitoes ignore my plea.   I am lunch.   Their lunch.   And they are hungry.

As if the mosquitoes aren’t enough, I also have to have to contend with every other stinging, biting, irritating flying creature who thrives on hot, humid summer days.   

A swarm of gnats play kamikaze at my eyes.   Little black flies go after the sweat dripping from my arms.   A honey bee gets caught in my shirt sleeve. Paper wasps dart out from the bushes from both sides.      And a team of ground hornets fly at my feet protecting their nests strategically placed smack dab in the middle of the Trail!    

I have a Pig-Pen cloud of swarming insects at my head, my arms, my feet, my entire body.

Welcome to hell.

I was strong in the freezing Smokies.    I was strong during the climbs in North Carolina.    I was strong on the ankle-twisting rocks in Pennsylvania.   

But here?   The teenie tiny New York insects have brought me to my knees. 

I look at my calendar.   It’s only mid July.   How long is this going to last??!