Total trail mileage: 502.5
Starting location: Buzzard Rock
Ending location: Old Orchard Shelter
Weather: partly cloudy all day, 60-65 degrees during the day
I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=36.634781,+-81.617208
ZOMG, PONIES!!11!!!...um, ahem...yes, there were wild ponies today. I
knew I would likely see some in this area, but I wasn't expecting so
many. And, I wasn't expecting to see them practically in the
shelter. There were two along with a colt hanging out there. I had
to navigate around them to get into the shelter, and I was hoping that
they wouldn't become aggressive. One would stick its head in and lick
the floorboards. Someone wrote in the logbook, "the shelter mice
around here got big".
I was hoping to catch the sunrise this morning, but I only made it
half awake when the sun was rising. And then I fell back asleep for
an hour (it was a little cloudy anyway). So, I got up, went a little
bit until I found an awesome spring (perfectly clear water coming out
of the ground with a lot of pressure), and made breakfast. A little
bit further and I ran into Camp Chair.
The Grayson Highlands met the high expectations. Progress was slow
because every 10 steps involved stopping to admire the views. And
there were views pretty much all day. Throughout the day I was
leapfrogging with Moonpie and Doozy.
I took the side trail up to the peak of Mount Rogers. I knew there
wasn't a view from the top, but it is the highest point in VA, so I
decided to go up anyway. There are still a few patches of snow and ice.
They were doing a controlled burn over a lot of the area today. In
the evening, I was forced to stop on the trail for a while since a
helicopter was landing. Apparently they have these launchers with
ping-pong ball devices. Just before launching them the balls are
pierced and 10 seconds later they produce a small explosion. They are
used to burn the undergrowth. Supposedly the trees and bushes are
wetter than the grass so they don't burn. After the helicopter took
off I was allowed to continue, but a guy out turkey hunting tomorrow
offered me a beer.
So, I ended up getting to the shelter pretty much at dark. It is only
me, Moonpie, and Doozy here for the night. But, there sure are a lot
of noises (mice, turkeys, etc.).
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