Date: 2016-07-03
From: Unnamed campsite

To: Roan Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.2

7/3 Late lazy start didn't go to bed until almost 2 am Laura is cool, lots of awesome trail stories and the stars were amazing. We're headed for the barn. 2 miles into the day I found zig zag asleep in his hammock he couldn't find us last night. when we got to the first shelter i found Dez, Dex, and Mayhem still there. Finigan took off and we all searched for a little while but Laura parted ways with us to go find him. We think he just got disoriented and went the wrong way down the trail. We made slow progress and on top of ------ summit we all chilled, Dex Dez, and Ross caught up, and we got word that finigan had been found and Laura was headed back to the group. We chilled for a while but eventually moved on. At the gap before Roan we found Leafs and Trip, Trip had fallen and was nursing a sore knee looking for a hitch to the top. Yukon, scout master and I sat to chat with them for awhile and Trip found a hitch to the top. The assent was not terribly steep but the switch backs were definitely over kill it took forever to get to the top. 1.6 below the summit the whole village minus curly q who no one had seen since like 11:30 congregated for snacks. At the top we found the site of the old hotel, built in the early 1900's it was only open for about 20 years and was accessed by small gauge rail. The building was situated on the state line providing the main banquet hall with the interesting feature being half in a dry state, resulting in a line being painted down the center of the room and through the main dining table delineating where you could drink alcohol. After 20 years the building was disassembled and sold off in pieces leaving just an empty field and a few fireplaces standing today.We also found Leafs who had hiked up on her own after Trip hitched, she informed us of the wild strawberries in the field, yum. There was also an actual bathroom. Ross said he had seen Curly Q, he went up to the Roan Shelter to take a nap, still no sign of Laura though. Most of us are considering calling it a day at Roan this has just been one of those days where it feels like absolutely no progress is being made. Plus Scout Master, Yukon and I are in no hurry only having to make it to Damascus by the 10thAt the shelter I found Sam Squared, Zigzag, Trip, and Leaves. We were soon joined by Yukon and thoughts turned to the fourth tomorrow and how we could celebrate. It was decided that we should do a feast at the barn and the are several balds near by that should provide a view of fireworks in a neighboring town. We quickly put together a list and Sam Squared and Zig Zag headed back to the parking lot to hitch into town. They hope to make it back tonight but I'm skeptical it's already 6:30 and hitching in is easy finding someone to bring you back is not. Scout Master is of course is working on a fire while me and Yukon cook food. Mayhem is near by looking at the guide book he is still shooting for the Barn tonight. We soon had a good fire going and good conversation with Trip and Leaves joining us. Laura must have missed our note and kept going to the barn.This is the highest shelter on the AT so it promises to be a cold night and there looks to be a storm rolling in. The shelter is also the first I've seen that is actually fully enclosed with four walls and a front door, no fire place though. Eventually it starts to sprinkle so Scout Master Yukon and I head to bed in the second floor of the shelter while Trip and Leaves head to their tent. Pretty soon the rain started coming down really hard on the tin roof of the shelter. Around 12:30 we are all surprisingly woken up by the Scouting party returning from their supply run. sounds like they had a very exciting town run and are all very soaked after a ride up the mountain in the back of a pickup truck. But they promise that a great feast is on hand that will challenge the villages cooking ingenuity like never before now we just have to carry it to the barn.