A porcupine and a fisher - An analogy for my thoughts on LOvE

Today is Valentine's Day. To go with that theme I will write a blog entry about love.

"I'll literally eat your heart out." said the fisher to the porcupine.

About a quarter of the way through my hike. I visited a the Chippewa Moraine visitor center for a longer time than planned due to rain. Next to each other were a stuffed - together forever - fisher and porcupine.  I have a friend who studied these two creatures and I can't see them without thinking of the guy - but am so happy to have learned a fraction of what he knows about the porcupine and the fisher... and now I will share it with you. This is what I wrote that day about the topic I just copy/pasted it from my phone's notepad:


"As my mind wonders from place to place while my feet keep my body going along, I got to thinking about love and also porcupines. I have come to think the porcupine and fisher represent love very well. Porcupines, once fully grown are susceptible to two things: 1) Falling out of trees, and 2) fishers (big weasels). No other animals readily mess with a porcupine. The porcupine has built a quill fortress that cannot be penetrated by let's say 99% of predators out there. But that one predator knows just how to handle it - the fisher.  Although the porcupine has built so much protection, the fisher gets the porcupine on its back and eats it from the soft unprotected belly side. Do you see where I am going with this? You can have quills and think you are safe from anyone getting in, but someone WILL get in... And then before you know it you are on your back with your heart eaten out.  All that's left is an empty shell when he or she is done with you. Its inevitable. The next time you get hurt, and you finally fix all your insides, you try to make your quills a little bit longer for more protection, but there is always a fisher looming."

Here's to the fishers out there... Happy Valentine's Day you weasels ;) Keep eating hearts.

Take from my analogy what you will... its useless to try and ignore love, love sucks, love is great... I wrote a bunch more about it all, but it got to be a bit deep. Instead I deleted it and uploaded this porcupine video!


 

Final Day of my Thru-hike July 30th, 2015 (still some section hiking to finish)

Eeeeeeee!!! FINAL SECTION!

I made it to the final section of the IAT. I got into Potawatomi State Park and attempted unsuccessfully to find the camp site that Jenni and Brian Wing (a Warrior Hiker - same Brian that hiked the first few days with us) had reserved. They were all at a carnival that was in town so Brian came to pick me up.

Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil

I'm the 'mom' at the carnival

Brian and his daughter enjoying the Ferris Wheel!

Jenni winning a Duck Dynasty Duck

The carnival was a pretty cool way to spend the night before finishing the hike. Of course I was being the 'mom' many times and holding all the winnings to include the large Duck Dynasty themed Duck that Jenni won. Not sure you all know this... but Jenni is AMAZING at winning games like the CLAW game and carnival games. Seriously impressive. I can't go on ride after ride anymore without feeling sick, so I was happy to play mom.

Final tent teardown... The night coming back from the carnival I set up my tent and had filled up my water bottle. I was spreading out my sleeping back and set my open water bottle down and thought to myself.. "Be super careful! Do NOT spill... this is not a good idea to be doing this, just be careful." I got my sleeping bag successfully spread out and then backed up and spilled the water bottle on my sleeping bag. Brian had the brilliant idea to spread it on the car hood as it was cooling down from being driven... this dried it out! Awesome! So my final night camping was not a sopping wet one.

The next morning, we putzed around and then started on our very short hike to the end of the trail. The day had arrived. 

Hiking the last two miles or so!

Brian and his fat-tire bike! They are so FUN!

And then suddenly... there were my parents!

My biggest supporters - I'm lucky

But my parents weren't the only ones who came for our finish!

Brian, David and his wife from VFW Post 6905 (from 4th of July), Jenni, Leslie and her neighbor, mom, me, dad

At the end!

David brought Jenni and I Red Belgium from New Glarus!! CHERRY!

Jenni and my IAT adventure together..... coming to a close

Sturgeon Bay VFW group photo after they arranged for a delicious meal! Again - VFW support was simply amazing.

And I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more just to be that... girl who kisses the sturgeon

During the car ride home... I just remember looking out of the car and passing the tasseled out corn. Days before I had walked by the fields and was hit by the sweet smell. All I could think was now was that "I am going so fast I can't even smell the sweetness." I was very sad about that. The pace of my life was already back to full-speed. I was home in about 2 hours... what had taken my legs weeks.

I did something I honestly was not sure I could do... I stepped out of my comfort zone more than I ever had done (on purpose). I feel like I am capable of almost anything.

I had to finish the hike one day earlier than planned and the VFW, Brian and Jenni were all willing to jump through a few hoops to accommodate that change so we could finish together. I had to finish because still being a drilling member of the WI Army National Guard... sometimes they make you do things at super short notice and for absolutely no logical reason, like show up for one day to do something that doesn't need to be done... but I suppose - I picked it :)

The day after my hike... back in uniform.

I feel like I need to post multiple quote meme things...

I love Shel Silverstein so its fitting he would have this to say. The ending was difficult, but endings are necessary to ever have a start. So I have to remind myself to not be afraid of what that ending may be, but just enjoy everything as much as possible leading up to it.

I am an overthinker.... working on it.

There are people whom I haven't seen in a long time and fall immediately back into place with. Then there are those that have come flaming into my life and light it up and then leave; but created beautiful memories.  Others I have simply grown apart from. And some people I hold onto, but need to learn how to let go. The difficult part for me is figuring out who is who.

The trek to Potowatomi State Park...

Holy smokes I'm writing a blog post! I am not sure why I just stopped... I think I was in denial about the whole experience coming to an end. I was stressing about going back to responsibilities, implementing the things I dreamt of and planned while hiking... could I actually succeed in real life? I live a life of transition... It just happens that way. I haven't spent more than a couple of years doing any one thing at a time, and most of the time its just months.  But I was back from a deployment and I didn't foresee another one coming up... I had graduated college only a handful of months before that, the college degree that had taken me 9 years to complete! - and no... I am not a doctor. I was attempting to make some big decisions in life and I just didn't know what to pick and choose... so I did what I do... freeze. And not write my blog.

I'm no longer frozen. I NEED to share the end of my Warrior Hike... So I will be writing a couple of posts.

I left off just outside of Mishicot. Mike, the CDR of the VFW picked Jenni and me up from Donna and Cliff's and dropped us off. She and I were at different spots on the trail, but would end up at the same place. My trail for the day was a short section of new trail and then all road. Only about 9-10 miles total and I walked directly to a trail angel's house. An amazing strategic place for a trail angel since the road section was 30+ miles. Leslie and Ron were some pretty awesome hosts. Leslie was wearing a Warrior Hike shirt as she is a big supporter of the program. She had reached out much in advance to Sean to let us know she wanted to and was available to help! How cool is that?!

I arrived before Jenni since she was doing many more miles. I go there early in the afternoon and Leslie took me to two local wineries!! (Jenni isn't such a fan of wine so we had her blessing to go without her).

I would like to sample this one, and this one, and this one, and this one......

That night Leslie and Ron invited over some family and friends for grilled burgers with wonderful sides and some ridiculously amazing deserts.

I had cat entertainment - a favorite type of entertainment as their cat spazzed out with her favorite types of toys.

The next day, Jenni and I took two different road routes. Neither of us took the exact book routh. Ron and Leslie recommended a route to shave about four miles off and still be on back roads, which I chose, and Jenni took a way that would shave off a few more miles but be on a busier road. The first 2-3 miles were trail and then it was all road.... and I wore my SHORTS (and my tank top).

At first I wanted to get sun... and then I regretted that life decision since road are too reflective!

This was the first big long day I had done in my shorts... and I burnt the Shiznet out of the back of my legs. I had brought my long sleeve shirt with and put that on before my shoulders and back got too much sun.  I didn't have sunscreen with me because I had given up on that for my face/arms long ago... I pulled off the side of the road under the shade of a singular shade tree to relieve my legs from the sun and dug around in my pack. I was slack-packing that day with Leslie's day pack (I went on to buy that same version pack after getting off the trail) but I had cooling gel in my med kit so I slathered on two single-serve packs of that on my calves. Instant relief and I think that is what saved me from being much worse off. I stayed in the shade tree (moving with the shade for about an hour)

After about a 23 mile day we called back to Ron and Leslie to pick us up. They treated us to lasagna and another night stay not having to sneak a place to stay.

Jenni choking out Leslie as a way to say thanks! ;)

Thank you Self-timer

The next morning was the last time I saw Jenni until meeting up with her at Potawatomi State Park.

My friend Dustin from my latest deployment picked me up that evening around 5pm and took his daughter and myself for ice cream - YUM!  I hit the 1000 mile mark in here, but had already posted those pictures, but that's my excuse for the ice cream... Just kidding... I eat ice cream for any reason - no excuse needed.

Cake Ice Cream

That evening I jumped on a trampoline with Dustin's daughter until I was dizzy, played with their goats, and Dustin and his wife grilled out brats and we had a yummy meal outside. So nice to catch up with another deployment friend along my hike. Although I didn't take any group photos!! GRUMBLE!

I wear my heart on my sleeve

Pure. Joy.

The following day or two were more roads and rail to trail walks... after such beautiful trail for so long, it felt underwhelming and a bit monotonous. However! I saw a herons, sandhill cranes, a pileated woodpecker (!!) as well as a badger!! The badger walked onto the trail, turned, and walked right toward me for a long enough while to make me feel uncomfortable about it!

Bucky!! I am an Alumni! Don't attack my face! PLEASE

I woke up to a beautiful sunrise the last morning on my own on the trail. I got up and going very early since I was stealth camping along a bike trail that someone had decided to drive about 30 mph down at 1am the night before. If I hadn't been off to the side, I would have been squashed. I haven't talked much about stealth camping... but for those that have to do it, be sure to always be safe first.

Almost died later that night...

Nice early morning for my last real day of hiking

So close :(

Looking back at this time... I now finally feel a bit more 'found'

My brother comes to visit, beach walk? And Two Rivers VFW

The night with Cheryl and her family was great. It was a great night followed the next morning by getting to meet Jenni's aunt and uncle who came to spend the day with her.

Blair then took me to a parking lot where I would end up that day. I had tried to make all the road miles into Manitowoc, but fell short with the rain.

It's just going to sprinkle... I have NO accuracy when it comes to how much its going to rain.

The reason I wanted to be done with the road was because my brother Mick came to walk with me that day! He lives in Virginia and we had been talking about this for months. Definitely something I was looking forward to a long time. We staged Mick's car and Blair then took us to where I had made it to on the road the day before, Mick had to suffer through only about 4 miles of hot county road before we got into Manitowoc and then into a short actual trail segment.

Thanks Blair! 

We then stopped for a yummy lunch and then went to the maritime museum and toured the WWII Submarine. We ended the day with a few more miles up to his car but took a detour out to one of the wave breakers with a little light house at the tip. When we got to the car we headed toward the hotel and then out to eat where we both got Lake Michigan caught white fish. YUM!

My brother! It's my brother!!!!

The next morning we went to breakfast, and our visit came to an end with Mick dropping me off back at the lake shore parking lot. A sad way to start the day.

I was walking along the lake shore all morning and was so caught up in my thoughts I completely missed the turn into the dunes segment! I was two miles past it by the time I realized what I had done. Uhg. Oh well, I wasn't going back, so I thought when the VFW picked me up that weekend I would ask if they could take me there (which they did). I instead went into the library and spent a few hours writing blogs I was behind on.

After all that blogging I continued on my way and only made it a mile before I chose to stop again for o get an ice cream Sunday from the Washington House which is supposedly the home of the Sunday. If you haven't noticed from all the Ice cream pictures I've posted, and will continue to post... I like ice cream. A lot.

Okay, after ice cream it was on to the beach walk segment which I had heard can be challenging due to Lake Michigan's water level being very high. Ummm. Yes. I strapped my shoes and poles to my bag and walked at least 2 out of the 3 miles right in the water that was at times passed my knees in height. My shins and thighs were burning. It was a good workout. I liked walking in the water more than the slice your legs up and quick sand dune grass area. That is also a very fragile environment and I felt bad trampling it.  Anyway... It was a different type of segment and it also made one of my lingering toenails mostly come off. The count is down to 7 attached toenails.

Very high water... No beach to walk on

As beachy as it ever got

More accurate

That night I happened upon the walk-in camp ground for the IAT that I hadn't realized existed. It was fantabulous!!!  There is also a kayak camp site there. It's about 40 feet from the beach and is pretty new. I plopped down, made some food and lived it up. The next morning I did something I hadn't done the whole hike. I got up before sunrise so I could watch the sun come up over Lake Michigan. Worth it! I had intended to then start hiking, but I made the fatal mistake of crawling back into my sleeping bag. A couple hours later I actually got up and started the day.

Yaaaa... I'm not really a morning person

Here comes the sun....

Do do do dooo do.... 

Here comes the sun

do do dooo do do (song)

One thing was bugging me that morning. I had first broke my 6 dollar sunglasses the day before and I then lost them to boot. I wasn't looking forward to a squinty day of hiking. But my extreme luck kicked into high gear that day. About 3 miles into my hike that morning, a few miles from the nearest road and in the middle of the grassy trail I almost stepped on something... A pair of sunglasses!!!! Someone else had lost a pair, not even scratched up or broken and way better than my 6 dollar pair! Seriously?! Did that really happen? Did I lose/break my glasses and find a nice pair the very next day a few miles before reaching the sunny road? How am I so lucky???!!!!! Unbelievable.

Along the road walk I ran into Jared again. A section hiker I had met in Cross Plains. I had to tell him about my glasses and the extreme amount of biting flies he was about to encounter in the upcoming segment that day. (They drive me bonkers!)  He told me how he had been asked for directions three times already that day! I have been asked for directions about 5 times this whole hike and always think it's hilarious that people ask the random hiking girl in the middle of nowhere directions. Many people seemingly leave their house without GPS still, and also... maps. Back in the day before I had GPS, I had about 20 maps in my car (not an exaggerated number. I'd go into AAA and stock up). I get it, I still ask for directions too, but it doesn't change the fact I think it's funny. Also, all ages have asked me just as an FYI.

Alright, so that brings me to getting into Mischicot where I got to eat a town fair corn dog for lunch and walk right through a car show. That was an unexpected treat!

So happy I finally hit the timing of a town fair!

I went a few miles more and called Mike, the VFW contact to pick me up. He found me on the side of the road and after picking up some farm fresh corn for the cookout that evening, he took me to the Dunes segment I had walked right past a few days prior. It was an easy two-ish miles and took less than an hour. But at least it wouldn't be weighing on my mind that I hadn't finished!

Proof!

Mike picked me up again and took me to Donna and Fred's house where I would stay that night. Donna is part of the Auxiliary and perhaps every other volunteer organization that exists. She is in her upper 70s and incredibly active! Her and Fred were amazing hosts. I got cleaned up and we headed to the cookout the VFW put together for us. A big friendly group of people were there and I proceeded to cook one of the most delicious steaks I've ever eaten along with grilled corn and a ton of sides that members brought. I literally had 2 plates of food in front of me and I then went up for desert (all 4 of them). I just don't understand how I've only lost 5 pounds hiking ;) Its a mystery.

Thank you Two Rivers VFW, Auxillary and Honor Guard!

I ate a llllott!

Such an amazing steak from some butcher shop... I didn't even screw it up on the grill!

Meat is on! Mine is front middle if you're wondering.

Thank you Donna and Fred for letting us invade your home!

Mike, the VFW Commander and my chauffer ;)

Goodies for my hike ;)