Date: 2008-04-01
From: Clyde Smith Shelter (4400')

To: Overmountain Shelter (4682')
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

I slept in a little and cooked a hot breakfast of gritz so I got out late (around 9:40). It was just over 6 miles to Roan Mountain and again I was feeling good. There was an initial big uphill before Roan, and once I got over that the scenery reminded me of Clingmans and Maine again very wooded and cool with water in the trail. When I got to the top it was a little after noon and I stopped to look around and eat. There was a sight where an old hotel had been around the turn of the century and some rhodedendrons. It was all very nice and I ate lunch and took a 45 min break. When I headed out my sternum strap fell off and I decided I would reattach it at the next shelter which was 0.7 miles away. The walk was real gradual and again very scenic but when I got there I realized a piece of the sternum strap was missing. I walked back to where I took lunch and fortunately it was there and thankfully the walk was gradual and beautiful so I didn't mind doing it two more times. The hike down was nice and gradual and there were two balds right afterwards that were easy climbs with nice views and high elevation (5800' for both of them). Roan is around 6200' and is the highest we get until Mt. Washington I believe. The balds were great and it was a perfectly clear day. There was a bird I saw that was hovering in the wind in place. Just gliding and angling itself so it could ride the wind and stay in one place. Its underside is what I saw mostly and it was light colored like a hawk but smaller (a little bigger than an outstretched hand). The rest of the day was really gradual and the shelter we're staying at is a converted barn. It's really cool and can fit a lot of people. The view opens up into a valley and with the sun out and a few clouds it is quite beautiful. I prepared a fire, got my water, made the fire with Uncle Tom's fire starters which worked great and I eventually boiled my water over it. We were in around 4 so there was a lot of time to relax in this huge shelter with just the 4 of us (CJ, Shepherd, Dynamite, and I). I adopted the trail name Cowboy Killer as given to me by CJ at the no business knob shelter and encouraged upon me by Shepherd and Dynamite. I was able to talk to Richard and found out about the house that him, trips, herron, akin, and smurphy as well as myself plan on living in the fall. I'm really excited and it sounds nice (newly renovated, 3 bathrooms, huge porch, and parking lot, big living room). Its pretty much what I've been imagining while I'm on the trail and I'm really psyched. Dinner was butter and herb mashed potatoes with barbeque beef jerky and hot sauce. I made oreo pudding out of dehydrated milk and two oreo pudding mix packets and everyone got some. I also finished off the fudge and ate a Reese's bar. I feel like I'm getting the hang of the food thing a little more and I'm being better about knowing what to bring. Today was a nice easy hiking day and the next two days should be under 18 mi each into Dennis Cove and the two big days to Damascus where Cj has invited all of us to zero at his house. I hadn't planned on zeroing for a while but it would be nice because at that point it will have been around 220 mi since my last zero. If I zero every 220 mi then I will take around 10 zeroes which isn't bad. I'm still undecided but I will make up my mind by Dennis Cove where I am staying at Kincora hostel and then CJ will be able to call and let home know how many people are coming. Its been nice having people invite me to their house for zeroes ("I'm invited into very few personal homes") and I hope I can show them some hospitality at some point (maybe New Hartford).