After lunch, we headed back to Grayson Highlands to the backpackers parking lot. Partly because the backcountry was crowded and partly because day hikers didn't follow the parking rules, the parking lot was jampacked. Garth snagged a spot in the lot, but we ended up parked on the street. Undeterred by the crowds, we shouldered our packs and headed off!
We really could not have asked for better weather. It was clear enough to see the mountains, with a light breeze and temperatures that were cool enough to be comfortable for the walk. Within a short walk from the trailhead, we found nearly instant gratification with a herd of ponies and, even better, babies! This little gray foal was resting peacefully near his momma.
We had a good group for hiking...the kids mixed it up, sometimes Rudy and Mary Emma would be together, sometimes the siblings, sometimes a whole pack of kids, sometimes a kid with an adult or two.
We saw this guy up on the knoll, keeping an eye on the rest of his heard in the pasture. Don't think I'd mess with him.
The views...just, wow...
Love this picture...Rudy taking in the views on a short rest...
Love this family. Great kids; good friends!
We kept up a pretty brisk pace on the hike, because we knew it was crowded and we had gotten a later start that we wanted. We kept passing really perfect camping spots - grassy meadows, with plenty of room for our four tents - but they were ALL taken. We finally realized that we were going to have to make do with whatever we could find, so claimed this half-decent spot on the mountain side. We spread our gear decided to set camp when our scouts could find nothing better.
The kids were more than happy with it, both because they can sleep just about anywhere, and because it meant that they could drop their packs and be done hiking! The site was about unparalleled for views of the mountains. The downsides were the slope that we slept on (the night consisted of a few winks of sleep, followed by a scootch back up to the top of the tent) and a brisk breeze that kept the tent covers flapping. Really, though, it worked out just fine, especially considering the lack of other options.
This bunch really makes me smile!
James cooking dinner, while the kids played some elaborate game they'd created.
We enjoyed the evening together, watching the sun sink below the mountain.
We wanted to see what the night sky looked like, knowing it would be a stunning array of stars, but sleep prevailed sooner. We got the four little monkeys settled into their tents and agreed to let them talk through the open rainflies for a little bit...they had a second wind and we had to start throwing idle threats at them to settle down ("If you don't go to sleep, we're going to make to you sleep in separate rooms."). Eventually, one loud MARY EMMA from Garth and a similar RUDY from James and all was quiet for the night!
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