July 4th- 860 miles- Shenandoah National Park, VA

So this is definately not as easy as when we left off. In our month of resting & recovering we've really list our trail legs. We started getting really sore after about 10 miles of moderately difficult hiking, but some of that is due to the fact that our packs are brimming with provisions we've brought in hopes of not having to resupply in the park. Otherwise, we feel pretty good and are happy with the changes we've made in our gear since we left. 
Still not that many people out but saw plenty of wildlife including a HUGE, fat rattlesnake this morning- that makes 3 rattlers total we've seen in VA. Also very hot today. 90's in the sun with considerable humidity and no real breezes. The uphills were uncomfortable to say the least. It's hard to believe the summer has really just begun and this heat is going to get worse!
We found a nice place to camp next to a spring so we can drink all the water we want before we leave tomorrow - luxury!
Anyway, we're spending some time relaxing now and while we probably won't see any fireworks we certainly enjoyed our day of independance in the mountains. Sleeeeep.