When it's late July in the pines and 20 deer flies are circling my head, gnats are diving into my eyes, sweat is rolling down my cheeks and I'm avoiding stepping on weeds like they're land mines because I know any one of them could be housing a hundred chiggers hoping to dine on me for lunch, I dream about a day like today.
I set out about 8am to do a round trip hike on the Batona Trail from Carranza to Quaker Bridge. What an absolutely gorgeous day to hike. Temperatures were in the low 30's as I hit the trail, bright sunshine, the air was crisp, clean, refreshing and dead still. The woods was quiet and peaceful. The section of the Batona Trail from Carranza to Quaker Bridge contains a lot of stretches where tree branches and the underbrush have encroached on the trail and are constantly rubbing against you as you're hiking. I am happy to report that I did not find one tick or one chigger on me today (clothes and shoes were treated with permethrin)