Date: 2005-04-20
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: US19E Mountain Harbour B & B
Miles today: 8.7

April 20, 2005End ¢ US19E Mountain Harbour B & B   385.4   8.7Begin ¢ Overmountain Shelter                  376.7We had a good nights sleep at Overmountain Shelter. The view of the valley and the mountains around it was outstanding. We really did not want to leave. We looked many times at the mountain climb which was ahead of us that morning, but soon loaded up and headed out at about 8:30 am. The first climb was up Little Hump Mountain (5459¢) and it had a good vista. We could look back down the mountain into the valley and see the red barn, Overmountain Shelter, and know we had climbed up from there.    Between Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain (5587¢) I saw my first snake. He crossed the trail about 10 feet in front of me and went off to my right about 10 feet and stayed there. Later, I saw Halfway and when he passed through this area he saw the same snake. I guess we were violating his territory.    I reached the top of Hump Mountain about 11:20 am and stopped for a rest and some lunch. Double Healer arrived in a few minutes and we chatted and had a snack. This is the area with the longhorn cattle and I never saw the first one. That evening Double Healer said he saw them off the trail and he hiked over to them to take some pictures. Vision Quest saw us later on the trail and she said the cattle were all over the trail when she came through and she had to walk among them. Sorry I missed them.    I hiked on to Apple House Shelter and had a note in my guidebook saying not to stay there. It seemed nice enough with a stream behind the shelter. Double Healer had signed the register and he wrote in French and English. I found out later he was from Quebec.    4 pm I hiked out to Hwy US19E and had to hike .2 of a mile to Mountain Harbour B & B. Tree Frog had stayed there in 2004 and had enjoyed their hospitality so I thought I would give it a try. I had no idea what to expect and had written a log in the register for Halfway that I was going to go and check in and he could come to the room. Little did I know what the accommodations would be like. I hiked down the side of the highway taking my life into my hands. After being alone on the trail for days and away from cars and trucks it was alarming to hike so close to the side of the road with them zipping by. But I made it. Terry and Mary Hill run this B & B and hostel. The house looked great sitting up on the hill. Hikers are put up in a room over the barn which houses three horses and several goats.    It turned out that several hikers spent the night there. We took inventory and we had two guys 65 years old, two that were 62, and a youngster who I think was 47. Two young women thought about spending the night there, but when they saw the old men they ended up tent camping in a field about a mile down the road. That was Jukebox and B Money.    Mary had already taken some of the food orders for supper and so ours would be later. She served me beef stew and cornbread and Halfway had chili. I think there was enough food for each of us that would have fed five or six hikers. It was unbelievable. Uncle Kodak joined us later. So we really had a full house there. Double Healer, Swamp Fox, Pop Eye, Uncle Kodak, Halfway and me. I could write a lot more about the stay here but I wont. But this place is a great place to take a break. Terry takes you into Roan Mountain, TN for you to buy supplies and lunch. They give great service.