Sunday, June 7 7:10 pm 20.5 mi
AT 471.0 Broken Fiddle → AT 491.5 Buzzard Rock stealth site
Weather: Warm and sunny – gorgeous day!
Trail Conditions: Lots of trail runners near Damascus, LOTS of bike riders on the Virginia Creeper Trail
My Condition: Well rested, soaking in the experience, sad that mom and Andy are headed home early but SO GLAD they at least got to see some ponies!
Someone staying at the hostel last night had a dog. The dog seemed restless for quite some time, made its way to the door, and walked back to its owner’s room a couple minutes later. Then the smell kicked in. I went to investigate, and sure enough, wet dog poo all over the floor. No longer feeling so bad about Bear and Huxley having barked at people on the porch, and not wanting to wake anyone/wanting to finish packing so I could get to bed, I cleaned it up. I’ve been there – it’s no fun dealing with a mess in the middle of the night (or at 10:30, if you’re already asleep). I let the owner know when he awoke to go to the restroom so he could keep an eye on the situation. Mom and Andy are headed home early – overnight parking still closed, daily use parking doesn’t open until late morning, and campsites are all booked. I’m sad I won’t get to see them, but they did get to hike the Grayson Highlands today and they got to see some ponies! One of the foals went nose to nose with both Huxley and Bear. More than anything, I know how excited mom was to see ponies, so I’m thrilled that she got to see them. The visit was too short, but it was a great emotional boost. Spending the night above Buzzard Rock, with a beautiful panoramic view of the rolling country and distant peaks. Weather should be great, and I can only imagine sunset/sunrise will be breathtaking. Maybe I’ll even wait up for stars tonight!
Post Trail Analysis
I would not, in fact, wait up for stars. This is actually one of the things that surprised me the most about my thru hike experience – I spent almost no time whatsoever, the whole way from Georgia to Maine, looking at the stars. To be fair, I was asleep much of the time before it got dark, or I was hobbling out of my tent at night barefoot, nearly blind without my glasses, to empty my bladder. I love the night sky, but walking was my job and I took it quite seriously which meant that I needed to rest and recover each and every night. This was one of my more memorable campsites – I was able to get some really neat video footage setting up my tent with the clouds rolling far off in the distance. I had huge, sweeping views atop this grassy hilltop. After dinner and journaling, I sat up on some nearby rocks soaking in the sunset, talking to a pretty weekender who was curious about the experience of thru hiking. Sleeping on a completely exposed peak is certainly beautiful, but doesn’t always make for the best rest. It was a completely clear night weather wise and I felt comfortable on that front, but the wind was absolutely relentless. Still, don’t regret spending the night here one bit!
Unfortunately didn't get to see it myself, but here's some pictures of the pups meeting the ponies!
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