Thanks for your input! I figured that 4L would be a good capacity because it leaves me with enough capacity to do ~1 full day "dry" (2 if I really had to stretch it--you know, emergency preparedness and all that jazz), but it's not so much that I'm wasting a bunch of weight on unfilled containers.
I think for the most part I'll probably be carrying one full nalgene (1L with drink mix or something in it) and one full reservoir (1L of pure water), and topping those off whenever I get to a water source.
I greatly appreciate your call on the weather (and I trust your judgement, given your location), it definitely puts to rest any fears that I might be going with too light of gear for the cold. Due to other things in my schedule, though, it looks like I'll probably end up hiking from late July to mid August, so I'll miss the beauty of the fall. (Maybe another year!
) On the bright side, I think I'll end up just fine with a baselayer and fleece (and rain coat if it gets particularly wet/cold/windy), so there's no need for a heavier jacket
.