So, this bear walks into a bar and says, "Do you serve backpackers?" So I bit him. Something like that. What a pleasant neighborhood for a stroll, don't you think? Why, you could just walk and walk and walk, and you'd never run out of interesting things to see. Yeah, life could be worse. By the way, those trekking poles are the best thing to happen to hiking since socks. I wouldn't go without them.

By the second day, my strength is improving, and my feet, though painful, still haven't realized the magnitude of their predicament. It's been all uphill for these two days, and the fun doesn't really begin until you start doing some downhill. All in good time..