B & M's Appalachian Adventure: 05/16/11

Pearisburg, VA May 14-16

An enclosed stone shelter on a knob. This is atypical, generally the shelters are wooden and open on one side.

The sign reads: 'u r beautiful', with a mirror underneath. Of course, we r not beautiful: we are scruffy, dirty, worn and weatherbeaten. 500 miles on the trail takes a toll on the body.

Modeling the packa, our raingear. It covers both the hiker and the backpack in one garment. It has the advantage of not getting rain down your back, but you can't take off the backpack without taking off the whole thing. I don't like it.

All the rain has made the trails wet muddy and messy. The streams are getting harder to cross.

A brief break of sun for an overview of the valley. Half an hour later it was raining again.

Salamander, type unknown

Heading in to Pearisburg

Trail scenes - Atkins to Bland, VA May 14

We've had some rainy days recently, which makes for damp gear and clothing. We've been hiking about 20 miles most days.
An average sized male with a 40 pound pack burns over 5,000 calories per day. It's hard to eat that much, which is why most hikers lose weight. Plus, the more food you carry, the more wiehgt you have, the more calories you burn...it's a catch 22.

The AT crosses through a cow pasture, complete with cows and cow patties

The cows are unpreturbed by our passing

The Partnership shelter. There was a visitor center nearby that let hikers call and have pizza deliverd. No normal thru-hiker passes up that opportunity. It's a win-win for hikers and the pizza place.

Stopping for a re-supply in Atkins, VA. This was an Exxon mart, which did not have great food. It's really hard to eat a healthy diet on the trail.

Rhododendrons starting to bloom

Swallowtails. You figure it out!

Crossing a stile into a cow field. We crossed about 20 of these in one day, since the AT was running through private farmland. It gets very tiring climbing over these with a pack and poles.

The trail breifly follows along a river

Mountain laurel are starting to bloom

Grayson Highlands State Park and Mt Rogers Rec area

We hit Grayson Highlands SP a couple of days outside of Damascus, and it was really a highlight. There were open grassy fields with rock outcroppings, and herds of wild ponies grazed there. (They're not really wild, they roam free but herd size is managed, and the ponies are checked once a year for health reasons).

We've been having a lot of rainy days, but we were lucky going through the park - that day was perfect. We camped up high on the ridgline, so we got a nice sunset and sunrise, and also heard the ponies neighing at night. (Their droppings are everywhere too, but that was ok).
We decided not to hitch back for trail days, May 13-16. The gear demos and presentations would have been nice, but too many people and too much partying. The trails have been quieter during these days. Also, people start dropping out in Virginia, so there should be less hikers on the trails.

A gray, rainy day about 20 miles after leaving Damascus

The day day clears as we head over Mt Rogers. We go around the summit, which had no views anyway.

Wild ponies roam the Mt Rogers rec area and Grayson Highlands

The herd comes right up to the shelter. They like the salty sweat on hikers' gear.

Nice views of the Grayson Highlands

View from Rhododendron Gap

Our campsite in Grayson Highlands

We had perfect weather crossing through Grayson Highlands SP, a lucky break since the whole rest of the week called for rain and storms.

The offical sign for the state park

A pony and her foal

The ponies are shaggy and small

Hikers can - and do - walk right up to the ponies to get pictures and sometimes feed them. The ponies don't seem to mind.

One of the herds of wild ponies, with the rock outcroppings of Grayson HIghlands in the background

Walking north with spring

We initially debated hiking north to south, because the trails and shelters would be far less crowded. But we chose to hike south to north, the more typical route, partly so we could 'walk north with spring'. Starting in Georgia at the end of March, we are able to see all the changes as spring and summer come to the mountains and woodlands. The trees leaf out, ferns unfurl, and countless wildflowers start to bloom. You really notice every little change when you're in the woods all day, every day. It's been quite an experience.