Date: 2006-04-21
From: CLYDE SMITH SHELTER

To: ROAN HIGH KNOB SHELTER
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: moderate rain

HIGH AND DRY ON ROANWhen we decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, we knew there would be good times and bad. Right now, we are going through some tough times; not terrible or anything, but if it ain't one thing it's another. Just when we start feeling better physically, the weather decides to turn ugly.It was only sprinkling when we started out this morning. We don't let a little thing like that stop us. Then it just kept raining harder and harder the higher we climbed. It was a cold rain too; the kind where you don't want to stop moving for more than 30 seconds lest you freeze. At 6,285 ft. elev., Roan Mtn. is known to be one of the highest, coldest peaks on the southern A.T. and now it rains on us as we go up. A couple of times during our 2,200 foot climb, lightening flashed in the near distance and we had to decide whether or not to ditch our metal hiking poles and take cover or just keep hiking. We figured we were not in immediate danger so we kept moving slowly toward the shelter on top of Roan. Our rain gear was completely saturated now, serving only to keep the water from hitting our faces directly. Reaching the summit, we were completely engulfed in the cloud so there were no views to reward us for the arduous climb. All we really wanted at that point was shelter and food. What a relief it was to find a shelter that actually has a door instead of it being a three-sided lean-to. We heard voices inside inviting us to come in and get dry. The thick, wooden door scraped loudly across the floor. It was very dark inside the old ranger's cabin turned shelter. Natty Boh peered down at us from the second floor through the trap door. "I strongly suggest you put on some dry clothes and come join us up here" he said. Putting on dry clothes sounded like an excellent idea. We were dripping wet and shivering and it would be hard to eat lunch in that condition. "Who else is up there?" I called out. "42 and Sanford," someone answered. "42!" I exclaimed. "We've been waiting to meet you." I explained to her that her mother has been sending us messages of encouragement and advising us of her progress up the trail. We knew she was closing in on us and we hoped for a chance to say hello.Upstairs, we joined the three hikers who were taking turns reading a short story. Afterwards, Sanford chose to brave the weather once more. 42 and Natty Boh were staying put. Mudflap and I kept mulling over the idea of staying too. We were already off schedule. We knew we didn't have enough food to make it to Kincora Hostel, meaning we will have to hitch a ride into Elk Park for resupply. Most of all though, I was extremely averse to putting cold, wet clothes onto my now warm, dry body just to go hike another 6.5 miles in nasty weather. Then Sleepy the Arab came in. He said wasn't going anywhere. "That does it: we're staying." we decided unanimously.Now another hiker we just met named Just Joan has arrived. We have a few things in common as it turns out. She is from the St. Pete area, we are close in age, and interestingly, we both saved the same article, written in 1989, as ourinspiration for hiking the Appalachian Trail. I hope we get to hike together for awhile.