Mt Rogers and MORE

“Okay all you Grayson Highland, Mt Rogers lovers...........lets ROLL and sign up for this trip. Yo MARKo ?????you have never been to Mt Rogers so come on dude.......Sacco and wifey will be here at my home some time thursday night and will be on this TRIP. GEM, SPAM, JB, HOI, CREEK DANCER, YERBY, and all you'ssssssss know who you'ssssssss is that say'ssssssssss they like this area come on and sign up let's do what we claim to do BEST,,,,,,,,backpack........”

“Hey refrigerator dude.......I'll be there...........for sure.”

“Love that area, so does my daughter. It's especially wonderful around labor day :)”

“Dude I would love to make this trip BUT I can't make it up there two weeks in a row I'm working my a$$ off trying to get things done so I can make Trail Days.”

“I would love to, especially if The Fridge AND Refridgerator going to be on one trip at the same time...BUT it's hubbies b-day that weekend. I'll have to see if he works on the 26th. If he does...I can sneak away for the weekend, if he doesn't ...well then I have to stay home.”

“...I'll be in the Smokies that week-end.

I'll be up mid-June for the Rhodo blooms.”

“GEM, bring your hubby for a Birthday Treat.”

“thanks fridge!”

“What about The Refrigerator Kid??

Sacco go??

I ain't goona be at Trail Days, but I gots a four-day weekend................Memorial Day Weekend.
last edited: 5/17/07 7:15:38 AM”

“Eh, wuddabout me?”

“Dang, I would go, but I can't afford the gas back and forth to Mt. Rogers two weekends in a row. See you at Trail Days though!!!!!!!!1”

“Bow WOW!!!”

“I am in on this trip refrigerator dude. I haven't seen you man in a little while now dude.I will be there and on time.”

“Hey, any room for lost personalities?”

“Blues Deville Deluxe??”

“OK, you rapscallions!!

I'm in!”

“Whats the skinny on the itinerary:

Is it:

Friday night roll in and camp ?>
Saturday camp at whitetop >
Sunday camp at Saunders shelter?”

“Speaking of Mount Rogers, thinking of taking a family trip there next month. Is there any car camping there (have two young kids)?

Thanks.”

“If you have the car for it (high clearance recommended or good driving skills for driving on rock) car camp at Scales - otherwise there is reservable car camping at Grayson Highlands SP”

“Not bringing Tom Terrific on this one? Seems like everyone else is bringing all their identities...”

“don't leave your car at HWY 603. A friend of Creek Dancer's had her car stolen from the trailhead this past Thursday.”

“Yeah, don't park at 603, unless you have a really old beater not worth stealing. The investigating officer said that about 40 cars have been stolen from there in recent years.”

“OOOOP-UH!!!”

“trip sounds great hope you don't mind new guy joining in.”

“I thought about joining this trip, but Little Bit and I are planning on a different route. She has been after me to help her with her grandchildren on an overnighter up there. We will park at the hikers parking lot in Grayson Highlands at Massie Gap on Saturday morning and hike to the AT, then on to Wilburn Ridge, Rhodo Gap to camp and maybe on to Mt Rogers for a day hike. We will then hike out on Sunday. If I knew where you were camping at exactly on Sat. night we might pay ya'll a visit. The kids really want to see the ponies while we are there. Hope to see ya'll on the trail.”

“I plan on taking my daughter and camping between Wilburn Ridge and Thomas Knob shelter, maybe we will see you guys.”

“Okay....... we had a Great Time and the Views were breathtaking and the Ponies were everywhere.
Sacco and Crissy and the fridge got off to a late start on Friday and made final preperations to be dropped off by Calm Spirits Top of WhiteTop Mt. Took a loupe hike through out the Top . We hiked to a rock outcrop the locals call Lovers leap, I think there must be one in every Sate, any whooo this rock out crop is well off the AT so not known to many. This view looks west at Iron Mountain with an elevation approx 5,400 ft.

We moved on back up to the open meadows typical Top on Whitetop and backpacked to Buzzard Rocks along the AT. Soon arriving at Buzzard rocks we meet up with EagleJ from NC. He had parked at Creek Junction and hiked the AT North Bound making the climb up Whitetop. We then descided to head North on the AT to look for Friday night's camp site. We soon located the spring with good flow near the AT and descided to set up camp just on the North Side of the Spring on WhiteTop.
Sacco and wify and the fridge set up in the Meadow with a room with a View looking east while eagleJ set his Hammock up in the wood line approx 300 feet away. Calm Spirits soon arrived with some special cool drinks catered to us like a Sherpa. She brings along her Hammock and sets up in the wood line . RAIN set in hard at time lasting an hour then clearing to give us time to find some Wood for a warm and enjoyable night by the Fire with a View into the east looking into NC. We set our heads down approx 11:30 ish with a sprinkle of rain once again just enough to put us asleep.
Saturday Morning I woke up at 6am making coffee and breakfast for CalmSpirits still sleeping in her hammock. I noticed a Marmot tent and another vehicle near a parking lot near the AT and MarkO and JackStraw had made it from Maryland. JackStraw comes up to greet us my first time meeting him , while Marko is buzzed out in the CAR. soon Sacco and Crissy get up and we pack up getting ready to the big Summit hike to Mt Rogers. Calm Spirits packs up and heads back home, she has to work Sunday.
We head North along the AT down WhiteTop to ELK GARDEN . Crossing the road here looking to the North at the climb to Mt Rogers.
We make it too Deep Gap for a slight break then making our way up the climb to Mt Rogers. We stop for lunch approx 3/4 mile from the Mt. Rogers Spur Trail. The view here of White top is very beautiful and I have several pics of this area. We soon head up the Final climb to Mt Rogers making our way through Black Berry growth everywhere and Entering into High Country . We reack Mt Roger Trail along the AT and several take the .5 mile trip to the summit. There are no views here at the summit but you can feel the elevation here. A big rock with a geological survey marker is embedded in this rock at the summit, 5,729 ft.

We now make our way to Thomas Knob and on to Rodo gap and up and over the first set of Wilburn Ridge Rocky summits and come to meet with 20 or more Wild Ponies. Sacco and Crissy are in Horse Heaven here and loving every second. Crissy had the biggest smile on her face through out the entire trip here. I believe a baby ponie was tapping at her foot checking out who, what or hummm what are you, and soon several ponies were all around us. Lots of baby ponies. Crissy with a BIG SMILE.
We move on up and through Fat Man squeeze and down to the next open Meadow were we start looking for saturday night camp . WE bush wack over too Spring Trail and set up camp with another awesome view looking south east. A thunder sprinkle moved through nothing serious and cooled things down. We round up some Wood and have another enjoyable evening . Sacco and Crissy take off to meet up with more ponies just up hill from our camp. They both love Horses, Ponies.........and anyone who has gotten to know them know they have there own Horses back in NY.

Sunday morning we packed up and hiked down Springs trail to the intersection of AT Grayson Highlands stile and pass through heading North again along the AT through Massie gap up and around the end of Wilburn Ridge to the AT spur trail taking us back to the AT parking lot to our Vehicle.

Eagle jay, JackStraw, Marko, Crissy and the muscle bound Sacco.........Thanks for your friendship and sharing your time with me and my wife. I had a wonderful experience on this trip and I hope you did as well.

I may have left out some details giving any of you room to give your input. Thank You.

I will download my pics on the Picture page, just go there and look for refrigerators pics, Mt Rogers and more. I apologize for the time it will take me to down load, I only have access to dial up here at Mt Rogers recreation area, We are at least 10 years behind and some time I am glad we are.”

“Thanks for your nice trip report.”

“Great report. Can't wait to see the pictures.”

“Hey, Fridgy!!!

Jackstraw and I just got back to La Plata, Maryland.
After some dinner I will head on back to Baltimore.

Dang Fridge, I seem to be having a memory lapse regarding Saturday evening around the fire.
There was some mystery hooch passed around that was making people talk funny.
Chugga-lug, chuggalug......make ya want to holler hi-dee-hoo
Burns yer tummy dontchya know.....

It sure was a beautiful place for backpacking and I actually touched the benchmark on Mount Rogers.........first time for everything.
I wanna go back.

Thanks for the horse-pitality, Fridgy!”

“I have some pics downloaded on the picture page. Look for refrigerators pics I will down load more tomorrow, I have been sipping on the mystery drink .........”

“OOOh- PAAAH!

Awesome trip!

I Rolled into White top late Friday evening with Marko and a steady rain. So we did what most red blooded TT'er would do - drank beer and waited for it to stop raining.We decided it would be prudent to wait till the am to find the Gang so I pitched a tent and the next morning found them a couple hundred yards away.
We headed up the trail around 9am and were soon treated to the wide open spaces of the beautiful Elk Gardens knowing it was just a tease for what was to come. When we Made it to the Mt. Rogers trail junction Marko and I summited.We then Headed past the Thomas knob shelter over to Wilburn Ridge. I must say I was speachless. Its difficult to describe exactly how beautiful Wilburn Ridge is. Even with crowds of hikers. You r dont get a feel for the place until you crest the ridge and are standing looking down on it. Fridge says everytime he comes up it seems different. And I felt too it seemed to be a living breathing place. We stayed Saturday night at a spot off of the Springs trail. An awesome campsite with great views.We had dinner after a short rain shower and got a Campfire going and partook of some mysterious elixer Fridge said was certain to cure aching hiker bones.

A bear visited our spring sometime in the night.We Got an early start Sunday in beautiful weather.

It was great seeing and hiking with Sacco and Chris again. EagleJ , nice to meet ya. Thank you Fridge for setting this up and for your gracious hospitality. I enjoyed having you showing me the playground right outside your backyard.

Pics: http://community.webshots.com/album/559205655CrsTOq”

“Wake up, you boneheads!!!”

“Sounds like a good trip!”

“Hey Chili!!

Mount Rogers is awesome and I wanna go back!!

The moon was shinin' bright and then things became a bit fuzzy 'round the campfire.

Oh yeah, Fridgy tried to steal my SVEN SAW yesterday but I caught up with him and set things to right.”

“Sweet looking place, that's on my to-do list for sure.

I'd like to hike the AT through the MT.Rogers Grayson Highlands, someday?

Is the AT through this area, the best way to see all of it? (high places?)

Maybe next spring? I don't like it too hot on my hikes and prefer the temps. in the 60's with lows, down in the high 30's to mid 40's”

“We hiked along the highest of places there with spectacular views.”

“I couldn't come but I did sleep in my hammock last night out in my pasture. It was the best I could do...so don't laugh at me!”

“I would have loved to come. Grayson Highlands area is THE favorite place my daughter lieks to go. But alas I was at an Anime Convention for the same daughter. I slept in a motel bed, so no bagnights for me.”

“Two of my boys go to the Otakon convention when it comes to Baltimore.

Its pretty weird to see some of those costumed freaks wandering the streets downtown.”

“Hey Fridge, remember this guy?
I told y'all that he was Chinese.

http://web.knoxnews.com/images/0525trail/raymondjeff.jpg”

“marko, freaks like this?

”

“You betchya!!

My boys tell me that some of "the costumed" have some serious B.O. I guess the costumes can't be laundered.......yuk!

Linus made a very accurate five-foot replica of an old-school Nintendo controller which he carried with him.
A bunch of people had their photo taken holding it.
My guys don't do the costume thing, by the way.............not that there's anything wrong with it.”

“In the convention booklet they give you at registration it reminds people at least twice to take a shower lol. But I am sure none of you Mt. Rogers trekkers missed your daily showers on your adventure ;)”

“Linus was joking about making a giant replica of a deodorant stick to take next time.”

“There was a guy walking around with a sprayer of Febreeze asking peeps if they would like a squirt.”

“sounds like a great trip, sorry i couldn't make it.
next time i'll be there for sure!”

“now I am confused. The trip report said you were there.”

“Dude, you could wear your Sumo Sacco costume.”