Date: 2006-05-11
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: light rain

Once again Virginia has proven to be a pain. After raining all through the night, the rain stopped for a bit in the morning. This was the first of my 2 big days so I figured I better get going. There was only one major climb today at the beginning, then most of the rest of the day was along the ridgeline. When I got to the top of the first climb, it opened into a big bald. Right when I came out of the woods into the clearing it started raining. Again. Not only was it raining but the wind was blowing very hard. So when you add them together it doesn¢t make a very good combination. This kept on for about 10 miles where I couldn¢t feel my hands. It was one of the most miserable and uncomfortable feelings I have ever been through. After six of those miles I came to a parking lot right before Grayson Highlands State Park. In the parking lot there wasn¢t any cover except a bulletin board sign with about 6 inches of cover on it. It was the first place I headed. Just because I was out of the rain doesn¢t mean I was warm. Remind you all I have on my wet T-shirt, thin rain coat, and soaked shorts. I decided that I couldn¢t get warm or dry there so I had to press on. By this time Donkey and Cabernet were there too. We all decided to take off and make the 4 mile dash for the shelter. Once we got about a mile in I turned and only Donkey was there. We joked about how we were flying and kept on. The warmth of the shelter was calling. We made amazing time to the shelter and it had stopped raining hard. Only a cloudy haze. The weather had seemed to have taken a turn toward the somewhat nice, but nothing spectacular. The shelter was on the top of a giant bald in the Grayson Highlands. We were standing in front of the shelter when all the sudden a pony and her baby ran by about 17 feet in front of us. I thought I was seeing things from being too cold. I collected my self and laughed. I knew that the Highlands were known for having free ranging ponies but I thought it was farther down. So that took me by surprise. I was only half way to where I wanted to go so I figured I must go. I suited up and decided to keep going. I didn¢t think the rest of the hike was going to be as bad now that I was prepared for the weather. The rest of the way was on the top of the mountains in open fields. It was pretty walking through the fields with giant rocks randomly scattered around. The only problem with this part of the day was the wind. Everyone I talked to estimated between 40 and 50 mph. It was also very intense but not nearly as cold.I pressed on farther than people I had started with today so I was entering a new tribe¢s territory and I wasn¢t sure who or how many would be ahead. I came to the next shelter and it was empty. Another shocker. I settled in and put on dry clothes. A little while later Mule (different than Donkey) showed up. We ate and had the shelter to our selves. It was the first time I had met him and we were talking and joking about how there are tons of people out here that we haven¢t met. And it already seems that people are starting to "disappear."