Date: 2003-04-28
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Felt a bit low last night. I crowled into my sleeping bag well before sunset. My watch died today so I don't know how early but I was pretty well wiped out by the time we reached the shelter area. Habits of an old watcher of birds: I was up about an hour before sunrise today. Made coffee away from the shelter so as not to disturb others. The sunrise was a light purple and the bird life quickly became active. Woodpeckers in the distance, juncos checking out the shelter area, a yellow warbler in a nearby thicket and some white-breasted nuthatches squabbling over a favorite tree. As soon as possible, I had breakfast, filled my water bottles and set off down the trail. First on the trail is always a most interesting time. I soon had a small hill to climb and flushed two thrushes - veeries, I think. From the top of this hill other high hills loom ominously. I don't know which one is Roan but I know it's out there. The golden light from the sunrise gives a soothing glow to this early spring forest. What a lovely place! Bluejays are squawking now. Kiwi just passed me and here comes Dreamwalker and Peter Pan. Time to move on to Roan Mtn.Surprisingly Little Rock Knob was a sadistic kicker. Many big climbs over bolders that lead straight up. No mercy from this first climb of the day but the reward was a wide vista into a small village in Tennessee. In another hour we were climbing Roan. Two hours of steady climbing with about 2000' of elevation change. We stopped at a small gap to refill our water bottles but the climb was relentless. Around noon we reached the summit after passing through about half a mile of dense Fraser fir forest. The sweet smell of the needles and the dense canopy reminded me of the high elevation forests of Maine. The summit of Roan was disappointing - few vistas, a parking lot, restrooms and no water. We did, however, find a trash can into which we could relieve ourselves of our collection of trash.After a short break and a conversation with some day trippers about the dying Frazer firs we pushed on down the trail to have lunch at the Roan High Knob Shelter. The shelter was actually a cabin with a garret for sleeping. The place was infested with flies and we were glad to be on our way.The descent from the summit was via an old carriage road through a dense canopy of Frazer firs. In some areas most of the trees were dead but the living trees gave off a scent that brought back memories of X-mas. By mid-afternoon we could see Round Bald in the distance. Crossing Carvers Gap, I asked a forest ranger to post a letter for me. He gladly took my letter (containing journal entries from the last three days) and said he would add more stamps if necessary.The climb up Big Bald was breathtaking. The views were fantastic, the series of bald through which we passed seemed surreal. There were dwarf rhododendrons and in some places scrawny trees that looked like an abandoned apple orchard.By five o'clock we reached Overmountain Shelter which is an old barn converted to accommodate about 20 hikers. The location is wonderful offering a view down a valley. The horizon down the valley must be a hundred miles away. Several mountain ranges are visible, several pastures slowly returning to forest and in front of the barn (shelter) is an old orchard and a dense stand of fir trees. The hillsides are sprinkled with oak trees and cherry trees in flower. A sprinkling of pink in a sea of pastel green and red. As the sun sets behind us we are watching the shadow of the mountain behind us slowly creep up the hills in front of us. The light is becoming more purple as the sun sets. I would be content to stay here for the rest of the week. What a beautiful spot! What a glorious day this has been. I feel so lucky to be here!