Date: 2004-05-01
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

Left the shelter around 7:30 this morning and ran into one of the toughtest sections of the whole Appalachian Trail - the climb up Roan Mountain. The sky was overcast and it rained some in the higher elevations. It was a challenging hike as the first five miles were almost straight up. It took all morning to reach the top. I spent some time at the site of the former Cloudland Hotel - a swanky place from days gone by. I took some pictures. The hotel building is gone, but I explored the landscaped grounds and rhododendron gardens, still maintained as a beautiful historic attraction. The mountain was socked in with clouds. It was cold and windy and I did not linger for a long time. Moving on, I had lunch at Roan High Knob Shelter, catching up with Flamingo Joe and Milo there. That left a little over six miles to Overmountain Shelter for the night. From Carver Gap, a couple of miles north of Roan Mountain and after a long descent from its summit, there is a series of bald mountains. They are beautiful. You can see the other hikers over a mile away slowly moving along the ridge line like a bug. From Round Bald I got some pictures off to the distant ridgelines and small settlements in the valleys. Across more bald humps with some dips in between (Jane Bald, Grassy Ridge?), I had great views and you could see the trail as a pencil line far ahead and behind from almost any point. This is so much different than hiking in a deep woods with the trail closed in on either side. The sky was cloudy, but no rain, so the colors were vivid in all directions, both down into the valleys and to the closer and distant ridges. There was a breeze, and that added to the unusual, almost eerie feeling. It was a real highlight of all my hikes so far. I made it to Stan Murray Shelter around 5:00 and stopped to snack and rest. Here I met Spot for the first time, and Flamingo Joe and Milo caught up with me as well and we all took a break. Spot offered me a bagel and I happily accepted. It tasted great. It was 1.7 miles to Overmountain Shelter and I was glad to get here. It seemed like a long day with all the tough climbs. Some of the climb up Roan was a rock scramble, climbing steeply up over huge boulders exposed on a very rugged mountainside. Treacherous, but very beautiful. I am concerned about tomorrow with over 17 miles planned. It may be alright because the climbs will not be as tough as today. I am here with Spot, Milo, Flamingo Joe and a large group of Boy Scouts and their leaders. A little noisy, but they are all having fun. This shelter is a famous one. It is a converted old red barn. It has picturesque views to the high ridges and the settlements below in the valley. Spring seems late here - most of the trees have no leaves, and there are dogwoods dotting the side of the mountain with white splotches. The sky is cloudy, with some wind, and it is getting cold. The tops of the mountains are sometimes covered in a solid, low-hanging cloud, with the mountain base shadowed below. Today is Saturday and I should call Marlene tomorrow morning because she is probably wondering how I am doing. I left the cell phone on in Erwin accidentally and I've been trying to conserve the battery. I miss her as I walk along and think about her all the time. That's one of the hardest parts of doing these section hikes. I need a good rest tonight. It has been good to meditate on the Word as I hike - Colossians 1 today. I am having a great time, and I think I am getting "broken in" a little after three days. I will spend some time reading and then turn in for the night. Must start early tomorrow. Goodnight Sweetheart.