Date: 2004-06-15
From: Whitetop Shelter

To: Troutsdale, Va
Miles today: 15.3

Ok, I am going back to the 15.3 day. We got out of the shelter before seven and I was glad to get out of there. Too many people for me. K-bear and One thing and myself hiked together for about twenty minutes. I was keeping up ok but then I saw a beautiful Rhodedendrum....which I can't spell....and white blaze. Great picture I thought. So, do I keep up or stop and take a picture. I really like being able to walk with them but......hike your own hike. No matter what I do I can't keep up because the healthier and faster I get, the healthier and faster they get too. So, I stopped and took the picture and took a deep breath and relaxed and started looking around. We saw two ponies not far from the shelter but there were lots of boy scouts around and it was early so we went on.I walked to fat mans squeeze and noticed another trail that circumvented the natural rock tunnel and I thought that K-bear and One thing were moving so fast that they didn't even see it. I stopped and went through the squeeze and it was really cool. A little scarey cause I still have bears on my mind and that would have been a great home. It was to dark to take a picture. I don't know why but it reminded me of the laugh in the dark at old myers lake in Canton.Two joggers passed me later and they smelled so clean and good. K-bear says we are in trouble when joggers start smelling good and I think she's right.I went in and out of Grayson Highlands where the wild ponies are. And I didn't see any. I was so dissapointed. Especially because I thought I missed them because it was too early and I was hurrying. As I am giving myself hell walking about this cloudy foggy rainy morning....just trying to see the next blaze I hear a snort. I looked around and couldn't see anything except clouds. But I heard that snort and I stood still for a minute. And there, really hard to see were ponies.....about 8 of them. I dropped my pack and grabbed my camera and some spree candies....it was all I had and headed off trail. I was a tad scared of walking off trail but life is short. They were so beautiful. And there were three babies. I took a ton of pictures. I was within five feet of them. They apparently don't like sprees so of course I ate them. There were all kinds of yellow wildflowers and all the clouds and i was breathtaking. At one point a southbound hiker walked by but even 25 yard!s away he didn't see me or the ponies.....the clouds were so heavy. I stayed for a while and just soaked it all in. Eventually I moved on and saw even more ponies. I am so glad I slowed down. It's about the journey...not the destination.One thing and K-bear were at the next shelter and he was talking about doing 21 that day. I said I didn't know. I hate to promise something if I know I can't keep it. After I saw the ponies it made up my mind though. I am walking my own pace. If we walk about the same distance and meet up that is great but I am going to enjoy the hike.K-bear and I met a wonderful couple hiking south. It turns out that the woman was a guide for a company called....adventures in good company.com. A company that specializes is taking small womens groups on advebtures. Go check out their website and you may see our picture.Here's the funny part though. They asked where we were from and K-bear always gets the attention because her home is far away. Everyone asks her questions......which is cool.....but today they looked suprised and then looked at me and said, "what part of Ohio are you from?" Maybe the humour doesn't translate well but it was such a funny turn of events. I laughed and laughed.over and outspare pocket------------------------------