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I caught up today to a couple more PCTers I hadn’t yet met: Sniper, probably the northernmost solo female, who was laid off from two different jobs in just a few months so decided to go hiking this summer, and who now carries several bleached vertebrae and a giant pirate flag dangling from her pack; and Slapshot, who had just returned to the trail after a mystery fever landed him in the emergency room on an IV for the last three days (he seems all right now, though the doctors never figured out the cause).

Honeybuzz and I logged 27 relaxed miles between eight a.m. and eight p.m. – an exceptionally smooth day of walking since my mom intercepted us at a road crossing around lunchtime with all sorts of goodies (Honeybuzz drank seven cans of soda, for starters), and since the trail was well-graded, flat, and scenic, in contrast to yesterday’s big climb. Definitely one of the most pleasant days I’ve had on this trip so far.