Days 3 & 4: Much better

I’m writing this at lunch time of day 4 from a place called Skyland. We climbed way up to get here, but there is awesome 3G! Hey-o! 

Yesterday went much better than Day 1. I did 9 miles yesterday and met two other thru-hikers about 2 miles from the place I was going to camp. Their names are Piston and Papillon (French for butterfly). We are lunch at a little Wayside and then went down to the campground to do laundry and shower. We then set up our tents and went to the Lodge for a beer and dinner. There, we met Yellowbird, Snuggles, Darwin and Roob. They have all been hiking since Georgia, so I’m doing much fewer miles per day than them. 

Papillon and I decided to split the cost of a campsite and hike together today because he is doing fewer miles than the others. He’s a middle-aged guy (At least, that’s what I assume from the gray in his beard). We are doing 14 miles today–we’ve already done 8 this morning. Hopefully I can keep up. It’s hard hiking with people who already have their “hiking legs”!

Speaking of legs, I’ve gotten lucky so far with blisters. I only have one, and it’s not too painful. I’ve been treating it consistently, so hopefully it goes away soon.

 Only 1265 miles to go!  
 Some a-okay views today. 

This deer ain’t scared. *
*Not pictured: the first bear I saw today! He was really scared. Took off as soon as he saw us.