As we did before, we bypassed the Mount Rogers Summit Trail and headed straight for our planned campsite nestled in some evergreens. The spot was taken but we found an even nicer site with a view just beyond the Thomas Knob Shelter. I usually don’t like to camp in the open like this, especially at high elevations, but according to the weatherman there was little to no chance of a serious storm for the entire three day period. After setting up camp Single Malt and I grabbed some water and my GPS and set off to finally summit Mount Rogers. As usual we passed many wild ponies and would do so throughout the rest of the trip. The climb was quite gradual, first across an open meadow and then through a dense forest of Frazier Fir. We found what we thought was the summit complete with a USGS marker. Single Malt did a Yoga “Box” on top of it. Just at that moment a trio of hikers joined us, much to Single’s chagrin. Two had completed the summit before and told us that there was a second marker but they weren’t sure which was the highest point on the mountain. They wouldn’t tell us where it was because they wanted their friend to find it. Single Malt found it almost right away, another smaller and much less impressive boulder but it also had a USGS marker on it. Which was the correct one? Then the light bulb went on in my head! I switched my good ol’ Garmin to the altimeter screen (I knew this option would come in handy one day.) and stood on top of each rock. The smaller of the two rocks was five feet higher than what most people think is the true summit. (If you hiked up here before and stopped at the first marker thinking you have bagged Mount Rogers but never stood upon the second one you now have an excuse to go back and do it again.) BTW, the summit is at an elevation of 5,729 feet. That’s 449 feet higher than Denver, Colorado, the Mile High City. Once we were sure which was the true summit the two groups took turns photographing the moment for all prosperity.
 
 Having completed our first mission we returned to camp. I stopped first to fill up with water at the spring. We ate our dinners, hung our food and, with the wind dropping the wind chill considerably, called it an early night. Building a fire would have been hazardous under these conditions, especially with no water source close at hand. The wind buffeted our tents pretty good that night to the point of pulling up some of my tent’s stays, but fortunately when we awoke the next morning, we found ourselves "still in Kansas". As we broke down camp our tents became giant kites and more than once we had to chase them across the highland meadows until we had them safely in our packs. I found myself wishing for some twine. My Big Agnes Seedhouse-1 was the perfect box kite!
 
 Our intentions were to linger about camp for a while but the cool breeze compelled us to move out by 8:30. As planned, we followed the AT to the junction of the multiuse Crest Trail (code word for horse trail) and descended upon it to the Scales (A place where cattle were herded in the past for shipment). Initially I was not sure if choosing this trail was a good decision. It started off being a wide road covered with large loose rocks and lined with wood post fences. This soon gave way, however, to a much better trail that passed through several Catawba Rhododendron tunnels. We were here two weeks ago when they were in their prime but now all but a handful of blossoms were gone. It seemed like every few steps we took the scenery changed around us. About halfway along this segment we found a pretty secluded campsite close to what we think is a reliable spring. A few steps out from under the trees and you are in a meadow with a panoramic view to the west in front of you. We continued on to the Scales where we took a short break before re-entering the woods and climbing back up on the AT to its junction with the Pine Mountain Trail. Once up on top we took a lunch break and discussed our options. If we stayed on the AT we would arrive at the Old Orchard Shelter before 1:00 o’clock. Not quite done walking yet, we decided to stay with my original plans and used the Pine Mountain Trail (part of the original AT before a re-route took it through Grayson Highlands), the Lewis Fork Trail (another multi-use trail) and the short and rocky but very steep Cliff-side Trail to extend the day’s hike another two miles or so. By the time we were back on the Lewis Fork Trail all three of us needed a break to calm our wobblely knees. We lost seven hundred feet of elevation in less than 0.6 miles. That’s coming down fast!
 
 The rest of the trek was a nearly flat and wide horse trail. As with the Crest trail the initial part had some large loose rocks but this condition eventually gave way to a more comfortable walk in the woods. Even with this extension we arrived at the shelter about ten minutes before two. We grabbed a campsite below the shelter and left the shelter itself to another group that came in after us. During the day’s hike I mentioned that if we got to camp early I was going to take one of my patented power naps …. and I did just that. About two and a half hours later I was awakened by the sound of several young voices. I crawled out of my tent to find that we had been invaded by a horde of Boy Scouts and their adult caretakers. They were searching for a place to camp for the night. While the area across the trail from us was flat the ground was very rocky. I approached the leader and told him about some great grassy sites under the trees that we had passed on the way in and told him where to find them. He found them to his liking and had his minions set up down there. He returned later to thank us.
 
 After we ate Single Malt started a fire. The previous visitors had left us more than enough wood for some “ambience”. We chatted for a while as we listened to the distant thunder get closer to us. By 7:00 rain caused us to retreat to our tents. The shower only lasted for thirty minutes but by that time we were all comfortable in our reclining modes so we stayed that way. I opened the top of my vestibule door and let the cool air cascade over me. I lay there, totally relaxed, with the murmurs of the shelter group and the giddy laughter of the scouts, along with an occasional rattle of pots and pans, acting as a soothing white background noise. I think I feel asleep around 9:00.
 
 We were all up by 7:00 on Monday morning. I had decided Friday night as I was packing for the trip that I was only going to eat a power bar and drink some water for breakfast this morning as I saved my appetite for the “Hungry Man Special” at Jerry’s Kitchen and Goods. Today’s hike was only going to be around four miles of mostly flat or downhill walking. As we neared the “Lowlands”, as we called them, we found ourselves walking through thickets of beautiful Rhododendron maximum that were just starting to bloom. We then crossed Route 603 (the road we came in on) and immediately turned left onto the Fairwood Valley Trail (Yes, another multiuse trail). When I put this circuit together I included this trail primarily to prevent any need for walking on the road and thought it would be quite boring and full of horse dung (It ends at a horse campground.) While there was some of the latter scattered along the trail the “boring” part was way off target. The trail weaved in and out of dense forest with Rhodo thickets on either side and large meadows full of wild flowers with blue skies and the mountains where we had spent the past three days as a backdrop. It was a great way to end the hike. At the end of this trail I insisted we take a brief break at “the scene of the crime” before completing the last half mile of our trek. I took a short walk back down the trail and mumbled an affirmation of my vow: "See, I told you &%*#@ thugs you couldn’t keep me off of this mountain … and furthermore, I’m coming back with more like me!!!” When we reached the spur trail back to Grindstone I invited my friends to walk ahead of me. I dropped back a few yards, and, as I always do, thanked Him for one of the best hiking trips I’ve ever been on. ________________________________________________________________________________________________