Another Grayson Highlands hike

Having just hiked in Grayson Highland two weeks prior, I was ready for another foray into the balds and meadows of this jewel of a park. I was up before 5am checking the weather radar. It looks like a 10am line of storms and then nothing. That turned out to be half correct. We did get the 10am storm. However, that line of storms stalled over Mt Rogers and the mountain wouldn't let go. It poured for a half hour and then spit and sputtered the rest of the day.

Mona Lisa moment or did Shari just sip an imaginary Chardonnay?

Our group split apart, re-assembled in the woods to wait out the storm, split apart again before lunch and never re-assembled again. The small group I was in left the peloton at an overcrowded shelter. We followed a horse trail to the area known as "Scales". Once a loading area for livestock, there actually were scales here once to weight the animals before loading. From Scales we followed the AT a short distance before circling back on a side trail.

Mountain Laurel was blooming and I saw some wonderful displays. The rhodo bloom was on in some spots too. A wet but thankfully cool day in a superb mountain setting.