Trail Logs for December 31, 2000 through January 28, 2001.

The First Step.  8.5 miles to Springer Mtn.  3 PM on Dec. 31, 2000.

December 31, 2000 - Springer Mountain Shelter. Well, the trip has started at last!  After 3 years of planning and dreaming, tomorrow is January 1st, 2001, the start of a new year.  In that year, I intend to become the first person ever to thru-hike all three major National scenic Trails in one calendar year.  The "Calendar Triple Crown." The past few weeks have been really hectic.  I quit my job of 17 years on December 15th. I moved out of my house in San Jose on the 29th.  I finished up the last of the packing and other preparations in the last couple weeks.  I said my goodbyes to family and friends, and flew to Atlanta.  David Harkness, a guy my father and brother met on the John Muir Trail last summer, and an AT veteran from '97, gave me a place to sleep overnight and drove me to Amicalola Falls State Park this morning.  And at about 10 AM I started up the Approach Trail.  8.5 miles later, here I am at Springer Mountain, and the official Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail.  It's been cold lately.  There are several inches of snow on the ground but it's sunny.  The high temperature today was in the 20's. Probably in the teens now, and I expect single digits tonight.  That's a little colder than typical but not too bad.  I'd certainly trade the future for a whole winter of days just like today if I could.    I've seen quite a few hikers today.  More than I expected for winter.  Most were day hikers, but some are out for as much as a week.  January 1, 2001  Miller Gap, about 23 miles from Springer Mountain. Last night on Springer Mountain turned out to be quite a surprise.  By sunset, four people arrived to celebrate New Years Eve!  At least three of them were from the AT-L email list, which serves as a discussion forum for all things related to the AT.  The three whose names I remember are, Dee, Gail and "One-way."  One-way and friend said "Hi", and went off to camp by themselves.  Dee, Gail and I stayed in the shelter.  Dinner was done by 7:30 PM and it was getting cold, so it seemed unlikely that anyone would be awake till midnight.  But after crawling into our sleeping bags to escape the single-digit cold, we got to gossiping about ourselves, and others from the AT-L list.  (My lips are sealed, at least in these notes!)  Suffice it to say, the goings-on at the Gathering and the Ruck are worth a story or two!  And, in warmer weather years, even the Springer Mountain New Years Eve party has been juicy.  So, between the good company, and my still being on Pacific Standard Time, midnight came and went before I fell asleep.  Dee burned a few sparklers to celebrate before retreating once again to her sleeping bag.  All in all, it was a very nice way for me to spend my first night on the AT.  If I had been alone in that cold, dark shelter, it would have been more difficult getting settled in to my new life on the trail.  These temperatures are as cold or colder than any I've ever been in.  My gear is working well, but its still a challenge getting used to this.  A water bottle left out for just a few minutes will freeze enough that the ice plug must be chipped out before any water can be poured.  Bare fingers quickly go numb and even glove liners are not enough to prevent slow numbness.  But hiking generates a lot of heat.  Fingers and toes warm up, and sweating is not out of the question.  I continually adjust clothing layers to account for temperature, wind, and how hard I'm working going up or down a hill.  The trail here is much like I expected.  Lots of up and down, some steep, but never all up or all down.  The mountains just aren't that big here.  All the running I did to prepare for this has paid off handsomely.  I don't mind the hills at all.  My only pains are my back, which is not yet used to the pack, and the tops of my feet, which are rubbing the inside of my shoes in a way that they never did while running.  Neither is likely to become a serious problem. Route finding continues to be ridiculously easy.  There's not enough snow to bury the trail, and the famous white blazes regularly confirm that I'm on the trail.  So far, I have not needed the maps I'm carrying. It snowed today, but only very lightly.  The dry flakes were not a problem.  They brushed right off and it was far too cold for any melting.  Today was another fine day.  January 2nd  8:15 PM.  Low Gap Shelter, 41.3 miles from Springer Mountain.  It seems a bit warmer today.  Right now it's 19 degrees, so surely some of it is me getting more used to the cold.  But it's not windy here, which helps, and today it got above freezing long enough to cause ice to fall out of the trees on me!  Last night was certainly cold.  I didn't see anything below about 10 degrees, but a guy camped on top of Blood Mountain said he saw 0 degrees.  The wind was blowing pretty hard, and that makes it feel colder.  Today I picked up my first resupply box at Neels Gap.  It's the first of over 90 that I have planned.  Neels Gap lived up to its reputation as a very hiker-friendly place.  I was treated like a VIP, and that's apparently how each of the thousands who come through each year are greeted.  While there, I saw Ward, who goes by the name, "Chip" in the registers.  He's an infamous AT veteran who is said to have hiked the AT more than 10 times.  Basically, he lives on the trail.  In the past it's been said he has berated other hikers for perceived infractions, upsetting some.  Today, however, he seemed on his best behavior.  I didn't introduce myself, though, and he seemed uninterested in me.

January 3rd - Deep Gap Shelter.        It keeps getting warmer.  Today I was hiking in short sleeves for a while, and it's around 20 degrees this evening.  The mountains keep getting higher though.  There were four peaks on the trail today that were above 4000 feet.  The last climb, as it was getting dark, was 1000 feet up to Kelly Knob.  It was the first climb where I really felt out of gas.  The miles may be catching up to me.  A total of 22 miles today, and 63.3 in three days.  January 4th  8:00 PM.  Standing Indian Shelter.  In spite of the 4800-foot altitude, it's a warm night, about 28 degrees.  I have the shelter to myself, although I saw several hikers today, as I usually do.  The snow is deeper up here, but still not a candidate for snowshoe use.  South-facing slopes are almost snow-free, and the deepest drifts are about 18 inches.  I do have to wear gaiters to keep snow out of my shoes but there are lots of footprints to follow, and that keeps the trail well packed.  I feel a little bit sunburned today, so I'll have to make sure I put on enough sunscreen tomorrow.  I saw my first large wild animal today, a white-tailed deer whose antlers have not fallen off yet.  The most common animal to see is the shelter mouse.  They crawl around all night picking up crumbs.  There's one circling me right now.  They're tiny, about two inches long, but they can run really fast and climb basically anywhere.  There are hooks in the shelters from which to hang food, otherwise they'd chew into my pack.  The weather continues to be great.  Sunny and warm during the day.  I crossed into North Carolina from Georgia today.  The mountains keep getting higher. January 5th  8:15 PM.  Camped on the trail just north of Winding Stair Gap, N. Carolina.  Today was another bright, sunny day.  I could get used to this!  But the snow is still deep on the ground.  Going over Standing Indian Mountain, I used my snowshoes for the first time.  The drifts were up to 2 feet deep, so the going was easier with them than without.  The footsteps of those ahead of me showed no one in snowshoes though, so I would have been okay without them.  The only people I saw today were a trio of south-bounders who had been on the trail since August.  They asked if I was Brian and had heard about my Calendar Triple Crown attempt.  I guess the word is getting around!  It was nice to talk to Doc Martens, Straight A and Johnny Swank, who have been on the AT since August!  January 6th  9:45 PM.  Nantahala Outdoor Center, N. Carolina. Well, a 27-mile hike brought me to a hot shower, clean clothes and a heated room to sleep in.  It's definitely worth the extra push.  But since I got here after dark, it looked like the whole place may have closed up at sundown.  However, the "Base Camp" area is open, so here I am.  I'll get my resupply box in the morning. To get here I walked over Siler Bald, Wayah Bald and Wesser Bald, the last two with observation towers on the top.  The views were fantastic!  The air is really clear this time of year, and I'm sure I was looking north into the Smoky Mountains.  I met Ron Vaughn today and we talked for most of an hour.  Ron has a home just off the AT here and is one of the few Triple Crown hikers, having finished the CDT last year.  He knew I was coming through and was looking out for me.  He had lots of good advise on how to get through the CDT efficiently.  I really enjoyed our talk, but had to go.  As it was, I hiked for over an hour in the dark.

A Frozen Waerfall along the Trail.

January 7th  8:00 PM.  Brown Fork Gap Shelter.  Only hiked 16 miles today.  The long days have caught up with me and I needed a shorter day.  I may even be coming down with a cold.                 The warming trend continues.  Slush on the trail is making for some treacherous footing, especially on the steep bits.  There's also snowmelt dripping off the eaves of this shelter.  The trail continues to be tough, going straight up or down in many places rather than switching back and forth.  And there are some steady climbs, too.  The first 6 miles today, coming out of the Nantahala River Canyon gained 3000 feet.

Some of that was across hillsides so steep I would not have wanted to fall off the trail.  Slush there, and powder deep enough to fill my shoes up higher, made for slow going.  January 8th  4:30 AM.  Still at Brown Fork Gap Shelter.  The nights sure are long this time of year!  I seem to have slept enough for one night.  It's raining for the first time in my trip.  I wonder what that's going to do to the snow conditions?  Probably make more slush and ice.  I've now been NOBO for one week.  (That's AT slang for northbound.)  I'm doing great, but my feet are still adjusting to the grind.  I've got several sore spots that are unhappy when wet, which is most of the time on the trail.  Hopefully it's nothing that won't heal with time.

January 8  7:30 PM.  Fontana "Hilton" Shelter.  This shelter is nice, new and sleeps at least 24, so it's called the "Hilton".  I have it all to myself tonight. After the rain this morning, there were clouds and fog all day, but no more rain.  Then, as I got in to Fontana Resort, it began to snow lightly.  There's a fairy-like dusting on everything outside.  The temperature has also been dropping all day.  It's just a little below freezing now, although it feels and looks colder than that.  In town I picked up four more days supplies and checked in with my father, Roy.  He relayed several messages from well-wishers, which really warmed my heart.  I needed it, thanks.  It's cold out, I'm a little tired and sore, and I face the Great Smoky Mountains tomorrow.  It's nice to know you all are going to be there with me in spirit.

January 9  7:30 PM.  Spence Field Shelter, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Looks like it's going to be another cold night.  I'm sharing the shelter with Terry and Phil tonight.  Phil's thermometer reads 10 degrees now.  Brrr.  It was a slow 17.5-mile day.  This morning I awoke to 25 degrees and light snow.  As the day progressed, it got higher, colder and more sunny.  When the sun came out it was really beautiful to see all the trees glistening with snow covering every little branch.  There were no tracks in the snow and, as I got higher, I needed the snowshoes.  But that's slow, tough hiking in snowshoes.  I better get an early start tomorrow because its going to be more of the same.  Clingman's Dome, at 6643 feet, is the highest point on the AT.  It's just 16 miles away.  I'm definitely coming down with a cold.  Oh, well.

January 10  7:30 PM.  Double Springs Shelter, Great Smoky Mountains N.P.  These Great Smoky Mountains are kicking my butt!  The first 6 miles this morning took five hours!  There were places I was post-holing up over my knees!  I put on the snowshoes a few times, but they didn't help much.  So much of the trail is too steep and narrow to use them easily.  And they're hard to get on and off.  I have to stop, take off my pack, strap or unstrap the snowshoes, get in or out of them, after taking off my mittens.  This gets my gloves wet and my fingers get cold.  And, to save time, I usually eat while walking, but with snowshoes on, I really need both hands on my poles.  So I have to stop to eat.  About 1 PM, the temperature rose high enough that a lot of the powder snow started to consolidate.  This made hiking without the snowshoes work pretty good for a while.  But the trail climbed above 5000 feet and the snow got very powdery again.  I expect more of the same tomorrow.  The slow pace is turning this into at least a five-day section.  I think I can stretch my food and fuel that long.  I guess I should be proud that I can make it through at all.  I've only seen 3 other hikers and they were complaining about how it took them all day to do 5 miles!  The shelters here in the Smokies are a little unusual.  It's like a reverse zoo.  There's a bear problem here, as in a lot of the National Parks and, to help solve it, they put a cage on the front of the shelters to keep the bears out!  So I'm sleeping in a cage while the animals watch outside. January 11  9:00 PM.  Peek's Corner Shelter, Great Smoky Mountains N.P. There are four others in this shelter tonight, a couple guys I passed on the trail this afternoon, and two more south-bounders.  Finally the snow conditions are hikable.  Coming over Clingman's Dome, at 6644 feet, the highest point on the AT, there was some more snowshoeing, but since then the trail's been fairly well packed.  I believe it's due to more people making more tracks, packing down the snow.  The altitude is still over 5000 feet.  Anyway, it allowed me to get in 21 miles today.  The tower on top of Clingman's Dome is sure funny looking.  There's a road up there that's open in the summer, so I'm sure they get lots of people, but they built what looks like a freeway cloverleaf off-ramp up to the observation tower!  It's a long, curved ramp of concrete.  It sure looks out of place up there in the winter with no one around.  January 12  8:00 PM.  Mountain Momma's, Davenport Gap. Well, the Great Smoky Mountains are now behind me.  For a while there, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through all that snow, but taking it one bit at a time helped.  I even got through in the four days planned.  It warmed up a lot, even raining some today, and the snow got a lot easier to hike in.  Actually, the Smokies held no real surprises for me.  They were high, by east coast standards, but not above tree line.  There were some fantastic views when the weather was clear and there was lots of snow when the weather turned bad.

January 13  7:20 PM.  Roaring Fork Shelter, Cherokee National Forest, North Carolina. It's a full shelter tonight.  I'm sharing the shelter with 11 Boy Scouts.  Doc and the rest of Troop 22 from Athens, Georgia, are here.  They're a lively group and remind me of the "good old days" back when I was a Boy Scout.  That's where my love of the outdoors was fostered, and look where it's led me! Earlier today I hiked over Max Patch Mountain.  All I can say is, Wow!  It was a beautiful, warm Saturday afternoon and the 360-degree views were endless.  About 20 people were enjoying it with me, so I know it's a popular place.  There's good reason.  One of the finest views I've seen anywhere.

January 14  8:30 PM.  Near Rich Mountain Fire Tower side trail.  Today I went through Hot Springs, North Carolina.  I'd heard it was a great hiker town, but Sunday afternoon in January was not its best day.  The place was pretty much deserted, so I picked up my box of food and left.  It has now been two weeks since I started at Springer Mountain, and I'm just now beginning to feel relaxed.  The pressure of preparing for this hike was intense.  The worries that I've had about winter conditions and having to maintain high average mileage are beginning to fade away.  Now that I'm out of the Smokies, the miles are much easier.  I found myself really enjoying the hiking for the first time today.  It's going to be a fascinating experience to see an entire winter season play out before my eyes.  Storms, snow, temperature changes, all will come and go.  I will be here, the only constant. January 15  8:00 PM.  Flint Mountain Shelter, on the North Carolina/Tennessee border.  After running a little yesterday, getting into Hot Springs with an empty pack, my right shin/ankle is a little sore, so I walked carefully today.  Even so, with warm weather and some sun, I got in almost 24 miles today.  Above 4000 feet, there remains a substantial amount of snow, but it's getting very wet and soggy.  Coming over Big Butt Mountain (yeah, that's a strange name, all right) there were numerous hidden slush puddles.  Water is collecting in pools under the snow that are not always obvious, so I stepped in many of them.  My feet were already wet, but it was always a cold surprise.  January 16  7:30 PM.  Bald Mountain Shelter, North Carolina/Tennessee border. My sore ankle now feels like a slight sprain.  It's just a little swollen, but not bruised.  I couldn't tell you when I did it, but I'm being careful with it now.  I took a somewhat easy day at 18 miles and it's just 17 miles to the Nolichucky Hostel in Erwin, Tennessee tomorrow.  If necessary I will take some rest time there.  The weather report is for rain and snow starting late tonight or tomorrow, so it may be a good time for a layover.  The view from Big Bald this afternoon was almost as stunning as the one from Max Patch a few days ago, but it was overcast and the wind was blowing, so it wasn't as pleasant to sit around and enjoy the view.

January 18  6:30 PM.  Cherry Gap Shelter, North Carolina/Tennessee Border. Today was by far the rainiest so far.  Previously I've seen snow showers and rain showers and one good nighttime rainstorm, but today's rainstorm hit while I was on the trail.  And it's been a fairly warm storm, in the 40's all day, even up to 5000 feet.  It's strange to say that's warm, since when I first experienced 40-degree rain on the PCT in Washington, in'97, I was miserable.  But I have more experience and different expectations now.  This is winter, after all.  So, I'm pretty damp in my skin layer.  There was a 3000-foot climb today, so rain or sweat, I was going to get wet one way or the other.  But I have good wicking polyester clothing, and enough dry layers on top to keep me quite warm while I dry out.  That's the name of the game in conditions like this.  Stay warm, and dry out as best you can.  The shelter is helping.  I can spread out my wet stuff and it may be dry by morning.  If I were under my tarp, I'd have less room. My right ankle bothered my on the downhills again today.  Perhaps I'm just projecting hope, but it seems to be slightly better today, at least in general terms.  I still get a bad twinge out of it when I slip downhill on that foot, though.  The Nolichucky Hostel was certainly nice.  I had the place to myself, which helped, and I didn't get on the trail until 9 AM, about 2 hours later than usual.  The rain outside had a lot to do with that. January 19  8:00 PM.  Yellow Mountain Shelter, North Carolina/Tennessee Border. This shelter is an old converted barn.  Lots of space.  I'm sharing it with Frankie and Robert, a couple of locals who do a lot of hiking around here.  We've been talking about the weather, which has been awful.  It's been raining pretty much all day.  A real gully-washer.  Coming over Roan High Knob, the trail was still covered in ice and snow, but over it all was a river of water.  It made for some treacherous footing.  But my ankle is doing okay.  It was really sore by the end of the day, but I didn't stress it badly.  The forecast is for cooling.  It may be snowing by morning. January 20  8:00 PM.  Moreland Gap Shelter.  What a night!  19 degrees, howling wind, and snow!  And this shelter sucks!  It's pointed somewhat into the wind, and the powdery snow is blowing in.  I've got my poncho rigged to cover about 2/3 of the opening, and it helps a lot, but there's still a fine powder of ice coming down on my things.  I'm only 6 miles from the Kincora Hostel, so its tempting to pack up and night-hike there, but I'll be okay here, so that would be an unwise risk.  The new snow is covering the trail and it would be hard to follow.  Getting lost would be a BAD idea.  I've got a hot water bottle in my bag with me and I'll be cozy tonight.  Tomorrow, I'll worry about drying my stuff out.  Today on the trail I ran into a group of ten SOBO's (south-bounders), a family of seven plus three others, including the (formerly) barefoot sisters.  The sisters have long since put on boots, since the snow arrived.  The family of seven includes an infant being carried in a backpack, rolled up in a down bag.  Given how cold and snowy it was on the trail today, that sounds like a very cozy way to travel! Their packs are pretty heavy.  Dad's carrying 70 pounds, Mom 60 and the 12 year old is carrying 35 pounds.  For comparison, my pack today is near 20 pounds.

January 21  9:00 PM.  Watauga Lake Shelter, Tennessee. Wow, what a difference a day makes!  This morning I awoke to 12-degree weather and a wet sleeping bag.  In spite of my best attempts to keep it out, about an inch of snow came into the shelter and every time I moved all night, more snow would get underneath me, and melt, and soak into the bag and me.  Brrr.  Dawn finally arrived and I packed up and walked into the Kincora Hiking Hostel, where they have a dryer!  My bag and other wet stuff were soon dry and packed again.  Now I'm in another shelter at a slightly higher 23-degrees, but there's no snow and no wind.  I'm toasty now! This morning was also the first morning that my shoes were really hard to get into.  They're often frozen, but on cold days they don't get as wet as on warm ones when I'm splashing through slush.  But yesterday was the day it got cold immediately after a big rain.  My shoes were soaked and at 12-degrees, rock-hard.  With a little patience and some warming up, I was able to get them on.  (Why's that guy putting his shoes in his crotch?)  Believe it or not, it's not much worse putting on frozen socks and shoes than putting on warm ones because, after 10 minutes of walking, there's no difference.  And yes, my feet are warm.  Except when I wade through slush-puddles.  Nobody's feet are warm wading through a slurpee.  January 22  7:00 PM.  Double Springs Shelter, Tennessee, 436 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia. Today was a nice day, weather-wise.  Cold this morning, but warm and sunny all day.  (40's, probably.)  That, and some fairly easy terrain made for 21 easy miles today.  I wasn't even tempted to go for more, as it's just 18.3 miles to Damascus where I intend to spend the night tomorrow.  So, I got here well before dark at 5 PM, and expect a warm (20's) night. I saw five more SOBO's (south-bound thruhikers) today.  I don't remember their names, but if I see them signed in the registers, I'll add a note.  Today I also saw some tragic trail damage.  It's Monday, and apparently a group of ATV'ers visited Iron Mountain Shelter over the weekend.  They 4-wheeled over several miles of the AT to get there, trashing the muddy trail in the process.  They ripped rocks and water-bars out of the trail, and sprayed mud everywhere.  They even ran circles around the campfire at the shelter.  It was terrible to see.  I swear if I'd witnessed it firsthand, I'd have taken the time out from my hike to make sure they were prosecuted!  They also left all their trash at the shelter, including an empty bottle of Peppermint Schnapps.  Seeing it all made me feel as though a friend had just been raped.  If anyone from ATC is listening, they got access via the power line access road 2-3 miles southbound from the Iron Mountain Shelter.  For what it's worth, there are no signs or barriers there at all. .

January 23  8:00 PM.  Front porch of "The Place" Hostel" in Damascus, Virginia. I'm in town again.  Damascus is less than four miles into Virginia, the state with the most trail miles on the AT, at about 500.  On the PCT that's a short state, but there are 14 states on the AT, so they can't be very long. I'm sitting on the porch of "The Place" because it is closed for the winter.  I could stay at a B&B, but since I intend to get an early start tomorrow, it seems unnecessary.  It's a calm, clear night and I have lots of warm stuff.  The porch will do.

I did my laundry and got a sponge bath in town after picking up my resupply box at Mount Rogers Outfitters.  I had a nice talk with the owner there, who is also a hiker, and picked up a new pair of wool glove liners and a space blanket.  It's a slow time of year here.  I was only their second customer of the day.  For dinner I had a chicken dinner at the deli across from the Laundromat and a half-gallon of ice cream for dessert.  That should keep me warm tonight!  For those in the know, it's customary to eat a half-gallon of ice cream at the halfway point on the AT.  I'm nowhere near there yet.  I'm just a hungry hiker and it looked good to me.  It WAS a little much, but not sickening.  Today I sent home my ice axe.  I don't believe I'll be needing it at all,, but just in case I need it in New England, I sent it to Greg's place.  (My brother in Virginia.)  That shaves another 9 or 10 ounces off my pack weight.  January 24  6:45 PM.  Lost Mountain Shelter, Virginia.  Today's stop was a tough call.  I only got in 15.8 miles and I had several hours of daylight to go farther.  But the next shelter is 13 miles away and that one is very high and exposed to the wind.  Since there's a minor front coming through tonight, I decided it was best to go no farther.  I could have camped under my tarp, but as I've said before, I don't do that when I know it's going to snow.  So I'll be getting up early tomorrow and see if I can make up some extra miles.  It's going to be cold tomorrow, a high of maybe 20 degrees with whatever new snow we get.  It should be an interesting day.  January 25  7:00 PM.  Old Orchard Shelter, Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, Virginia.  19 degrees.  It's going to be a cold night, probably in the single-digits.  Even though I've "been there, done that", I still get anxious.  Thank goodness it's not supposed to snow or blow hard.  Today was a good day despite the cold.  I awoke at 6 AM and was hiking at first light.  It was 23 degrees then, and that was the high for the day.  Going over several balds in the Mt. Rogers area, the wind was blowing perhaps 30 mph.  Throw a little snow into the mix and it was quite cold, but I was warm.  My hiking gear is working great!  So I got in 23 miles today and even saw some decent views in the afternoon when it cleared up. But I still have fears.  For instance, I saw two guys climbing Mt. Rogers today.  I immediately thought they were a little cavalier to be climbing on a day like this, but there I was hiking solo and feeling quite warm and safe.  Strange.

January 26  8:45 PM.  Chatfield Shelter, Virginia.  First the boring mileage stuff, but it's what I spend a lot of time thinking about, so it gets written.  31.8 miles today, a new record for me on the AT.  I'm feeling much stronger than when I started, just under a month ago.  It's what I hoped would happen, and it's what I need to happen to be able to do the high mileage during the coming summer months.  Today I also went over the 500-mile mark, a minor milestone.  Just 7000 or so miles to go! ;-)  Today was a beautiful, warm and sunny winter day.  Much of the recent snow has melted at the lower elevations.  The ground is even dry in many places.  My wet feet were very happy about that!  But it's clearly still winter  teens in the morning, shirtsleeves in the afternoon, snow flurries this evening.  I saw another white-tailed deer today, but it bolted immediately.  It's hunting season.  I hear shots nearly every day, though none near me yet.  And that reminds me that yesterday near Mt. Rogers in the blowing snow, I saw about 12 Shetland Ponies.  They walked right up to me when they thought I might feed them.  January 27  6:30 PM.  Lick Creek, Virginia. No shelter tonight, just my tarp.  It's going to be a nice night, if cold, perhaps in the teens.  Today was predictably sluggish after the 31.8 miles yesterday, but I got in my 20.  I'm surely not ready to do 30's regularly  yet. This part of Virginia is somewhat developed.  There are farms and roads that the AT crosses regularly, sometimes wandering a bit to find a route through.  The "wildlife" I saw today was mostly cattle, and grouse hunters out on a Saturday.  I flushed a few grouse too, but they sure took off in a hurry! January 28  10:00 AM.  Chestnut Knob Shelter. The five SOBO's I met a few days ago all signed in the register here.  Their names are:  Tiny Tim, Caveman, Spike, Granny Gear and Yogi.  7:30 PM.  Laurel Creek, Virginia.  I'm camping under my tarp again tonight, as it's very warm.  (37 degrees right now.)  I did 20 miles on a sore toe today.  Hopefully it's getting better as I've started making a point of washing my feet regularly, no matter how cold it is.  I suppose the Super Bowl is going on right now.  Even though I'd certainly be watching it if I was near a TV, I don't miss it out here.  It seems irrelevant.  What matters to me are things more elemental.  Do I have enough food to get me to the next town?  Will it freeze tonight?  What's the weather forecast?  Is that water pure?  What was that noise?  Is there a grand view from the next peak?  Etc....