It was a cold morning, when I awoke at 6:00 AM. The sun had not yet warmed the landscape from a 34°F night. Frost covered our tents, and it was difficult to move from the warmth of my cozy down bag. Slowly, I made a fire for the others to enjoy and boiled water for some much needed coffee.
Today, we hiked through the Grayson Highlands, some of the most beautiful countryside that I have yet seen. It was markedly different than the forest trails to which we become accustom. There were large expanses of low grass, naturally manicured by grazing animals and punctuated by bare rock jutting up from the ground. The day was clear, albeit cold, and the views were simply amazing.
It was our second day with wild ponies, which were not at all timid. As we stopped to feed them raw Ramen and a few Werther's candies, they gathered around and even followed us down the trail as we departed. Most were fairly gentle, but some decided that our gear (and my knee) looked tasty, as well.
Spam, Vitamin C, Honey Badger, Berkeley, and I made camp at Fox Creek Campground. We pooled our food and formulated a dish for each person to prepare, creating a potluck dinner. Berkeley's dish was amazing and likely the best of all; he made beans and rice with sauteed ramps that we had picked along the trail. Spam prepared an Alfredo noodle side with spicy tuna, and Honey Badger prepared a spicy rice dish. I made instant potatoes with bits of summer sausage and wild chives. And, Vitamin C created a dessert of dried apricots, Nutella, and mint M&Ms.
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