Date: 2007-12-13
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To:  Overmountain Shelter, 376 mi from Springer!
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We had only 9 miles to go today. This was because we want to go to Greasy Creek Gap where there is another hostel and getting there today would have required an estimated 2500 metres of climbing over 24 miles. We knew this would not work for us so we had to split the day into 2. That strategy then involved trying to work out which shelter would have water. Our information was that Overmountain Shelter had water but Roan Knob did not, and no one knew about Stan Murray Shelter. So, here we are at Overmountain, having had a half day, and tomorrow we have 15 miles to go to the hostel. After we arrived and got the tent up it started to rain. We had a pleasant afternoon dry and warm. The water source was not much, in fact we had to dig a hole and wait for it to clear and fill, but any water is a bonus. Maybe the rain will help. Another hiker showed up after the rain started ¢ he had come from Hot Springs and said Roan Knob Shelter has good water. Our information that it had none was not correct, not that we would have tried to go on as it is too much climbing for one day. We¢d climbed 1240 metres today already (691m down), a bit more than estimated, and a half day was welcome.When at Abby's place on their computer we got an email from Torque¢s mother to say she was happy there were others on the trail too and that he had met up with us. Well, we are now left in his dust but maybe when he takes time off for Christmas we will see him again. I asked him if he was going to be picked up or if he would make is own way home and he said he hoped someone would pick him up (hint, if you're reading this, Nancy).Dave and I battled this morning about who would carry the full fuel bottle. I have had it since the beginning and have a hole in my pack when it is not there. However, he won by simply holding it behind his back. I am not sure if that means he has more party gear. Abby¢s had one of those hang-it-on-the-hook scales and our packs weighed 23 lbs each but Dave¢s problem is he feels guilty because he needs more food than I do and he thinks I am carrying more than my share. Why he should need all that food beats me. We are the same weight and we are doing the same amount of work, carrying the same load. Why does he need more food? The only variable is that he is male and I¢m female! He needs 1 12 times what I need. Anyway I think we should share the load equally. If he carries more he will need even more food!! And I will need less, so it does not make sense for him to carry more weight than me.Speaking of food, I am off it at present - except for breakfast which always goes down OK. I have to force the rest down. I can¢t find anything to eat that I am not sick to death of. Such are the trials of long distance hiking.The trail was easy today if you don¢t count the climbing. Hump Mountain is a ¢bald¢ i.e. no trees. Looking towards Roan MtnJudging by the presence of old falling-down fences, it was farmed at one stage. The tree line here is probably far higher than any of the hills, so much higher hills than Hump Mountain are tree covered. We saw 2 deer. Overmountain Shelter was highly recommended as a great place. It is an old barn ¢renovated¢ for hikers use, as the sign said. We could not see any evidence of renovation other than 2 platforms added underneath and walls removed. As with the vast majority of ¢shelters¢ it is only a shelter if the weather is fine. In a blowing rain, like today, you need a tent to stay dry in it.We¢re fascinated by the evidence we see of the balds being mown. Someone comes up and cuts the grass. Maybe if this didn¢t happen, the trees would gradually take over again. We like the balds. They are a great contrast with the forest.inside Mountain Harbour Hostel