Date: 2016-04-09
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Hampton TN
Miles today: 49.9

Clyde Smith Shelter to Kincora Hostel4/18/16   Today dawned clear and warm and we had a couple of big, long climbs ahead of us, the highest being Roan Mountain, also the location of Roan High Knob Shelter, the highest shelter on the AT at the elevation of 6193 feet. After that we crossed a series of balds with great views which, along with two more we'll cross tomorrow are collectively known as the Roan Highlands. Our destination today is a shelter called Overmountain Shelter which is an old barn that has been converted to a shelter for hikers. A lot of people we know are headed there today just because we all think it would be pretty cool to sleep in an old barn. When we got there Kelly decided to stay in her tent out in the grassy field by the barn, under the nearly full moon. Probably a good choice. I elected to sleep in the barn on the second floor which I assume was once a hay loft. I didn't sleep very well and was visited by mice in the night but at least I can say I stayed in the barn on the AT. I did have to get up in the night to go outside and pee in the bushes and the sky was absolutely beautiful! 4/19/16   Left Overmountain for a couple more big climbs over Little Hump and Hump Mountains, two more balds with great views in all directions. It was on this first climb of the day that we noticed smoke off to our northwest. We figured it was another controlled burn which they have been doing around here to clear the forest floor and help prevent forest fires. We could see the smoke for most of the day. A little more on that later.    I visited Jones Falls today, a very high and pretty waterfall and we hiked along the Elk River which was very pretty too. The rewards for our work out here seem to never end. We reached a couple of small milestones today too. First we crossed the NC/TN state line for the last time so that's two states down and twelve to go. Second, we reached the 400 mile mark today. It's the little things, you know? 4/20/16   We tented at Mountaineer Shelter last night. After leaving this morning we went about five miles when we ran in to the first excitement of the day. We came to USFS 293, a gravel forest service road. There we were met by a couple of Forest Service employees in pickup trucks and the trail, where it re-entered the woods on the other side of the road, was blocked off with signs and caution tape. If you recall the smoke I mentioned we saw yesterday, it turned out to be a wildfire that was one of several they believe were deliberately set, or at least accidentally set by people. This one was threatening the AT so they closed a seven mile section and detoured us around on the forest service road which basically paralleled the AT for the seven miles. When we got around to the other end of the detour they let us continue on the AT but we were apparently the last ones they let through for the next six hours because the next day when we saw people who had been right behind us, they had been held for several hours where we were allowed to continue. We saw and smelled smoke for the rest of the day and watched helicopters carrying water to the fire. We ended the day at Kincora Hostel in Hampton TN, owned and run by Bob Peoples, somewhat of a legend in AT building and maintenance. Bob only charges $5.00 a night at his hostel and he's a super nice guy. I really enjoyed sitting around his table with him and hearing his stories. He knows more about the trail than anyone I've ever met, I think. He also has seventeen cats, all strays, and one deaf dog. In the afternoon Bob took us to downtown Hampton in his pickup on a re-supply run to Brown's Grocery, an interesting little rural grocery store with a little bit of everything but not a lot of anything. It got the job done, though.