The moon lit our way around every bend of the dark, windy road. It was 4:30 am, and we had about an hour to go to get us up high, to get us to the top for sunrise. As Big Blue bounced up the dirt road of the final two miles, the moonlight disappeared behind the fog and low clouds.
Theresa watches the first morning light as the mist rises on top of Whitetop Mountain
Our destination was the peak of Whitetop Mountain. At 5,518’, it’s the 2nd highest mountain in Virginia, but the highest you can drive to. The highest point in the state is Mt. Rogers at 5,729’, but to reach the top requires a challenging ½ day hike on the AT, and since it’s covered in trees, it offers no panoramic views when you reach the summit. The reward for the bumpy, eerie drive through the darkness was breathtaking views of the landscape of Southwest Virginia…..oh, and you can look out to the north and see the gentle dome of Mt. Rogers!
Even as the first hues of sunlight began to appear, the bright moon still hung high in the night sky, fading in and out of the chilly mist. As the Dark-eyed Juncos and Hermit Thrushes sang their early morning songs, the valley below began to emerge, and the sparse mountaintop showed its dominant tree species, the Red Spruce, along with dew-covered meadows. Theresa and I both agreed we really love visiting these high, alpine-like environments.
Whitetop Mountain and Mt. Rogers are part of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Theresa and I ventured to this part of the state for a weekend of getting outdoors, a little sightseeing and to stretch our legs on a few short hikes.
Our other outdoor target for the day was Grayson Highlands State Park. This 4,500-acre park, also peaking at over 5,000 vertical feet, is known for being a gateway to Mt. Rogers, as well as the Appalachian Trail and Grayson Highlands. But perhaps its most popular attraction have four legs-wild ponies. They were introduced to the park in 1974 to prevent reforestation of the highland balds (high elevation open areas). The Wilburn Ridge Pony Association manages the pony herd. Each fall, the ponies are rounded up and association members check the herd for health problems. To keep the population balanced, some of the ponies are auctioned off during Grayson Highlands annual Fall Festival.
Although there are many signs and literature warning visitors not to feed the ponies, or not to try petting them, people still do. On a short hike to one of these balds, Theresa and I were told there four ponies just ahead of us, grazing peacefully near the trail. There were two mares, and a young colt still feeding from mama, and a stallion. As we watched from a distance, the mama and colt slowly approached a family that had a Golden Retriever on a leash. The colt seemed curious about the dog, so the family thought it might be cute to try and get a photo of the two animals sniffing each other. I politely said to the father that I thought they were too close and that the other ponies might get a bit agitated. He ignored me. Ten seconds after I said something, the stallion came trotting over, bucked up and kicked his hind legs, just missing the father, who was standing there, a bit dumbfounded. He was lucky one of those hooves didn’t catch him in the head! Theresa and I stood back, snapped a few photos and headed back down the trail.
Theresa heads down through a large thicket of Rhododendron in search of waterfalls 
A male Black-throated Blue Warbler pauses to check us out
After a second, and a bit more challenging, hike to see some waterfalls, it was time to head back to our hotel and grab some supper. By the time we reached the truck, my calf muscles were burning (and into the next morning) and ready to rest! Although we were both a bit tired, we really enjoyed our visit to SW Virginia and exploring the High-Lands!