Today was blissfully quiet. Not that I minded hiking with others, I quite enjoy it, but you miss a bit of the raw nature when conversing with a friend. I didn't see a single other thru hiker the entire day until I arrived at the shelter ( Thomas knob shelter 494.9).
The hiking weather was very pleasant at around 70-75 all day long. The area around Mount Rogers is stupendously gorgeous. I don't know if it was just today or if God made it extra beautiful today, but the slight wind moving through the fur trees or along the balds coupled with perfect lighting was awe inspiring.
I even got a little comic relief from a new thru hiker from Manchester UK. He has the most interesting nervous laugh/ stutter that accompanies every sentence. He's getting fussed at by the ridge runner for leaving the fire unattended after he had dutifully stoked it. It's pretty funny... laugh stutter... I didn't ... light it ... not mine.... laugh stutter ... I'm watching over it... others went to ... stutter laugh... bed. To which the ridge runner stated, " right, I'm going to go put it out then." :D
The mount rogers area is where my dad, Ben, and i went a couple years ago. Absolutely beautiful. Probably my favorite stretch of at that I've hiked. We stayed a night in Thomas knob too. Climbing to the summit of mount rogers was pretty cool. No view from the top at all but the mountain is technically covered in rain forest. Its like a whole different world on the trail to the summit.
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