Date: 2005-04-30
From: Elk Garden (VA Route 600)

To: Thomas Knob Shellter
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: light rain

DAY 50Despite yesterday¢s long hike, I didn¢t sleep well again on the living room floor. I was up at around 6:30 am, long before anyone else in the house stirred. Out of boredom, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the front porch doing a crossword puzzle. Nothing like starting the day with a cold brew. It was drizzling again, but it was relaxing to be by myself. I do feel good about being part of a group again. Hope it can continue for a few days. Eventually the others got up and we talked about today¢s plans. The group of five of us that hiked together yesterday planned to leave in the afternoon for yesterday¢s starting point at Elk Garden. We planned to hike the 4.2 miles to the Thomas Knob Shelter. This shelter is at the western edge of the Grayson Highlands. In the morning Rocky and I had to go to the supermarket to resupply. I also had a mail drop at the post office and I had to hit up an ATM for cash. Rocky had to stop by the outfitter to replace some gear. It is a long walk to the supermarket at the other end of Damascus. This was not quite what I needed after the long mileage of the past two days. On the way back from the supermarket, Rocky and I stopped at the post office. There we met ¢Chickety¢, who is a Rocky¢s co-worker at the same hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. Chickety is hiking the Trail with her boyfriend, ¢Neighbor Dave¢. They are fast hikers and started the Trail much later than Rocky and I did. Back at the rental house the five of us: Rocky, Sowega, The Blondes, and I, got packed to resume our hike. We left the house in the early afternoon and were dropped off at Elk Garden at 3 pm. There is an initial climb of 1100 feet over two miles, as we started up the mass of Mount Rogers. Mount Rogers is the highest point in Virginia at elevation of 5729 feet. However, the Trail does not go to the summit, but rather skirts the summit enroute to Thomas Knob Shelter. The weather got increasingly cold and miserable as we approached the shelter. Rain began to fall a few minutes before we reached the shelter. The three young people were faster and had gone on ahead while Rocky and I brought up the rear. Thomas Knob Shelter has two levels. The first level is exposed to the wind and precipitation, so we climbed the ladder to the loft. The loft isn¢t warmer, but at least we will be drier tonight. This is going to be a cold, wet night. In the lower level is a young 20 year old hiker, ¢Tomcat¢ from Colorado and several others. After making our dinners in the loft, we laid out our thermorests in a row. Some of us have brought beer from the rental house, which helped make it a more jovial evening. Rocky led us in singing ¢Puff the Magic Dragon¢ as we sat up wrapped in our sleeping bags. Despite the cold and wind blowing through the loft, we have had many laughs tonight. Rocky has hung up a damp bra on a rafter right above my sleeping location. Every time I sit up I get smacked in the face by a wet bra. I don¢t know if she has done this deliberately or not. However, it is kind of funny, as has virtually everything been tonight.What could be better than this? I am sharing a shelter with three beautiful women, with a beer in my hand, and a bra hanging over my head. It's cold as hell but I don¢t think I ever want to go home.