Date: 2005-04-09
From: Hughes Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: broken clouds

All of us overslept, probably since this was the last night we were going to be sleeping in a real bed for quite a while. After breakfast and packing up, we drove by Ms. Janet's to pick up Kitty Litter and head back up to the gap.Once leaving Hughes Gap, we immediately started the climb up Roan Mountain, which seemed to take forever. It was a 2,000 foot climb over 2 and a half miles and just went up, up, up. I was cursing my new pack, which is neat with all its compartments and features, but it weights 7 pounds empty!! A few pointless extra pounds can be the difference in a good and bad day. But it'll have to do until I can switch out to my summer pack. I soon left everyone behind, to endure the pain and suffering of this horrible acsent alone. Roan Mountain sits at 6150 feet and is the last point that the trail goes over 6000 feet until the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Towards the top, there was still snow and ice on the trail, adding to the frustration of this climb. I was soon rewarded at the top though, with spectacular views, an open feild to lay down upon and the sun to warm me. The guidebook says that there are big rhododendron bushes that are very pretty when in bloom on the summit, but it is still too early for those. Several signs on the summit tell about an old hotel that used to be up here in the early 1900s. It lay on the TN/NC state line. Legend has it that when one of the two states were dry, a line was drawn down the resturant part where the state line was and guests couldn't drink on the dry side of the line, but drink on the other and a sherriff waiting to bust anybody who ventured over the line with a drink. I arrived at the summit before any of the others, so I sat down in the sun, took off my boots and socks and laid down for a rest. After everyone had reached the top, we decided this was such a nice place that we ate an early lunch here. Going down Roan was a lot easier than going up. The trail was much better graded. Stick says that this area is part of the section that is maintained by Bob Peoples, the owner of Kincora Hiker Hostel, about 30 miles north of here. He is one of the better maintainers and it really shows. Down a little later at Carvers Gap, we found a bag of Pepsi and Coors Light siting by the road. We eached grabbed one and sat down to enjoy. Carvers Gap has a big parking area with bathrooms, and plenty of tourists to go with them. There must have been at least 150 people there. One of them was Deja Vu, the man responsible for the trail magic. We talked to him for a bit, he thru hiked in 1975 and 2003, a really neat guy. He says that there is some more Pepsi waiting in a creek just south of 19E tomorrow and says be on the lookout! The climb out of the gap was very well graded and along a gravel path, due to the amount of tourism to the area. It was a little rough, because it had become very hot. It was really windy and that helped out some. Many kids were out flying kites on the big balds; there were several that we crossed in the next few miles. The views were great. We reached Stan Murray Shelter, which was quite the dump. Overmountain Shelter is only another mile and a half and is a much better shelter according to Stick. So after another mile and a half we found out that Stick was right. Overmountain Shelter is just an old barn that was converted to a shelter. It sits at the top of a valley, looking down into it. It is complete with a spring and a less-than-concealing privy. Ate a hearty supper, since I am carrying too much food and trying to lighten the load. Gravity and Danger came in a little later, it's good to see them again. It was a short day today, but the tough climbs took their toll on me.