The mountain laurels were absolutely blooming at the Iron Mountain Trail turnoff. At first, I was a little disappointed about missing 22 miles of the AT, but my problems were quickly put aside knowing that we were hiking the historic trail walked by Earl Schaeffer and Granny Gatewood.
Jessie walking through the mountain laurel tunnels.
This detour was much more enjoyable than the stairmaster challenge that followed Hot Springs. It was a nice, gradual, mostly flat ridgeline for most of the way to Grayson Highlands.
The forecast indicated that it would start to rain in the near future. We were very happy to discover that at the detour there were old shelters that we could use to keep our tents somewhat dry.
Small Bites, Big Dripper and Jessie around the Cherry Tree Shelter.
We ended up staying at the Cherry Tree Shelter, right towards the end of where the turnoff met the regular trail again. It was a nice old shelter that was big enough to house our small group.
Our view from the trail as the fog settled in the trees.
It seems we have some kind of curse regarding the Highland areas. We had heard a lot about Grayson Highlands and were incredibly excited to see more sweeping panoramas and wild ponies. When I opened my eyes from the comfort of the shelter, I looked out and saw nothing. I rubbed my eyes and put on my glasses to no avail. The fog had settled.
OMG we saw so many snails. It was amazing.
There really isn’t much to complain about. The fog beautifies the forest and highlands in a different way. It also highlights the snails and salamanders, which are always a fun spot when you walk around.
Russell and Jessie in their rain gear at mile 500!
Shortly after arriving in the Highlands, we reached mile marker 500, which seemed like a pretty big milestone to us. I know we still have a long way to go, but 500 is a lot of miles and I’m so proud of myself and Jessie for making it this far.
Sal, Jessie and Big Dripper walking through the fog.
We walked in a line to try not to get lost in the fog. The fog was so incredibly dense that you would lose sight of someone almost immediately if they strayed too far from you. It was a little scary to see two giant spikes emerge from the mist with the silhouette of a giant longhorn approaching.
A long horn, a short distance from the trail.
The forest service uses cows and ponies to maintain the grasslands, and it was a little nerve-wracking to be so close to something that could gore you with a single nod of its head. They were friendly and docile creatures who let us pass without much difficulty.
I think I accidentally scared the group off later by completely separating from them. Some ponies had appeared in the distant mist. I tried to call out to the group, but my voice was lost in the wind and fog. I didn’t want to shout too loud and scare the pack away. Instead, I slowly and silently made my way towards the entire group of ponies.
A herd of ponies that materialized in the fog.
As my friends disappeared into the fog, I was surrounded by about 12 ponies with four young colts. It was quite an experience watching them eat, and I was surprised to discover exactly how docile they were when they let me be within 1 foot of their babies.
A little baby pony that just hung out with me.
A baby hanging out with his mom.
I guess I didn’t need to get tired of screaming too loud after all. These ponies were pretty fear proof. When I finally continued, I found a very worried Jessie who seemed to think I had been kicked in the head by a horse and was lying dead on the side of the trail. Oops.
In the highlands there were miles of rhododendron mazes. There was an incredible atmosphere in the fog.
Although we didn’t get any panoramic views, the fog made the Highlands incredibly beautiful and eerie as we walked through the Rhododendron Maze. The flowers were finally starting to bloom, and it was a wonderful sea of mist and pink and purple flowers.
The flowers also accentuated many of the rock formations.
The vault bathroom at The Scales. Your feet would be soaked in seconds walking on the grass.
We ended the night in an old horse corral called La Balanza. This was actually a big mistake as it was probably the rainiest and windiest night we had had so far. No one slept well as the strong winds pushed the damp walls of the tent into our faces as we slept.
It was a pretty miserable morning, trying to pack everything up in the humid wind. The only thing that saved us was the fact that there was a proper bathroom with toilet paper and trash cans on the premises. Even with such a beautiful building, we were happy to leave it behind.
Gunrunner giving Big Dripper a healthy dose of rum.
The morning was saved by some trail magic being performed by Gunrunner and Jellybean, who made us roast turkey cheese and gave us plenty of refreshments. If it wasn’t evident in the previous blogs, Big Dripper is a man who loves to mix ingredients.
He made a mixture of blue skittle sugar mix, water, and crushed orange, and when he was about to pour his PBR into the mixture, Gunrunner hastily stopped him. You would think it would be to save him from himself, but it was more like offering him rum instead of beer. He had a very different walk than us the rest of the day.
Big Dripper, proud of his creation.
That led to one of the funniest quotes of the trip so far from Small Bites, who caught up with us later: «So I heard you made jungle juice at Trail Magic?» It was a fun and joyful moment that really lifted our spirits in the rain.
It seemed like we had finally taken a break from the relentless humidity of that afternoon and the next morning. So, we set up our tents once again to dry them. We ended up spending the rest of the day with Disciple, Fainting, Goat, and Happy Camper. Everyone seemed to be in a better mood now that the sun was showing.
Jessie walking through a meadow at dawn.
It was only 10 more miles to the Partnership Shelter where we would be picked up to go to Marion. The morning gave us beautiful grass for sunrise, and the hike was ridiculously flat and pleasant. It only took us a little over 3 and a half hours to cover 10 miles.
The Virginia meadows have been a delight.
A view of the Rye Valley seen from the footpath.
A shuttle driver named Paint Splash picked us up. I guess she was the one who had painted many of the murals in most of the hostels we had stayed at. She was quite a fun character as she gave us tarot card readings and informed us about some places to “call rose” along the trail. We didn’t really know what it was, but we discovered that it wasn’t exactly PG. It was a very interesting ferry.
After all the rain, a shower was very welcome when we arrived at the supplier. I think you already understand the pattern that we spend the day in the city buying groceries, doing laundry, making some dinner. You know, just the typical city stuff.
Jessie and Russell in borrowed clothes playing with a stray cat.
We weren’t looking forward to going out in the rain again for the next week, so we savored our time in Marion as much as we could. Let’s hope the forecast improves and we don’t spend all of Virginia in the rain.
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