Date: 2016-05-26
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up to rain in the middle of the night. I think it was around 4am and I went back to bed. Thank god I'm tenting in a pine grove and there are a lot of pine needles as my back is sore but would be so much worse. I got up around 7 and it was just cloudy. I packed up and ate a cold breakfast and got on the trail about 9am. The climb was mostly flat with a few ups and downs. Then the trail descended back down to the river and to the Virginia Creeper trail. The trail followed the creeper trail for awhile then darted back into the woods. Last night at the shelter there was myself and little john, Avalon, David and Gretel. Gretel came after I went to bed. Climbing up from the creeper trail David passed me and said he was probably having lunch at lost mountain shelter. It was only 2 miles away. The trail ran a bunch of switchbacks and I arrived to lost mountain shelter in no time. David was there and so was Avalon. She must of left before I got up. There were also two woman in their sixties with their dogs. One of them I recognized as the woman who sat with Otter and I at breakfast in Hot Springs the morning he was gonna drive me back to greasy creek gap. She was like no I didn't walk here my friend wanted to hike with me for a week so she picked me up in Erwin and we drive north to Greyson Highland State Park and are walking back to Damascus then she will go home and I will continue on till I get back to Erwin and then will get a ride back. They were a hoot. Everyone finished there lunch and headed out. I headed out after filtering water. The trail descended back down and I crossed over US 58 again. This being the third time. The trail ascended at a good clip steady uphill for 5 miles. The trail went through another cow field but I didn't see any cows this time. To get to the summit of Whitetop Mountain we had to gain 2300 feet of elevation. I finally broke above the trees to around 5100 feet and the top was almost similar to a bald. Low shrubs and grasses abundant with fantastic views. The trail then went sharply right with a side trail to the real summit. The trail began to descend again and crossed Virginia 600 and crossed into another cow field on a bald hill covered in all grassland. The cows were all to the left at the bottom of the field near the fence. I discovered I had one package left of Jelly Belly sports beans left. I love these and quickly ate the package. They give you such an energy boost especially when you are dragging. The trail climbed the grassy hill and went into the woods. It followed the ridge for awhile with a slight increase but not noticeable. The trail them descended to deep gap where there was a sign stating 2 miles to the shelter. The trail went up steeply and I believe it was on Mt Rogers but curved to the right and circled the mt. After climbing steeply and some switchbacks it leveled off and I came across a field and there were wild ponies. I was able to walk out amongst them and filmed it. If you want to see the video go on Moe Hikes the Appalachian Trail as I posted it there. It was so cool to see the ponies. Just amazing. The last mile of the climb I could feel that I was running on empty. I was getting starving. The trail again came to a grassy area and you could see Thomas Knob shelter in the distance. I got to the trail junction where the side trail to Mt Rogers was .5 left. I just didn't have the energy to do this tonight so I will run up the summit in the morning. I arrived at the shelter to some familiar faces that I saw at Uncle Johnnies in Erwin. I ate a cold dinner as there was a ban on any fires at the shelter. The view from this location is simply amazing and fantastic. If anyone reading this is behind me going north bound or is headed south bound make sure you plan on staying here or at least having an hour long lunch it is stunning. I set up on the second floor of the shelter. This particular shelter has a ladder with a small hole in the ceiling. It sleeps 16 and there are only 6 of us in the shelter with I think 3 others in hammocks nearby. No storms tonight as we lucked out. They were to our east and west. I'm at mile mark 497 tonight.