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mhaddon
12-21-2011, 22:19
It is in Virginia they are seen right? Where is the best hike and time of year to increase the odds. How hard of a week section hike is this? Thanks!!

wornoutboots
12-21-2011, 22:23
The ponies are always there, it's a great section "the Grayson Highlands" 30-40 miles N of Damascus, amazing views & an easy week of hiking, park in Damascus & have Lone Wolf Shuttle you to Fox Creek @ 40 miles or Massie Gap @ 30 miles back to town

mhaddon
12-21-2011, 22:41
Thanks! I think that is the section I'm going to look into for our family hike :). We are looking at a week or two.

wornoutboots
12-21-2011, 22:49
You can easily do it in a week at a lollygag pace. Great Scenery all the way to town!!
Enjoy!

Rain Man
12-22-2011, 00:28
It is in Virginia they are seen right? Where is the best hike and time of year to increase the odds. How hard of a week section hike is this? Thanks!!

Grayson Highlands State Park area. I've been there in summer and winter and saw them both times. Not really a hard stretch to hike. Depending on start/stop points, you could do a good portion in two days or a very leisurely longer week loop. It's a favorite area for many hikers. Enjoy!

Rain:sunMan

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mhaddon
12-22-2011, 00:32
Sounds like I should have asked when a nice but uncrowded time would be lol. Luckily we homeschool!

peakbagger
12-22-2011, 08:41
The reality is that the ponies arent that particulary "wild". The herd is managed and the area has some fencing to keep them seperated from an adjacent farm. You really dont even need to climb the mountain, there is a road right to the top and with a bit of wandering around, you will usually encounter a pony. Many folks bring apples.

peakbagger
12-22-2011, 08:41
The reality is that the ponies arent that particulary "wild". The herd is managed and the area has some fencing to keep them seperated from an adjacent farm. You really dont even need to climb the mountain, there is a road right to the top and with a bit of wandering around, you will usually encounter a pony. Many folks bring apples.

Ktaadn
12-22-2011, 09:39
The ponies are always there, it's a great section "the Grayson Highlands" 30-40 miles N of Damascus, amazing views & an easy week of hiking, park in Damascus & have Lone Wolf Shuttle you to Fox Creek @ 40 miles or Massie Gap @ 30 miles back to town

Don't worry about getting a shuttle. Just park in Damascus and take the Iron Mtn trail north out of town. When you connect to the AT, take that back south to Damascus. It's a great hike.

Creek Dancer
12-22-2011, 09:47
Go through the main entrance to Grayson Highlands State Park and park at Massie Gap. (Ask for a map from the attendant when you go through the gate.) Find your way to Wilburn Ridge. This is the area where I most frequently see the wild ponies. Although the ponies seem tame, because some of them are used to people, they are nevertheless, wild ponies. Some will bite you if you get too close. Some will allow you to pet them. Some of the mother ponies are very protective of their young. The problem is that you don't know which is which. Enjoy their beauty and wonder, but please do not feed them anything, including apples. Have a great time!

jlb2012
12-22-2011, 09:47
+1 for Ktaadn

Creek Dancer
12-22-2011, 09:52
+2 for Ktaadn. The Iron Mountain Trail is a great trail. (This was part of the original AT, as I recall.) Less crowded than the AT and not very difficult. The shelters are still in good condition and there is good camping.

WingedMonkey
12-22-2011, 10:13
They are the a part of one the most over hyped sections of the AT. As others have posted they are not wild but a managed part of land management. They are culled and sold off yearly by the non-profit group that oversees the heard.
Their biggest health concern is the crap that hikers feed them. No matter how many notices are posted or guide book information written, hikers need for self gratification leads to them being feed garbage. That leads to them following you like any other shelter rat or squirrel.
Instead of feeding them your sugar loaded snacks, donate to the group that uses them to keep the boulder-land unnaturally groomed.

mhaddon
12-22-2011, 10:38
Thanks for the suggestions. And no feeding from us we own livestock and know how messing with feed causes harm. So sad that they will probably have to be contained more because of this issue :(. I know my daughter lit up at mention of this. Funny because moat of our family owns horses and they have a pony. But I figured if it gives her a wonderful memory on one of her longer hikes then what's the harm. Sounds like a fun section for us.

Kerosene
12-22-2011, 10:47
Definitely a destination point for a family of hikers. I went through in early June under perfect blue skies, covering 20+ mpd just because the weather was so perfect. A relaxing 5-day hike would be perfect if you have pre-teens along with you.

Creek Dancer
12-22-2011, 10:56
Definitely a destination point for a family of hikers. I went through in early June under perfect blue skies, covering 20+ mpd just because the weather was so perfect. A relaxing 5-day hike would be perfect if you have pre-teens along with you.

Agreed. A beautiful day on Grayson Highlands is like no other, but the weather can change rather quickly up there. The key is to be prepared. I always filter my water up there due to all the pony poop.

rpenczek
12-22-2011, 14:49
A trip report from this section:

Just back from a 4 day 35+ mile trip near Damascus with eight Boy Scouts and 6 Adults. (Add about 8/10 miles going all the way to Damascus (Southboud is easier than North IMHO)

We started out of Hurricane Campground on Sunday the 20th. Hiked to Fox Creek. Great water at Fox Creek and good campsites on the north side of the road in the trees.

The next day, Fox Creek to Big Wilson Creek (near Wise Shelter). There were lots of church groups camped here, but, there are tons of sites and good water from the Creek.

Tuesday we hiked from Big Wilson Creek to Elk Garden. A long day given the terrain, great views and ponys, but we had a very good day. On the way into Elk Garden we got water at the spring in Deep Gap (flowing well, but thin). We were prepared for no water at Elk Garden. We camped just in the woods near the Elk Garden parking lot. A local Boy Scout Troop dropped our Wednesday/Thursday food and also were kind enough to make us hot dogs, chips, juice, ICE, yes, ICE and little debbie cakes. They also left us with 2 gallons of water. Went to bed to the sounds of a huge thunder storm with lots of rain and a full belly.

Wedensday we decided to do all of our Wendesday and Thursday milage and go right to Beartree and end of our hike with a swim. There was a really good spring at the top of WhiteTop that was flowing like a fire hose and many good campsites near by. The spring at Lost Mountain Shelter was flowing slow, but the creeks about 2 miles South had plenty of good water and various camping spots near the water sources.

Our trip ended at Beartree with swimming, showers and a nice sleep before driving up to WVA to Kayak and raft on the New River on Friday and Saturday.

Note, you could add an extra day to your hike by going all the way to Damascus.

rpenczek
12-22-2011, 14:52
One other thing, our hike was late July. Looking back, I would have gone about one week later as the blueberries would be in full swing. We had blueberries, but I could see that a week or two, would provide tons. Yum Yum.

Creek Dancer
12-22-2011, 14:58
One other thing, our hike was late July. Looking back, I would have gone about one week later as the blueberries would be in full swing. We had blueberries, but I could see that a week or two, would provide tons. Yum Yum.

A week later this past year would not have made much a difference. The blueberry crop was terrible this year due to an early frost just at the wrong time for the bushes. I had a couple of local residents tell me that had not seen it that bad in years and years.

Just remember...only pick the blueberries that are higher on the bush than dogs can pee. :)

Rain Man
12-22-2011, 15:12
No matter how many notices are posted or guide book information written, hikers need for self gratification leads to them being feed garbage.

I've hiked there twice and never saw any such "notices" ... nor "guide book information." Where are they?

Rain Man

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Creek Dancer
12-22-2011, 15:26
I've hiked there twice and never saw any such "notices" ... nor "guide book information." Where are they?

Rain Man

.

I believe there is a sign posted near Massie Gap by the Wilburn Ridge Pony Association asking visitors not to feed the ponies.

wornoutboots
12-22-2011, 15:45
Don't worry about getting a shuttle. Just park in Damascus and take the Iron Mtn trail north out of town. When you connect to the AT, take that back south to Damascus. It's a great hike.

Wonderful Idea!!

SouthMark
12-22-2011, 16:50
The balds are inhabited by a herd of introduced ponies allowed to run wild within the confines of the park. The ponies are very accustomed to humans and rarely halt their grazing as hikers pass close by. Many locals touch and feed the ponies, though this practice is frowned upon and against park policy. Each year, park officials round up the herd and check for health problems in addition to reducing the herd size if necessary; the excess colts are sold at auction.

Pony
12-23-2011, 01:44
I've hiked there twice and never saw any such "notices" ... nor "guide book information." Where are they?

Rain Man

.

Bear in mind WM also said this is one of the most over hyped sections of trail.

peakbagger
12-23-2011, 13:14
I didnt consider it overhyped and thought it was a nice section. For folks from down south that havent been up tot New England there are a lot of similarities. The climb up in sections is a tad bit steeper and rockier than in other areas and there is a stretch of spruce forest that could be transplanted from the Mahoosucs. The open areas have sort of above treeline feel that you get along the above treeline section of the whites. It definitely isnt a subsitute for New England but it is unusual for the south. As for the ponies, they are something different but I will pick the resident moose, Star, at Madison Hut in the whites or the many moose you encouter through Maine as far more unusual as they arent fenced in and not managed in any way.

Highstepper
12-23-2011, 13:33
Sign at Massie Gap
14669

Highstepper
12-23-2011, 13:55
A couple of years ago I saw a hiker harrass one of the ponies. He approached the pony from behind and yanked her tail....then crawled back up the hill to his then laughing buddies.

Highstepper
12-24-2011, 11:56
I don't think he'll ever try that again....the pony taught him a lesson he won't soon forget

babygiraffe
12-24-2011, 16:08
Grayson highlands/Mt. Rogers is one of my favorite places to go. Great options for loops here too if you're short on time. The ponies are beautiful and tame. We were there at the end of the summer and most water sources were dry. We were glad we had researched trip reports and springs rather than relying on the shelters, etc.