Day 67 Hightop Hut to Big Meadows Campground

Today's miles 20.8.  AT miles 920.7

We were last to arrive at the hut last night and the last to leave today around 9am.  It was a gorgeous warm sunny day again.   Very early on the trail we passed the 900 mile mark which someone had spelt out in stones.   There were a few longer ups and downs today, especially in the morning but still on good paths with easy gradients, we made good time though still walking 10 miles in three and a half hours.  We stopped at Pocosin Cabin spring for a quick break at 12:30 and to refill our water supplies. Our average pace has increased to just under three miles an hour on these good paths in the national park.

I managed to get a photo of a Eastern Towhee today, these birds are always scurrying around in the leaf litter and fallen trees.  Still no bear sightings.  You can see through the forest quite a way in the distance, I kept looking often but never saw any bears, most of the time though our heads are down concentrating on the trail.  I think it'll be down to luck, being in the right place at the right time when we spot one.  This afternoon the trail got slightly less hilly with a fair few levelish sections.  There were a few weekend hikers out but not as many as we would have expected on a sunny Sunday. 

We made another detour today to Big Meadows Wayside, another 0.8 extra to walk but this time we had planned to as this Wayside had a camp shop for food resupply.  A much nicer Wayside than yesterday, we bought the food we required for the next two days on the trail and then bought something to eat there, saved having to cook at camp later.  Lots of other hikers were there also, lil Beast and her crew, plus Ravencloud and Frog Monkey who we'd not seen for a while. This is where all the weekend tourists hang out too, loads of cars and people who'd come out for a country drive and eat at the restaurant.  We had a message from our German friends and Ironman, they're a couple of days behind us, they'll catch us up I'm sure.

From the Wayside it was a mile and a half to walk to Big Meadows Campground, a large official campsite for a change with space for huge RV's, family camping or walk in camping.  They had bear lock ups for food, toilet blocks and showers!  We're camped next to Ravencloud and Frog monkey.

It happened, my worst fear about changing boots - blisters!  Our no blisters so far on the trail status has ended.  We've both have got small blisters on our heels from our new boots.  Walking 20 miles a day for the last three days in new boots probably hasn't helped.  Hopefully they'll heal quickly.