July 2 - 17.6 / 1,529.1

It was another chilly morning, and another morning I didn't want to get out of my sleeping bag. The night wasn't the best either since we were so close to the road. Cars went by all night.

The morning was a cruise and nice walking. Up until today, I have been expecting to start meeting southbounders starting in late May or early June. Well, today was the day. I met Hit and Miss. They were a couple who started May 27th. This was their second thru hike. They completed a northbound hike in 2008. I spoke with them for quite awhile about their trips. Like others, they said I was in for a treat when I get to the Whites and Maine.

The afternoon offered The Ledges and some good ponds. A lot of day hikers were also out. I met two more SOBO's and a group of five out for a few days. The group was comprised of two dads, two sons, and a daughter.

We got in to Shaker Campsite right after 5. It was a shorter day and nice to have the afternoon to relax. I figured I would catch up on some blogging too. That didn't happen. Instead, I made dinner, got lazy, and spoke to the group once they made it in. They were enjoyable and asked questions about the AT and my journey. They were having trouble with their Steri-pen, used to treat water. I offered to let them use my Aquamira. One of the men had hurt his ankle while hiking so they were planning to cut their next day short to get off the trail. Before going to sleep, they offered to give us some extra food. We told them we would check it out in the morning.

We finished up our chatting, and I provided my blog. They said they were going to check it out when they got home.