Date: 2004-04-22
From: Unamed Woods Road

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

What a huge day! Happy Earth Day, WOOHOO! I started hiking at about 10am and hiked with Tinker, Pegasus, and Francois. Soon I was hiking alone though and I had a quiet time. I had difficulty focusing though. The first 6 miles were full of short steep ups. It was tough and I was pooped as I hit the first shelter, so I took another nap. I love naps. Beautiful blooming flowers, other flowers lying in wait, the green newness all around me, and a 2 hour nap...Who could ask for more?   At 2pm I set out with Tinker for Roan Mountain 6.5 miles away. The first 3 miles were beautiful and not too bad. Then we reached the base, WHOA! The climb was arduous to say the least. Tinker hiked ahead. I hiked up Bear Mountain to Ash Gap. It was 1,100 feet in barely over a mile. I was sweating like crazy nad had to take off my shirt. The rocks were jutting up every where and were gorgeous....only less so because I was stepping over them. I drank half a gallon of water in 2 miles. After getting water at Ash Gap (huge downhill descent to the spring and then back up) I started to climb Roan Mountian. In reality Bear Mountain is the first half of Roan. I covered another 900 feet in less than a mile. I pulled out all the will in my body, but I did it. THere was a spacious field and numerous Rhododendron near a picnic area. Though it was sweet, I hiked on farely quickly to the very top of Roan High Knob. There was an awesome shelter, a pine grove that appeared to be even cozier than that of Unicoi Mountain, and an ice-cold crystal spring. 6pm and time for a break.   By 6:30 I felt sufficiently rested. I decided I felt good so Tinker and I hiked on. It was 6.5 more before Overmountain shelter. We climbed 2 ridiculously beautiful balds: Jane Bald and Round Bald. My chest hurt a little and scared me but it passed. It's hard to complain about tough climbs when they go through meadows. The grasses, rhododendron, pine, and flowers pick you up. As we pushed the limit of our daylight, i ran into a hiker talking about baseball: The Orioles are in FIRST PLACE! (You cannot imagine my shock)   From the top of the second bald in was 3.5 miles mostly downhill. We would be hiking through dusk and into night. We flew downhill until it became dark, then we slowed. We passed sittle streamlets, bloodroot, and other intricate tiny white flowers. My knees hurt a little as I finally reached the shelter at 9PM. They are not too bad though. Such a big and beautiful day is now complete. A day with more flowers, streams, and the awesome smell of nature dripping through the trees. I am tired but thrilled to feel ok after a hike of 19.7 miles. It is quite an encouraging sign.   The shelter I am sleeping in tonight is called the Overmountain Shelter after the "Overmountain Boys", a group of Virginia militia men who sped over mountains to fight in the battle of King Mountain (NC). They may have even stayed in this barn. The ATC turned this barn into an awesome shelter. It is open to a huge mountain meadow, sleeps 40(?), and is just plain cool. Tonight it is just Tinker, myself, and a hiker named Pipesmoke. I just ate dinner: Sausage nad Angel Hair Pasta. Now I will read some of Job and Phillipians (my favorite bible book) and go to bed. Before I do, some final notes:- Tomorrow I will eat a steak dinnerat a restaurant that is 9 miles from here and only a half mile off trail.- 2 nights from now I will stop at a 4 dollar hostel (so cheap ) and probably have a chance to check e-mail.- I feel fully back on the trail now, YAY!- I wore my shirt inside out all day because I changed in my tent .- Yet again I have hiked an entire day without being eaten by a bear.- I cannot get the "Deliverance" song out of my head...AHH!- Some of my coolest friends are named Pegasus, Beast, Tinker, and Mad Scientist...I find this funny. - I want to talk to my Dad about the Orioles, I miss him. - I have good food and a light pack, this leads some hikers to hate me.- Because of my extended stay at Miss Janet's I know most of the hikers ahead of me and behing me...It's really cool.Bad Joke: How do you figure the miles to the top of a mountain? You sum-it(summit.....ha,ha,ha...UGH).         Goodnight, BEATBOX   ttt.