Quick update because the internet is crazy slow and expensive here and this keyboard is awful...
3 days into the hike and it is just jaw droppingly gorgeous here. Yesterday I started to get high enough in elevation that the vegetation has changed and it's decidedly more alpine now. The days have been pretty long so far but the next 3 should be shorter as I slow down my climb to acclimatize to the altitude. Because I'm a dork, I wore a pedometer the last few days...24k steps on day one (in a lot of heat and humidity), 26k on day 2 (less hot, still crazy humid, lot of climbing) and 36k yesterday (cooler day, lots of side trails to explore).
