Appalachian Trail Section hiking: Grayson Highlands State Park to Hurricane Mountain

Day One
September 30, 2013
Grayson Highlands State Park (Massie Gap) to Stealth Camp near Hurricane Campground Trail
14.5 miles

Last night we stayed at the Comfort Inn in Atkins, Virginia. We asked for the hiker rate and got a king size bed for a good price. They have a wonderful breakfast which got us off to a good start this morning.

We drove down to Grayson Highlands State Park and left our car in the overnight parking area. At 8:10 a.m., we took the AT access trail a half mile up to join the AT, then headed north.
Soon we began to see signs saying that Wise Shelter was closed due to aggressive bear activity. We had heard this before we came on the trail and this was one reason we decided to split our section up the way we are doing—going north from Grayson, then south from Grayson, so we won’t have to camp in the area where the aggressive bear is. We heard stories that the bear had stolen one guys backpack while he was in the privy and he didn’t get it back. So we were happy to keep on going when we got to Wise Shelter. We would be far out of the area before we need to camp for the night.

It was a wide, rocky trail for a good long distance. It was hard walking on a trail completely covered with rocks. We didn’t make real good time.

We were quite surprised when we came across some long-horn cattle grazing on the trail at the intersection with Scales Trail. We learned later that the cattle belong to private farmers who lease grazing rights in the state park. Evidently, we were so enthralled with the cattle, taking pictures and all that we took the wrong trail because soon we saw a sign that said AT “that-a-way, 1 mile”. Oops. It was a little unnerving walking through the woods without a white blaze to guide us until we reached the AT again. We were on the Bearpen Trail. Soon we were back on the AT. Luckily it had a sign with north and south indicated, or we might have turned the wrong way again.

We were fortunate though to see our first feral ponies on the Bearpen Trail. They were beautiful. One of them followed us along the trail for a little while, wanting some food I’m sure. Grayson Highlands is famous for the feral ponies and we have been looking forward to seeing them.

The Scales Pasture

Before long we could see below us a big pasture with a fence around it and a camper and some out buildings. The trail ran right through the fenced-in pasture. As we headed toward the stile to enter the pasture, there was a big bull between us and it and a man on the inside of the pasture waiting to come out. He said, “I sure am glad to see you folks come up right now, I don’t want to go out with that bull out there.” We just walked right on by the bull and went through the stile. Then the gentleman went out because by this time the bull had moved away. I guess he had not encountered any steer on the north side of the Scales, but we had seen plenty of them already.

Going into the Scales Pasture. See the White Blaze?

The sign inside the pasture informed us that the Scales is a place where in the 1900s ranchers brought their cattle to weigh them before taking them down the mountain to sell. They weighed more at the top of the mountain than they did at the bottom—seriously! That way, they got more money for their cattle. Today the area is used for camping and horseback riding.

Inside the Scales pasture.

Fall colors, beautiful scenery.

Our high point today was Pine Mountain at 5,000 feet, but the climb started at 4300 feet at Big Wilson Creek so it wasn’t too bad a climb.

We walked until 6:30. I was thoroughly exhausted, my pack was heavy and my feet hurt. Somewhere around Hurricane Campground Trail we found some trees to hang our new hammocks for the first time on the trail. Luckily, it didn’t have to be level ground, because it was not level. We hung the head of our hammocks from the same tree so I would feel more secure (close to someone). It was dark by the time we got set up and ate so we climbed in and tried to go to sleep. It was a fitful sleep for both of us—I don’t think we have the hang just right. But—no bears! Yay!

We made it through our first night hammock camping.