As I will be wrapping up this journey in the town of Damascus, I had a shuttle driver take me 30 minutes north today to Grayson Highlands State Park where I began my hike, and traveled south (back towards Damascus). As I began my hike up the mountain from the parking area things got interesting very fast. The wind speed and force were incredible and it wasn’t long until I was hiking in fresh snow that fell last night. I fell several times on the ice covered rocks and on one of those falls I broke the one good trekking pole I had in half. So, I took both poles apart and made one good pole and stashed the remaining pole parts in my backpack. It was a bit awkward getting used to using just one pole but after an hour or two it felt comfortable. The views from the top of Grayson Highlands were stunning with the blue sky and fresh snow. However, as I was above tree level it became difficult to know where the trail was at as many of the white AT blazes that had been painted on the rocks were covered with snow or blended into the snowy landscape. After hiking the summit ridge line I eventually got below snow level which also helped with the wind gusts. This particular area is famous for the wild horses that live there and eventually I did pass a few grazing amongst some trees. Along the way today I passed several of my hiking friends that I met over the past weeks and I told them I was leaving the trail and I wished them good luck in their journeys. Near the end of my hike, the trail crossed through a farm pasture and I got a lot of blank stares from the resident cows grazing in the area. A young calf and (I presume) it’s mother, we’re standing dead center in the middle of the trail that I was crossing so I just walked slowly toward them and they both moved out of the way. I hiked 17 miles in less than 6.5 hours and arrived more than an hour early at my pickup point. So, I put on my winter coat, gloves and rain pants, ate a few snacks, and eventually my ride showed up. I did pass over the “500 mile mark” on top of Grayson Highlands, and almost missed the rocks designating the spot due to the snow. Of course, for me, traveling south today, it was not the true 500 mile mark as I have just a few miles to go tomorrow to reach that milestone and officially close out this adventure for me. My cousin, Renee Weaver, will pick me up on Thursday evening and take me to her home near Asheville, NC. We tried to connect for a weekend visit earlier in my journey but our schedules did not permit. So, I’m very much looking forward to a quick visit with Renee, her husband Robert, and my Aunt Mary. I will fly back to New Hampshire on Saturday.