Date: 2015-04-30
From: Campsite at mile 486.3

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was another example of the literal and figurative ups and downs on the AT. Rush, Vulture and I set out on the climb to Buzzard Rock. It was an amazing view! On the descent to Elk Garden I slowed down and let them pull ahead since they hike faster than I do and the trail was very wet, rocky and rooty and I didn't want to fall. The sky was blue but would alternate between sunny but stayed mostly cloudy. A little less than a mile before the Mt. Rogers (highest peak in VA) side trail, I found Rush and Vulture sitting and eating a snack. I joined them. Then we made the final climb and found the Grayson Highland Wilburn Ridge ponies! A foal was standing right in the trail. Several other ponies including another colt were in the field just off the trail. One came up to Vulture and was licking and nibbling her hand. I dug out my apple core from last night and gave it to the pony. He kept tying to get into my bag. Randomly it hailed on us for a few minutes. We enjoyed watching the ponies and trying to take pony selfies. Eventually we moved on and arrived at the shelter shortly after. We paused and I pulled out my tent to dry when it started hailing again. So I took off and 0.2 mile later I passed the 500 mile mark though apparently I missed the two 500s people made with rocks. As I entered the Grayson Highlands State Park, it started to get cold again and you could hear the storm rolling in. Of course because I was on top of a summit! There were supposed to be more ponies but I only saw the longhorn cattle starting to scatter as the storm got closer. It soon started raining just in time for me to navigate the rocky trail in Grayson Highlands State Park. The rocks were wet and slippery and I slid a few times. It was a slow two miles. I realized I had walked around the "Fatman Squeeze" which is a rock tunnel so I had to go back and squeeze through the tunnel. Finally I made it down passing two section hikers and then another group of 5 southbound hikers. I thought I passed Wise Shelter but checked my guide and saw I hadn't. The last 1.2 miles took forever! Finally I arrived and found Rush and Vulture who were already set up in the shelter. You aren't allowed to tent near the shelter. Two others were already there too including Fourteen. I didn't want to stay in the shelter but it looked like it was about to rain again and it was six miles to the next shelter or there was supposed to be tenting another 1/4 mile away. As I was debating it started to rain so I decided to stop resisting and set up in the shelter. As I was about to cook dinner, it stopped and the sun came out. So I once again started to consider tenting. Seeker and Mufasa arrived. Mufasa decided to tent. So we were 7 in an 8 person shelter. I walked down to the stream to get water and check out the tenting area where Hitch had set up. As I got water, it started to downpour and I got wet again. Back at the shelter Crafty, Remi, arrow, Snooze and Ghost had arrived. They cooked dinner and then took off when the rain stopped and the skies turned blue once again. I chatted with Seeker and Crafty. I saw a plump bunny run past. A couple birds kept coming near the shelter picnic table in search of crumbs.