Date: 2015-05-07
From: Whitetop Mtn Rd, USFS 89

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The late-evening supper meant waking early to "find a tree"...hence, I chanced upon the sun rising in the east over the treetops. I walked back the road a little ways, to snap a couple photos of the layered valley, too. Though it wasn't close to the lovely wildness of the evening before, it was still quite something, see photos. Back at the campsite, Single Speed was now stirring too...we had our now - favorite breakfast of granola with dried berries and powdered milk---just add water to the ziploc baggie (hikers often borrow food ideas from each other...I had gotten a variation of this one from a hiker named Hammer and adapted it, then Single Speed borrowed it from me), then packed up our gear, surprised and pleased at the near-dryness of most of it overnight (socks and trail shoes still wet though, grimace), and headed out towards the day's sought-after sweet spot: Grayson Highlands. That's where you get to see the wild ponies, and we weren't disappointed. In fact, we saw some before we got to the actual Highlands, and stopped to greet an especially friendly one who enjoyed licking the salty sweat from our legs, before moving on. Though this was to be our shortest mileage day in the section, it proved to be the toughest, because although the Mt. Rogers area proved to be gorgeous, it was also very rocky, causing us to move more slowly, picking our way along, and also beating up our feet. Just after exiting the Highlands gate, we crossed the 500 mile mark. Someone had formed the numbers from rocks, see pics. Single Speed and I had placed bets on whether or not we would be rained on this day- I said yes, he said no. I won, as it started raining as we started descending. Not willing to repeat our soaking experience of the day before, this time we did put our rain jackets on, and I won myself a Dr. Pepper at the next town stop. Although the terrain varied over the next miles, there were still many rocky areas of trail, and the extra miles from the day before took a toll on us. We crossed another pasture section later in the day, and SS spotted a bull sitting in the tall grass off to our right. I didn't believe it at first, but yep, there were the horns. Yikes! Guess he was a tame one, and glad for it! After the pasture was a parking lot, and several tents set up; we saw that the accompanying vehicles were Forest Service ones. As we entered the next section of woods northbound, we encountered a large group of southbounders, and learned that they were out maintaining and improving that section of Trail. It was nice to be able to thank them for their hard work, since without their ongoing efforts the AT would quickly become near impossible to navigate. Eventually we arrived at the shelter, quite weary, and hungry. I started fixing my supper and was soon overcome by gnats, so SS quickly started a fire going, and soon the smoke had chased them away. A few other campers stayed in the area for the night, including a guy section hiking with his beagle, Jesse, who made himself right at home, curled cozily for a while on SS'S outspread down sleeping bag and mattress, until his owner whistled him away into his tent for the night. I opted to sleep in the shelter rather than set up my tent but it was a poor choice, as I had a fitful night tossing and turning on the hard wooden floor (my mattress still suffers from a slow leak), occasionally listening to the scampering feet of mice overhead inspecting my backpack...