Date: 2017-09-23
From: Mountaineer Falls Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Did I mention that I had the entire shelter to myself? The Mountaineer Falls shelter was big and had an interesting design. Actually had 3 floors, & I think it could probably accommodate 18 to 20 people. It also had a covered cooking and sitting area. Instead of the traditional picnic bench that I have seen in or around most shelters, this one had a perimeter tabletop and a bench to go with it. (Pictures coming when I have better signal) The shelter also had a statue of a bear.  The water source nearby was a fast flowing spring which filled a small pool at the top of a large rock face down which the water then cascaded. It took only about 5 seconds to fill each liter bottle.I think my loud yelling did scare away whatever creature it was whose eyes I saw peering into the shelter from outside last night. The mice however were not deterred! I had seen two of them, and I could hear them scampering about all night long. I got up around 6 a.m., did some preliminary packing, made breakfast then finished packing.  I was back on the trail as it began to get light enough to see - around 7 a.m.Morning climb was uneventful. I went up and over the terrain between my start point and the trailhead for route 19E and the town of Roan Mountain Tennessee. Along the way, from the grassy meadows along the top there were some nice views of the mountains to the south, east and west. About 10:30 I could hear the sounds of traffic on the road about a half mile below. I was approaching route 19E. I knew that most of the rest of my day would be an uphill climb. I also knew that I would need to manage water carefully, as it would become more scarce at the higher elevations. I did not know how far I would be able to get. I calculated that if I maintained a moderate pace (better than two miles an hour) I might be able to get as far as the Roan High Knob shelter. That would be my stretch goal for the day, as it was 25 miles from my start point. More likely I might reach the Over Mountain shelter or the Yellow Mountain Gap campsite or maybe Jane Bald. Those places were between 18 and 22 miles from my start point.When I left Damascus, I had planned to stop at the Doe River Hostel here in Roan Mountain. Here I would resupply in order to get enough stuff to make it to Erwin Tennessee and Uncle Johnny's hostel there. It was about 50 miles from here to there. However I now figured that because I had stopped at the Boots Off hostel, I still had about 3 days worth of food in my food bag, maybe a little more. I also figured I should be able to hike through to Erwin and arrive on the 3rd day. So I decided not to stop in the town of Roan Mountain.The first half hour of the climb up Hump Mountain was relatively slow and easy. The second half, on the other hand was steeper and more difficult. Around noon I arrived at a clearing called Doll Flats. This place is significant for being the Tennessee/North Carolina border.  From here I took some pictures including a panoramic view to the south. For quite some distance while heading south, I'll be walking right on the border between the two states. I also want to note that North Carolina marks the 13th out of 14 states on the Appalachian Trail. Only Georgia remains after this.  Arriving to the top of the mountain about 1 p.m., and I stopped there for lunch.About 2:30, after I had hiked down from Hump Mountain and up and over and down the other side of Little Hump Mountain, I reached the side trail for the Over Mountain shelter. (Picture) It was too early to stop for the day, but I needed water so I went down the side trail to the water source for the Over Mountain shelter. I filled and treated two one-liter bottles before returning to the side trail. At the intersection I found a sign that told history of how militias from Virginia, North Carolina, and what is now Tennessee had joined together on September 25th 1780, to resist the British. They were called the Over Mountain Men. Apparently this resistance occurred right down in the valley below the Over Mountain shelter. (Picture) After reading the sign, I continued hiking.Sometime before 4:30, I reached Grassy Ridge bald. As the name implies, this was a grassy ridgeline. Beautiful to the east and west. Just after 4:30, I reached Jane Bald, and I took some more pictures.There were some day hikers on Jane Bald. One of them heard me take a picture by telling my phone to "Capture!" and she exclaimed, "What?!" I explained how I'd recently learned how to do that with my phone and that it also works if I say, "Smile!" She asked what kind of phone I had, & I explained that it was a Galaxy S7. Again, she exclaimed, "What?!" She had the same phone, so I told her about turning on voice activation. Then I took a selfie of us with her phone. I took some more pictures as I continued down the south side of Jane Bald. Then I hiked up Round Bald. To the east the sky was getting dark and I could hear thunder much like yesterday. Several people had told me the weather forecast was for very little chance of rain around Roan Mountain, however it did start to sprinkle. The dark sky in the east looked rather ominous, but it made a great photo setting. When I got to the top of Round Bald just before 5 p.m., I found lots of day hikers tenting up there. I took pictures.Given the time, and the fact that it was 2.1 miles to the top of Roan High Knob, I decided to keep going. I figured I could probably be there in a little over an hour. Then, as I came down the south side of Round Bald I saw the road and parking lot full of day hikers' cars, and I saw how tall and steep the coming climb would be. (Picture) My math showed that there would be lots of switchbacks. That was good. I had met a lady at the Tannery shelter who had said the water was good at the top. I stopped near the bottom and filled a second liter, just in case. I would fill the others and have four, if there was in fact water on top. Then I set out for this last climb of the day. The first rounds of Route 19E had been the longest and highest, going from 2800 to 5600 feet.  That was to get to Hump Mountain. Then I had climbed down 600 and backup 500 to get to 5500 feet at Little hump. Then it had been down to 4700 feet at Over Mountain, and then back up to 5800 feet at Grassy Ridge Bald, but then it was down to the parking lot at 5600 feet, and now it was up to the top at 6200 feet.I arrived at the shelter at about 6 p.m., and to my surprise Cuckoo was there. I had not seen her since my third day of hiking south from Harpers Ferry. Apparently, after being inspired to non-traditional hiking by "Ireland" who had also hiked out of Harpers Ferry with us, and after meeting a couple of day hikers at Raven Rock viewpoint, she had decided to visit her brother in Nashville Tennessee for the Eclipse. Afterwards, instead of returning to Virginia, she decided to go to Springer Mountain Georgia and hike northbound. So we were meeting again, entirely coincidentally. I had forgotten to do it at our last meeting, so this time I remembered to get a picture of the two of us together.Cuckoo and I chatted for awhile and I made my dinner. She had already had hers. Then I finished unpacking and got ready for bed.