Date: 2007-06-06
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today, the Trail will take me over Roan Mountain, the last mountain in excess of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and only 3-feet smaller than Washington! I've been warned of the climb up Roan for Northbounders since Clingmans Dome in the Smokies, and the kindly 72-year old chap I met while descending to Davenport Gap (the one who gave me the 600mg pills of Vitamin I!). According to the elevations listed in Wingfoot, there is a 2,225' climb in just 3.3-miles. Yes, this is definitely going to be an intense day, today!Last night, I slept at 3900' at Cherry Gap, and due to the rain, the morning is rather chill. A lot of those whom I camped with are talking about camping atop Roan, as it is the highest shelter on the Trail. I opt to not do so, as I've already stated that it's chilly last night and this morning at 3,900'. I don't want to see what it's going to be like at a height that's almost 3,000' higher.The 4 gentlemen who were here when Mr. Burns, his friend, I arrived---all from Indiana---are the first out; I am second out. When I leave, McCray and Dandelion, so far as I can tell when I walk past their tents, haven't even stirred yet. I don't even know what time I left this morning; I just know that I woke up around 5:45am, so it's likely that I left before 7am, my earliest day, yet! Also, when I left Lontheir was still in her sleeping bag on the ground, and Burns and his friend woke up to wish us off, kind of, but said they were going right back to bed when we left! Hahaha!The Trail is pretty uneventful, regarding the severity of the terrain until Iron Mountain Gap. I passed by a rock, where someone painted the A.T. emblem on it, which was a welcome sight for my tired eyes.At Iron Mountain Gap, two trucks pull up, both filled with Trail maintainers. One in particular asks me about the Trail South of here, just so they know for when they come back later, as today they are doing work on the Trail North of here. What an honor it is to encounter these kindly people, who literally make the Trail! All of them are in their 60s or 70s, I'm guessing, which even makes it even more impressive!I press on for Clyde Smith Shelter, my first designated stop for the day. There are one or two steep, albeit short, climbs to this point. I also encounter two separate deer, at two separate places! These are the first deer I've seen since the parking lot just North of Springer Mountain, back on May 8! What beautiful animals, these are. Also, there are many sections in the Trail where the sun is beaming through, dissipating settled misty fog of night, providing ample fodder for my amateur photographic eye.I come to a sign for Clyde Smith Shelter, stating that it is a distance of .1-miles of the Trail. Not bad, I think, remembering Bald Mountain Shelter, where the sign said the same thing, and I could see the shelter through the trees. Well, this was definitely more than .1-miles (528'!)! At my arrival, I encounter, once again, the group of guys from Indiana. Most of them are lamenting the climb up Roan, which I am eagerly looking forward to!I stretch, snack, and take a dose of Ibuprofen, and press on, knowing that my first big climb ahead of me is Roan Mountain.Right away, the Trail turns very steep for the ascent up Little Rock Knob. In the distance, I can see a rocky ledge, jutting out from the side of the mountain. Sure enough, that's where the Trail is heading, straight up (literally, in some parts) to that point. Again, I hear hikers complain about spots like this all the time, but for me this is absolutely exhilarating, even if only in retrospect! The views on the way up are fantastic, of the surrounding area, and of the forest.The Trail descends again to Hughes Gap before the climb atop the dreaded Roan. Before reaching the gap, I encounter another hiker, who gives me a dire warning of the climb that is ahead of me! I'm really starting to find all of these warning to be comical, by this point! I'm not trying to brag, or boost my ego (it's big enough, as is, trust me!), but I've been hiking long enough, and have hiked intense enough sections, where another tough climb is just that: another tough climb! It's one among many! Clingmans Dome was the tallest point on the Trail, but the climb was nothing compared to Sassafras Mountain, and the descent was nothing compared to Blood Mountain, both in Georgia!Here I am, at the gap, at the base of the climb up Roan. I don't even stop to break; I just hike on, figuring I'd rather get it done with than sit here and lament, with the weight of all of the complaints of all Southbounders on my shoulders.The Trail begins by going up, surely, but not terribly steeply. There is overgrown grass on either side of the Trail, as it lazily switchbacks up, using what is likely an old logging road. Eventually, the Trail diverges from this, and it does get steep, really steep. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other, I tell myself, and I will be at the top of this monster before I realize it. My stride must look hilarious; too bad there aren't any nearby hikers to laugh at me, whose days I could brighten up by my steep uphill technique!Halfway up this first climb, there is a nice vista to the left, which I take a few brief moments to enjoy. Then on I go, pressing on, pressing up. The climb peters out, and dips down some before leveling out. I have just gone up and over Beartown Mountain, with an elevation of 5,480', and down to Ash Gap with an elevation of 5,340'. I stop here momentarily to take care of business, as I know the rest of the climb up from here will be much too severe to count on finding a good place to use the bathroom.After taking care of business, I stretch, take a swig of water, and press on. The Trail gets so steep in some places, where you can reach out your hand and touch it, grabbing a hold of roots or rocks to help pull yourself up, letting your trekking poles dangle from your wrists. I must be honest, despite the immensely intense severity of this climb, I really do find myself emphatically enjoying it!Finally, I reach the top! I know I have done so, as the Trail dips down some, and I can hear civilization, the voices of people and the hum of car engines. Roan Mountain has world famous rhododendron gardens, and they should be in bloom right now. Again, after an intense climb like this, it pains me to see that people are able to drive up here!Just a little further North, and I come to the spur trail for the Roan High Shelter. I really don't want to stop, especially with the shelter being off trail, but I reason that I'll regret not seeing the highest shelter on the Trail! So, I go up, and it, too, is a pretty steep ascent just to the shelter! I am greeted by a 4-walled shelter, complete with a door! It also has a second floor, which is quite hot! I guess there's no getting cold up here, so long as the heat stays trapped in here. I read the register, make an entry myself, wishing those behind me whom I know the best of luck as the freeze their asses off up here tonight!I press on, and am greeted with the easiest descent from a mountain that is over 6,000'! I pass by a father and his beautiful daughter, both of whom possess very winsome personalities (especially the daughter). After chatting for 5 or 10-minutes, I press on, eager, as they have told me there is a forest ranger doing a survey of hikers.I reach Carvers Gap, at TN143/NC261, and am immediately greeted by the ranger. The survey was a bit of a letdown, as I was thinking it was geared towards Appalachian Trail hikers specifically; rather, it was geared towards anyone in general who was out even if just for the day. God bless day hikers, as I'm one more often than I am a long-distance hiker, but I expected something different altogether!I cross the highway, and press on, seeing a massive, grassy bald ahead of me. According to Wingfoot, the rocks seen strewn around the upcoming balds are the oldest known rocks along the AT, estimated to be 2.5-million years old. Amazing!In under a mile, I am atop Round Bald, with sweeping 360o vistas! I can see Grandfather Mountain, which I believe was John Muir's favorite, and the mountain which Michaux said was "surely the tallest in all of this country!" It is funny, as I have just descended a mountain which is several hundred feet taller!I descend to Engine Gap, and immediately begin the climb atop Jane Bald. Again, the views are spectacular. In fact, the views in areas like this really don't end! I am in the Roan Highlands, named such as, for the most part, there are sweeping, unadulterated views in all directions. I am thankful for the nice weather I have today, as I can't imagine doing this in a bad storm! (note: according to www.wikipedia.org, Roan Mountain consists of 5-peaks, one in North Carolina and 4 in Tennessee. In north Carolina is Roan High Bluff; in Tennessee is Roan High Knob, Round Bald, Jane Bald, and another which the AT doesn't traverse over)After Jane Bald, the Trail enters a thicket of trees, and begins descending to Stan Murray Shelter. It is kind of steep and rocky in some places, but not overbearingly so. Heck, after the climb up Roan, I doubt the Trail has much to dish out that can phase me for a few days!At Stan Murray, I collect some water, and opt to cook my dinner before pressing the 1.7-miles more to the next shelter, Overmountain. While preparing my food, a young man and woman and their puppy arrive. It turns out they go by "White Blaze and the Little Blue Blaze", or something like that. They're an engaged couple, out hiking from Springer Mountain to Damascus, VA, along with their puppy named Blue. Proof that I am hiking fast is that they started before me AND skipped the Smokies because of their puppy! Here I am, now ahead of them. They said they were napping on Roan, letting some of their gear dry out, which is how I passed them earlier today without seeing them.After exchanging much pleasant conversation, I press on to the next shelter. I can't bring myself to sleep here, knowing that the next shelter is under 2-miles ahead! I might as well press on, I reason!What a wonderful choice! The hike there isn't much to complain about, and it turns out this is a historical place, all on its own! The Overmountain Men, a historical marker says, ran up and over this ridgeline to battle the British, winning, despite inclement winter weather. The sign says the shelter, a big red barn converted for hikers, is .2-miles off Trail. I wince at this off-Trail mileage, but am too tired to hike on or pitch my tent, so off I go. It turns out, the Trail can't be any further than Clyde Smith Shelter, which was supposedly only .1-miles off-Trail! Haha, here I go, bitching about mileage signs again! If you can't tell, I get irked by it rather easily!At the shelter, I am provided with a beautiful vista down the mountainside and back up the next ridgeline! In the valley below can be seen several deer; on a bald to the left can be seen what appears to be coyote; and, on a bald to the right can be seen wild longhorn cattle! Awesome!Here at the shelter, I meet Matt, 18 or 19-years old, hiking to Harpers Ferry; Grace and her dad Buffet from Florida; an older couple who hiked in for the night, and are hiking back out to Carvers Gap tomorrow; and two friends, both of whose names I don't think I ever got. Grace has just graduated from college in South Carolina, and her dad annually hikes a section of the A.T. He'd normally brought his other daughter, he said, but she got married; and he brought his son once years ago when he was younger, and he hated it so much 'cause of how hard it was, and refuses to go; so, the lot fell to Grace. Buffet obviously isn't his real name, for those who were wondering. I'm pretty sure it's Alex.I'm in bed early today, and am dog-dead tired. I just hiked 21.6-miles here, and I'm feeling great, but am, as I said, feeling quite tired. Good night, and sleep well.