Date: 2020-07-02
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: clear sky

The salt-happy pony visited the shelter a couple more times last night, licking anything left on the picnic table. It went over to the hammockers and nibbled at their bags and shoes until the occupants yelled out and drove it away. Not an easily deterred pony.In the morning the hammockers turned out to be three more thruhikers traveling together - Miles, Mountain Goat, and Fenway. They started in March and had only gotten to Unicoi Gap in Georgia before getting off trail for awhile. They returned in May and have taken about two months total to get here, currently doing around 13 miles a day. Miles has the wild hair and beard of Harry Potter's Hagrid. Mountain Goat, also quite shaggy, seems perpetually serious and stressed, and Fenway is an energetic and lean young guy.I passed 500 miles soon after leaving the shelter. No one marked the trail this time. By the time I hit 1000 I will still be in Virginia. It's a big state.The ponies were out in force in the next several miles of open country. I encountered a least three small herds, all with two or more young foals. The mothers are quite affectionate with the newborns, rubbing them with their noses again and again. Not many other hikers out this early, but passing close to Massie Gap and the parking lot the traffic picked up. Should be a busy day here. The Grayson Highlands are an open stretch of high meadows with rocky outcroppings. They were cleared by farmers to graze cattle. When the forest service bought the land they brought in ponies to help keep the vegetation down and maintain the views. The ponies are technically wild and should not be fed or touched. Unfortunately they've learned they can get food from people and are not at all shy. Still, they are efficient grass-eaters and keep it very closely cropped, even miles from the main tourist areas.I stopped many times to rest today. Sat on a hill of boulders to take in the view. Took a long lunch and short nap at one shelter. The sun was out all day and humidity was rising. Better than being rained on, but it does sap my energy. I tried to eat and drink more to compensate, with limited success.My new backpack, the CDT by ULA, seems to be working out. Yesterday it took some getting used to, being a frameless pack. There is a foam sheet in it to transfer some weight to the hips, but it requires cinching the waist belt very tightly. It was noticeably more comfortable today after eating several pounds of my food. Frameless packs are best for carrying under 18 pounds. I will have to shop more carefully. Recently I've been packing out more food than needed.The miles in the afternoon were back in the shade of the green tunnel, at lower elevation. I descended below 5000 feet and won't see that again until New Hampshire. I passed almost no one. The Cubs, the twin girls, did pass going southbound late in the day. They were dropped off in Atkins and are hiking back to Damascus. We marveled at the gorgeous weather compared to the days of sodden hiking south of Damascus.Sunshine and I are the only ones here at Trimpi Shelter. It has two-level bunks on each side of a fireplace, though it's far too warm for that. We were told there's a problem bear in the area, so we have rocks within arm's reach to discourage any nighttime prowling.