Date: 2014-04-03
From: Roan Mtn Shelter

To: Roan Mtn Tn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The coolest thing happened on Roan Mtn. I found the shelter late in the day, after a hard 3000 ft climb, and it was an actual cabin with windows and a door. At 6200 ft this is the highest shelter on the AT. Plus, no one else (other than Grey Skies) had been foolish enough to climb thru the ice that day so I was alone. There weren't even any mice that night. I made my double oatmeal, the last real meal left in my food bag and hit the bag around 8pm, sure some group of hikers would stumble in later and ruin the solitude. Nothing except for a light breeze that crept in lulling me to sleep. Tomorrow would be a pleasant day for my descent into the city, just in time to avoid the expected rains. I awoke to howling winds and a slight tinkle that almost sounded like rain. Peeking out the door I couldn't be sure; it had already been wet on the ground last night. I retrieved my bear bag and found it dry. No it hadn't rained much. Still, did this mean the rain was pushed up? You betcha. By the time I had packed and eaten breakfast it had become a major thunderstorm. On top of the highest mountain in the area with iced over trails. What a pleasant thought. I had a reservation 17 miles down the trail at a B&B but had to get there. It's hard to describe the mental decay that I had over the next two hours as I picked my way down one mountain and then up and down two other balsa, with fiber trekking poles (lightning rods), absolutely exposed to the worst of the storm, the highest object in the grassy area. There was nothing to do but move on. Finally the trail fell back into the forest around 4000 ft and it out a long sigh. After the fact these trials and tribulations seem like adventures but while they are happening they seem surreal. I had been taking very small steps to lessen the ground potential between my feet, wondering if I would actually feel it when the lightning found my pole and toasted me. Then it was over and still only 11am. I met some hikers lower down who had waited out the storm and were just taking off for the day. It seems quite a lot of them like starting late, something I have a hard time doing. With fresh legs they took off ahead of me and we're not seen again. Except from a distance. Around noon I hit Hump Mtn. Unlike most mountains this one has no trees. You can see the whole gigantic thing, for miles. Beautiful but daunting. By now the storms had been blown away by a wind that was reaching gale proportions. What luck. As I left the woods the force of the breeze deadened my hearing; it was a right to left side wind the never was directly into my face. Thanks for at least that favor. Way up the mountain I could see multiple hikers, not seeming to move. If only I could wish myself to their position. The climb was brutal. Not so steep but it was not possible to stand up against the wind without both feet on the ground. So every step would move me left off the rutted grassy path. I could not force my right pole right of my body. The wind was too strong. Leaning sideways, with both poles pushing me right I advanced, thankful for every rock or indentation in the terrain that momentarily lessened the wind against my body and the blasting in my ears. The AT guide warned of false summits. There were three. It didn't matter. Just keep moving! Reaching the summit had little positive emotional effect. The wind was to oppressive to rest and the descent, other than not having to climb, was almost just as hard. The wind was much worse than the grade. Dropping over a ridge finally ended the ordeal. The remaining 6 miles for the day was a descent into the city, rocky but doable. I called the B&B for a pickup and by 4pm was in a diner stuffing my face. Did this all really happen in an 8 hr span of time?