Date: 2005-09-30
From: Fox Creek (Flip-flop from Damascus)

To: Buzzard Rock (Southbound)
Miles today: 20.1

My tent was damp, making my hiking decision tougher. I went to Mt. Rogers Outfitters this morning to find out more about the 40 miles of trail north of Damascus. They characterized it as a popular, beautiful section, but what finally swayed me was that I would have a chance to see wild ponies there. Grayson Highlands State Park is about 30 miles north of Damascus, and has open fields with a herd of wild horses that can often be seen from the trail.After deciding to go hiking again, I rushed to the Dollar General to do my resupply. If nothing else, I thought, this can be my junk food diet's last hurrah. I bought Li'l Debbie pumpkin cookies, 2 Snickers, strawberry gummy treats, trail mix, and peanut butter and cheese crackers.A left the outfitter at 10 along with another group of hikers that was being shuttled the same way, but getting of earlier for a shorter hike. They dropped me off at Fox Creek, 40 trail miles north of Damascus, and suggested that I camp at a place called Buzzard Rock just south of White Top Mountain. I had brought only the Springer to Damascus sections of my guidebooks on this trip, so I hadn't a clue about what I would see, or even where to get water. But that just made it more exciting.The weather was cold - 45 degrees - when I started hiking through typical forest. But just one hour later, I emerged on a bald with a great view. And the day was brilliantly clear and just kept getting better. The temperature warmed to the 60's, just enough to completely keep me from sweating. Hiking in the cold is a lot easier than the hot days I experienced for most of my hike.Grayson Highlands had not only more great 360-degree views, but, as promised, wild ponies! A mare and her foal let me get close and take their pictures. I stopped frequently to absorb the great views that kept on coming, and made it to the Mt. Rogers summit side trail a while after 4 in the afternoon. Mt. Rogers is the highest mountain in the area, so I felt compelled to summit it, but that wouldn't leave much time for me to make the next 8 miles or so to Buzzard Rock. I summited anyway, following the blue trail for 1/2 mile uphill until I came upon a tiny clearing in the forest. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where the trail went next, and wasted some time scouting around for a path. Finally, it dawned on me: this *was* the summit - the ground sloped down from here in every direction. But there was no semblance of a view.Frustrated, I went back down to the AT and decided to jog to try to make it to Buzzard Rock before sunset. I had fun whizzing down the trail when rocks and roots were sparse enough to allow it, but I did get some strange looks from weekenders. (One man on horseback even said patronizingly, "Young lady, are you out here all by yourself?") It was disorienting not to have the Data Book and the mileage to my destination at my fingertips. But following the white blazes was easy enough.I made it to Buzzard Rock (at about 5000 feet elevation) at 7, in time to see a fantastic sunset over both mountains and a valley. I sat on a rock with two men already camping there, ate dinner, and watched the sun slip behind the horizon, then the city lights and starts slowly appear. It was fantastic.Through this trip, I have learned to appreciate being in the woods without a view and hiking in less-than-perfect weather. But the perfect day (weather and views) today was fabulous icing on the cake. And ponies too! I couldn't ask for more. I'm so glad I came.