Date: 2008-05-05
From: Tenting 1/2 mile north of Beartree Gap, VA

To: Tenting 1/2 mile n of Thomas Knob Shelter, VA
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

I woke up about 5:30, but laid there till 6am before I stuck my stove outside the tent and brewed some coffee.I had some Poptarts and nuts for breakfast this morning.I woke up a couple times last night to turn over. It was a very dark night with no moon.It started sprinkling rain, so when I finished my coffee, I decided to stay right where I was.....and I fell asleep for another half hour.I could hear a turkey gobbling off in the distance. I think that's what woke me up again.I only had 22.1 ounces of coffee this morning. I'm going to slowly cut back and see if I can go without my stove again.Where do I get these ideas? :-)I was packed up and walking at 8:15am. It's Monday, so I just felt like starting a little slower. :-)I had a rabbit run in front of me shortly after I got started walking. I don't see many rabbits out here on the AT.I got to the Creeper Trail and followed that for about 3/4 of a mile.I turned back into the woods after I crossed a long wooden bridge on the Creeper Trail and started an 800 foot climb up Lost Mtn.I was walking slowly and listening to a blue jay squawking and a little farther away was an owl hooting.I stopped at Lost Mtn Shelter to sign the register and leave a smiley face sticker.Red and Aries were there. I found out I ran into Aries' husband when he hiked the Trail a few years ago. His name was OC1.I walked on, crossing Rt 58, then Beech Mtn Rd 1 1/2 miles later. The little brick house is gone that used to be right alongside the Trail there.I had a real treat about half way up to Buzzard Rocks....a scarlet tanager hung around me for a couple minutes.....what a beautiful bird!I got up to Buzzard Rocks and stopped for lunch. I ate some Vienna sausages, nuts, diced fruit and Fritos.I only had a little water left, so I drank that and headed on another half mile to my favorite spring on the AT.It's a piped spring and always seems to flow really good with nice cold water.I sat there in the sun and aired out my feet while I drank 1 1/2 liters of water, then filled my bottles with water and walked on.I saw a bunch of maple trees that were gravity tapped for sugaring just south of Elk Garden.I've been walking above 5,000 feet a lot today and the temperature only got up to 65 degrees.I came up to Walrus just as I got to Deep Gap. He headed off for water at a spring, and I kept walking to Thomas Knob Shelter.I saw a dozen ponies before I got to the shelter. I could see them across the way, just below the fenced spring for the shelter.I saw five hikers at Thomas Knob Shelter when I got there....Blues Traveler, Recurve, Hammer, Retread and one other guy.I ate a cold dinner....diced fruit, fig Newton¢s, nuts, Doritos and a Milky Way bar.I needed water for the night, so I walked down to the spring.There was a bunch of the feral ponies there, so I walked right up and they hardly moved.I started taking some pictures of them, and then filled my water bottles.Retread saw what I was doing and brought his camera. He had me take some picture of him in with the ponies.I got my pack and walked another half mile. I kept walking around till I found a flat spot with a view.It's absolutely gorgeous here in Grayson Highlands!I am writing this and can see for miles.There are four deer about 50 yards in front of me. I'm looking out and watching them while I'm finishing this entry.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)