MST Trek Day 69

Sorry for the update delay. We endured  some nasty storms.  Right now, I am sitting on the beach in the Croatan National Forest near Highway 101, south of New Bern.  Yesterday we got up and had a 5.5 mile trek to make the Minnesott Ferry.  We had to stop many times along the way, because by 8:30 am it was already 85 degrees and climbing, and the humidity was stifling.  Nonetheless, it was a psychological milestone for us.  Getting on the first ferry marked the beginning of the final leg of our trek.  I can't believe that we have already completed 779.1 miles by that point.  I am very satisfied that we are nearing the finish of what some have felt was a nearly impossible feat for a blind man and his dog.  After getting off the ferry, we stopped to take photographs for the Sun Times, followed by an interview with the local NBC station.  The temperature was in the 90s, with the heat index over 100 by the time we actually entered the Croatan.  After about 5 miles into the woods, the heat proved too extreme for Tennille, and we slowly made our way out to an exit point and called it a day.  Throughout this hike, Tennille's health and well-being has always been my top priority, and so we once again erred on the side of caution.  This place is not really the inhospitable swamp that people have made it out to be.  We made 14 miles and will be exiting the Croatan today.  We will then be heading to the ferry which will take us to Okracoke.  Last night we stayed at a campground on the edge of a tobacco plantation.  We met some great people and had to weather out the very severe storm. On a brighter note, temperatures for the next couple of days are supposed to be mild-- we're looking forward to the hiking. Tennille even got to get in the ocean!