Apr 24 - Southern Virginia

DAY #45
START LOCATION: Thomas Knob Shelter
FINISH LOCATION: Hurricane Mountain Shelter
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 16.2
TRIP MILEAGE: 507.5
MILES TO GO: 1,671.6

Best sleep on the trail last night. I was exhausted when I went to bed
around 9PM. Only woke up to pee once at 2AM and right back out cold
again until 7AM. It was stellar.

Rolled out of the TKS around 9:30AM loosely with Diesel and Sheryl
from Amesbury. The weather was threatening rain so I had my raingear
standing ready. The trail was open field and rocky but good scenery as
we neared Grayson Highlands State Park. You may recall from
yesterday's late day post that the GHSP is teeming with wild ponies. I
believed it becuase their poop was everywhere. Diesel pointed a few
out on a distant ridge we could just make out. Pretty cool, but I was
hoping for a close encounter.

About 5 miles in, just before the Amesbury crew and I were pulling
into Wise Shelter for lunch, I spotted a half dozen ponies grazing in
the woods about 75 yards to our right. There was even a colt with
them, which wikiphiles check me on this... Is a baby pony considered a
colt?

We all shot pictures as the ponies moved closer to the trail, grazing
away. I was getting hungry watching them eat, so I moved on, leaving
Diesel and Sheryl to their photography. The Wise Shelter was only
about another 200 yards. I got there, dropped my pack and just rested
for a spell. After about 3 minutes, I was unpacking my feed bag
wondering what was taking the Amesbury clan so long. I peered around
the shelter and through the tree-screened trail I see a pony, another
pony, Sheryl, Diesel, and 3 more ponies. Sheryl and Diesel ended up in
a parade. I walked out with my camera and the ponies were all grazing
around them. The little colt would walk up to Sheryl, she'd turn
around to face it and it would hop away.. Then come back. It was a riot.

We took some pics and mosied over to the shelter to eat. Within
minutes, a pony walked around front and stood there staring at us...
Hoping for a bite. He was polite. He waited a while, but decided we
weren't generous and moved on. Another came by and did the same
routine. Lastly, a very spirited one walked up and started itchnig its
head, neck, side and butt against the picnic table. We just laughed at
him. Diesel then broke trail etiquette and fed the guy some crackers.
Sheryl yelled... "Mark! Don't feed him! God! You're like a little kid!
You can't help yourself!" Mind you, Diesel is 6 years shy of
retirement. The ponies moved on and we headed off to the next shelter
fully satisfied with our Grayson Highlands pony encounter.

About 2 miles north of Wise Shelter, a day hiker was resting on a
boulder in a field. He asked if a couple was behind me.. I said,
"yes... Diesel and Sheryl". He says, "No, I'm looking for Panda and
Smokestack". Ahh... This was the friend I was told about. Smokestack
mentioned an old thru-hiker friend was coming to meet them. His
trailname was Magic. And he had some for the couple. But, having layed
up shy of TKS the night before, I was unsure they'd make it where we
were. The wind was howling and the clouds looked ominous, so he shared
the rest of his trail magic with me in lieu of the Double Stack, a
scone and a can of coke, and decided he'd move on with me. He was
parked 5 miles north at Fox Creek. Nice guy, bummer he and Double
Stack wouldn't meet up. One thing he told me as we arrived at the next
shelter was that a big trail magic party was happening down at Fox...
Beer, BBQ, soda, snickers, you name it. I was excited.

I got to Fox Creek around 3:15 and sure enough... The party was
hopping. I saw Boston, Little Brown, Moonpie, Scruggs and Corny all
holding beers and yucking it up with the half dozen dudes throwing the
bash. They welcomed me in and I partook. Two bags of TGIF Potato Skins
and a Busch Light later, I was ready to roll.

Got to Hurricane Mountain Shelter around 5:15 and man is it nice.. One
of the few shelters built in the 2,000's... 2004 to be exact. It's
Moonpie, Boston, Little Brown and best of all... Sofa! He passed that
trail magic party around 11 AM this morning! He partied with them all
afternoon and only went the 5 miles from the last shelter. Classic.

The rain started dumping right after I arrived... The skies can empty
themselves for all I care. I'm in a dry shelter and loving it... I've
hiked over 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail. 545 miles will make a
quarter of it... Just a few days away.

-natedog