Date: 2013-05-15
From: Near Mt Rogers

To: Beyond VA 670 (South Fork Holson River)
Miles today: 28.5

2nd post of 3 today.   This is Weds hike..Got a grand surprise @ 5:50 am when the French speaking Feral Ponies were outside my tent.I was stealth camped behind some short spruce trees away from the open bald area where the ponies where when I camped.   In fact, they were at least 1/2 mile away.Anyway, being fluent in French I told them to leave and they all did rather quickly. They couldn't have been more than 5 feet from my tent because it was a confined area. I started breaking camp as soon as they left.. The hike!!!!!!!!!!!!!The A M scenery was unbelievable.   Leaving the 5000 foot level of Mt Rogers I again saw some ponies with a hiker after his food.   Tried for a picture but the early sun was wrong and I didn't come out.   Anyway, spectacular simply doesn't describe the high bald area.   After the timber was cut, cattle were grazed up there.   When the cattle left, briars and scrub started to come in so the ponies were introduced to help keep the area bald.   The Wilborn Ridge connects Mt Rogers area to Grayson Highlands State Park which is just under 5000 feet.   Very rocky but great scenery & I took a lot of pictures.   Did I say very Rocky?   .Anyway, from there it was on to the Scales, another bald area and where they used to have the Cattle says.   The herdsman at first drive the cattle down off the mountains but quickly changed course & had the sales (@ the scales) in the high country.   The cattle simply lost weight during the drive down the mountains so they had the buyers come to them.   Fat sells too!.The back up to Stone & then Pine Mountain where I rather grand surprise presented itself.Coming out of the brush & entering a high pasture (via hiker friendly V fencing - an interruption in the fencing that allows hikers to pass but cattle can't bend around the V) there was a small herd of.TEXAS LONGHORN CATTLE.   How cool!& yes, Rokk not first white man they had seen cause they never moved when I went close for pictures.   I was told they pastures them back near Roan & had given up hope seeing them.   The cattle & French speaking ponies are managed by the U S Forrest people..The rest of the day was lots of ups & downs (mostly down) over very rocky trail.I met so Forrest workers @ Dickeys Gap and asked about Camping beyond Trimpy Shelter.   They said the only spot was in a pasture of cattle.   Now that would have been ok except I wanted a few more miles to cut down on Thursdays hike into the I -81 interchange area.   So I hiked on and stealth camped outside another pasture on a small knollI couldn't believe it when another hiker passed at 7:30 asking about tenting spots further up the slope.   I told him I had no clue (if I did I wouldn't have tented where I did, but it served the purpose..All those rocks from weds hike killed my feet, especially my right dawg. That's why I am at this fleebag motel (only one here) @ I 81 instead of camping 6 miles north.   Blisters.....Anyway, by far the most enjoyable scenery day by far, especially those first Ten miles which were slow because of the rocks and all the pictures I took..Oh, the French speaking Feral Ponies!When I woke right before six A M and heard a herd outside my tent.......I yelled in my best French.......... Get the FUCK out of here!!!!!   And they all galloped off immediately.   .And now Paul Harvey..... U K T R O T S