Miles: 511.2 | A blue-sky morning leads straight into Grayson Highlands magic — wide-open balds, endless views, and ponies everywhere (including Carl and Justin). I snack, laugh, meet online friends IRL, pass the 500-mile mark, and soak up generosity from strangers who feel like old friends. The day ends around a fire with great company, perfect weather, and the quiet certainty that this is exactly where I’m meant to be.
I woke up to a clear sky! It was slightly chilly still but warmer than it was last night when we got to camp. We packed quickly and set off together. I went slowly up the hill and Fog Horn quickly sped away. I walked by myself through a beautiful piney forest onto a dry grassy bald and up to Thomas Knob.
As I came around the corner to Thomas Knob Shelter I was shocked and awed by a pony! I had thought they’d be inside certain fenced areas and I would just randomly see one! She was standing next to Fog Horn, who was sitting on a picnic table, and he was petting her! As I rounded the corner to the shelter he said, “This is Carl, she’s a nice lady!”
We sat for a while at the shelter and had a snack and pet another pony, whom we named Justin because her hair looked like Justin Timberlake back in the day.
I laughed with glee and walked slowly up to the pony, offering her a hand to sniff before patting her on the head. She licked my leg!
We went to get water at a spring behind the shelter. The water trail had the most beautiful views. It felt like another world! When we came back from getting water some weekend hikers (or as we call them ‘weekenders’ or ‘weekend warriors’) were coming up to the shelter. They offered us fresh oranges! I, of course obliged!
Shortly after them, a couple of flip-flop Thruhikers (flip-floppers start in the middle of the trail somewhere and complete the trail in any combination of halves) came up too! They recognized me. “Are you life Alert?” I told them I was. “We’re Stumbles and Texas! We were wondering when we’d run into you!” They told me.
I recognized them from their Instagram: @atkids2018, we followed each other! They told me they’d been following me all winter while they were waiting to leave on their journey! It was so exciting to meet them in person and so crazy that people were recognizing me from my blog and my Instagram in person. People I’d never met and had only vaguely interacted with online! The world is really so small!
We left the shelter and headed into the Grayson Highlands:
I saw ponies galore:
Some amazing views:
And met a new friend called Screaming Eagle who is from Canada! We walked and talked for a while about adventures and homesickness. We passed the 500 mile marker together. As we walked to the campsite we were both heading for we chatted. We ran into Sparty, Savage, and Poe.
We also ran into some more weekenders! Two women (there are so few women backpackers out here so I always get excited when I meet other women!): one of whom taught survival skills and plant recognition and the other had hiked the Te Araroa in New Zealand (an epic triathalon of a long trail). We talked to them for a WHILE (almost an hour!) on the side of the trail.
They were so cool and knowledgeable and they had both been on some cool adventures. As we parted they gave us both king sized snickers (which are basically like gold to hikers). They said they carry a whole bag of them every time they go on a weekend trip to give out to hikers because they know what it’s like. The generosity of strangers out here is abundant and not to be taken for granted. The kindness of strangers and humanity itself has seriously surprised me out here.
Screaming Eagle and I continued on to our campsite where we ran into Duck and Snow Plow! We all set up and gathered around the fire pit. Snow Plow started a fire and Screaming Eagle cooked his meal over it. I went and hung my bear line. I got it hung on my third try (hanging a bear line requires some hand eye coordination, not my best skill)! I went back to the fire pit and cooked my dinner. I had a pasta primavera Mountain House meal (THANKS MOM AND DAD!) which I decided was my new favorite.
Poe and Savage rolled into camp later with Spartacus. We played with Sparty while they ate their dinner.
Day 62: Ponies, Open Highlands, and 500 Miles of Gratitude
After dinner we all sat around the fire and chatted. This was officially the second ‘BEST DAY EVER’ of my trip. I had SUCH A GOOD DAY. I was so happy to be independent, the weather was perfect, the ponies were cute, the company was great, and I got a Mountain House meal for dinner. I felt blessed. This was one of the best days of my life.
1. Kind weekenders
2. MH Meal
3. PONIES!
4. Amazing weather, views, terrain
5. 500 miles!