Date: 2009-05-13
From: Massie Gap

To: Whitetop Mountain
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was an easy day after yesterday¢s long one, only 8.6 miles. The route was beautiful as was the weather.Bill dropped me at Massie Gap where I had started out from yesterday, but today I went south up Wilburn Ridge, through Fat Man Squeeze Tunnel, (a rock tunnel passage which is very narrow and isn¢t very big. Hooray! I fit through it okay!), then over Rhododendron Gap (beautiful views to the north of the high meadows through which I hiked yesterday and ahead to the south where I was headed).As I approached the gap I found myself in amongst a small herd of wild ponies, their long manes and tails blowing in the wind coming over the summit, their coats still shaggy from winter growth. Some were painted, some looked like miniature palominos with yellow bodies and white manes and tails; some just looked like ¢hard-livin¢-put-away-wet¢ wild ponies. Looking back down the ridge I could see others grazing along the Trail near the junction of the AT and the access trail where I had come up from the parking lot a half an hour earlier ¢ tiny four-legged critters wandering slowly between the boulders and shrubs that cover this arm of Mt. Rogers¢¦ seemingly a true call of the wild.I stopped briefly at Thomas Knob Shelter on the shoulder of Mt. Rogers to sign the logbook and to watch a pony who had let himself (somehow) into the fenced area around the shelter lick the rocks immediately in front of the hut where hikers congregate after a day of hiking ¢ presumably the sweat from their clothes and dripping from their bodies evaporates in the sun, leaving a kind of man-made salt-lick for the ponies to enjoy. Up close it was apparent that life in the wild was tough on these animals as its coat was splotchy and there were bite marks from other horses on its neck and haunches.Although occasionally behind clouds for brief periods, the sun was out for most of the day, making the temperature close to the top of Virginia¢s highest peak (5,729¢) most pleasant. By late afternoon I had crossed through Deep Gap and walked in the sunshine through Elk Garden, now occupied by cows who watched me with caution through large brown eyes. Just as I was trying to make contact with Bill who was hiking from the summit of Whitetop Mountain north toward me (he had already hiked a couple of miles around Wilburn Ridge after I had taken off south bound) when I was approached by two thru hikers who wanted to know if I was with the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the insignia of which is on my hiking hat.) One of the two, Mark (¢Red Shoes¢) was having pain one of his quadriceps and was looking for a way off the Trail to get to a hospital where he could have it checked out. When I told them I wasn¢t with the ATC, but we did have a car and could drive them to the hospital in Marion, Mark was elated and his close friend and hiking companion, Bob (¢Dr. Bob¢) was relieved. They waited in the woods near the parking lot on VA 600 at the base of Elk Garden while I ascended Whitetop, passing Bill on his way down.At the top I picked up Bill¢s car and headed back down to the parking lot where I drove the three other Thru Hikers down to Rt. 58 where they¢d have a better chance of hitching a ride to Damascus for ¢Trail Days¢ and then returned, just as Bill emerged from the woods. The four of us then drove the hour or so back to Marion talking about the Trail, hiking and camping experiences (very nice guys!) We dropped Mark and Bob off at the Virginia Inn Motel and returned to Hungry Mother for a hot shower followed by a delicious steak dinner cooked on the grill, accompanied by steamed green beans, salad and ice cream with bananas and canned pears. (no Trail dinner tonight!) A full, fun, gratifying day as most of those spent on the AT turn out to be!