It was about as windy all night long at Thomas Knob as it was on the summit of Whitetop. There was no rain, but I woke up a couple times during the night during strong gusts. I was awake pretty early, but it was difficult to get out of the sleeping bag, it looked and felt cooler than it really was, and it was going to be a short 11 mile day so I had time to spare. I ended up starting around 8:30 and with my rain jacket on to break the wind. It was still overcast but it was warm enough that once I started moving the jacket didn’t last long.
Less than a mile down the trail there was another group of ponies where the forest gave way to open meadows. There were at least a dozen in the area, more young ones, some even smaller than yesterday. Just up the trail from the ponies there was a very short side trail to a rock outcropping with amazing views across Jefferson National Forest. Climbing up on the rocks to get the best views meant standing fully exposed to the still raging wind. Clouds were rolling rapidly across the sun, the whole valley would fall in and out of shadow several times a minute. I waited quite a while hoping someone else from the shelter would show up to get some pictures. Nomad did show up before long, it was hard to stand up straight and remain steady in the wind long enough for a picture. From that point it was about two miles of rocky downhill to the entrance to Grayson Highlands State Park.
The trail only goes through Grayson for about three miles, but they were a good three miles. Most of the area is a kind of mountain meadow, fields of grass but rocky, with stands of trees doting the landscape. I stopped at Wise Shelter for lunch and discovered that that spot is 500.0 miles from Springer! After lunch the clouds that had been floating rapidly along all day began to darken, it looked like more afternoon rain was coming. There was only one small mountain to climb at the end of the day, I think today was the easiest overall day yet. Short, mostly flat and downhill – good combination to take it slow and enjoy the scenery. At the top of the last climb I passed through a fence stile into another grassy area and there was a here of cattle grazing nearby. Some of them were actually on the trail, and they were the long horn variety. The one with the longest horns was all black, right in the middle of the trail, and looking right at me. It was kind of unnerving, but I took a few pictures and then they moved off the trail. The skies continued to darken as I made my way down to Old Orchard, I eventually got a couple sprinkles on me before arriving, but once again I avoided the afternoon downpour.
Spent a while at the shelter listening to Elliot and Lauren debate whether or not they would be using a tent or sleeping in the shelter tonight. Elliot really wanted to stay in the shelter because everything outside was soaked, his girlfriend Lauren though is really worried about mice. Mice eating food, mice getting in her backpack, mice running over her hand, all terrifying. For a while they were considering setting up the tent sans-poles in the shelter as a compromise, but it looks like they are going down to a camp site nearby now. Strider had met them way back in Georgia and had told me he was trying to catch up to them, I can see why – some of the best people I’ve met so far. They are both from Maine, but Elliot just finished at Georgia Tech, and Lauren had been down in Atlanta as well, so the trail is a long walk home for them.