Date: 2005-04-29
From: VA 600 (Elk Garden) tent 

To: Old Orchard Shelter (tent) 
Miles today: 15.2

Day 44 It¢s 8:45am and I¢m still sitting in my tent. As far as I know it¢s been raining since last night. We were hoping for snow, which is no doubt what it¢s doing on top. We have to go over Mt. Rodgers and the Grayson Highlands most of which will be open summits. Lots of meadow walking always a joy in cold rain We finally gave up on the rain stopping at 10:30. We begin hiking at 11am and the rain eventually does stop. We started to climb from Elk Garden to the top of Mt Rodgers. On the way we ran into two gentlemen climbing the highest peaks in each of the 50 states. They amused us with entertaining stories of past adventures. There was a side trail to the summit, but we part ways with our new friends. No views to be had today. Thomas Knob Shelter was shroaded in a cloud. Inside it was a full house of hikers huddled trying to dry and keep warm. Rabbit & jax were amoung them. Blue eye and i hop into the cloud and disappear. The wind was whipping up when we left. After a mile or so things cleared up a little. I¢m not saying blue skies or anything crazy. Instead of walking through a cloud we were just under them. The Grayson Highlands were still spectacular, even in so-so weather conditions. This was one of my favorite parts of the trail in 1999. We visited some wild ponies who were begging for food. From there we walked down to the Wise Shelter. Being nice out now we head for the next shelter. No sooner do I leave, the clouds open up and dump rain. The hike up to the top of Stone Mtn was wet. The summit is open for an eternity when the weathers bad. The rain was going sideways with a horrendous wind. Thoroughly soaking me. The rain was so hard it was going right through my gaiters and filling up my boots. When I do slosh down to the Scales, I hide out in the bathrooms with Blue & Cola. It¢s only 3 miles up and over Piney Mtn to Old Orchard Shelter. The wind is really roaring and the trees are making all sorts of noises. I hope they stay where they should be and not on top of me. For now the rain had stopped. Weather has been crazy. Fair weather hiker or sunshine hiker I am no more. I haven¢t seen the sun in weeks. Sure every once in awhile something masquerading as a sun pops out, but pretty soon rain follows. Oddly about the same time i met blue eye i met his friend rain. Not that i'm placing blame. There¢s a saying ¢no rain, no pain, no Maine¢.I¢m off in sleepy land, happily dreaming when I hear lots of little voices. Naturally, I think elves. They are passing my tent saying finally we are here, all pausing to shine their lights at my tent. It¢s quite an impressive line. Up towards the shelter they head, this should be good. Nothing like a bunch of thru-hikers getting woken up at a shelter. Shelter kids tend to be a little crankier. I don¢t know what happened there as I¢m a bit from the shelter. There was such a clatter of poles I thought the circus came to town and set up next to me. Lights bouncing around lots of noise, I love it. Hard to get this kind of entertainment this far in the woods. The wind is just crazy the whole time, must be quite a sight. Anyway I doze off thinking I can¢t believe they set up right next to me, as there was a big field in front of the shelter. 1:30am I poked my head out to see what I could. Wow that¢s a whole lot of tents! The wind is really out of control, but no rain or snow. I could even see a star or two. The wise Blue eye foretold that a firey ball would rise in the east. It would warm the earth and make the clouds go away, but Worries did not believe. Help Worries believe¢¦