Date: 2010-04-24
From: Nolichucky River - Uncle Johnny's

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Morning started out good. No rain so I will pack dry. After yesterday I know the 7:00 shuttle is unlikely so I got up at 6:30. Took all my gear to the front, took 1/2 a picnic table and started my packing process. The table worked out well. A little rain fell and I moved to the covered table. Paid. Shuttle left at 7:35.Still a good value. No zero day but even with my town food and clack fee, still less than one night at the Holiday Inn Express. Trailhead at 8:00. On trail at 8:05. Not bad.Mostly good hiking. Passed by first shelter since it was 0.1 miles off trail. Expecting a strong thunderstorm around 4:00. My goal is to get up and over Roan Knob. At 6,300 feet I don't understand why it is a knob and not a mountain. But whatever it is called, I don't want to be at 6,300 feet when a thunderstorm hits. Goal is to get up and over it by 2:00.Played leap frog with Mr. Fusion all day. Cricket is behind us. Got to Hugh's Gap, the gap at the bottom of Roan Knob. Up over 2,200 feet in about three miles. Then Bingo. Trail magic. Mr. Fusion was sitting eating a sandwich and drinking a Coke. I grabbed a turkey and cheese sandwich (sorry, last one in cooler) and a Coke. I put my Cliff Bars I was going to have as my lunch back in the cooler. Ate, drank, took a Coke for the trail. Started up the climb.By the time I got to the top, fog and wind was blowing in hard. Getting cold, front moving in. On the way to the shelter turn-off, seven male hikers came down the trail. Weekenders with rain gear that could withstand a hurricane. The group was your lawyer, doctor, financial types that have the best gear possible. Their rain gear probably costs more than all of my gear total, and yet they are running off the hill I just got up. You know they just came out of the shelter where they "prepared" to get off. Guess they didn't want to get their BMW's wet. It was funny. Here I am in my shorts and muscle shirt passing the "real men" running by in gear ready for winter survival. Go figure.While I was headed to the shelter turn-off, the wind was slightly blocked. Did not stop at the shelter. Kept going since my goal was to get off this hill. Started going downhill. A hard down. Put on my jacket. Got to Carver's Gap. Mr. Fusion was there getting a drink from someone in the parking lot. There was a toilet there so I used it. There was also a garbage can so I dumped my trash.Now the front was in full force. No rain yet, but 50-60 mile-an-hour winds. I watched as Mr. Fusion's figure quickly disappeared in the fog. I was not going up in an uncovered nature area. On my way up, the day-hikers who got caught in the front were running down to get to their cars. Now I am in a complete white out. Winds blowing me off the trail and visibility about 15 feet. This is bad, very bad. Got to a sign that said "Jane Bald Summit". The key word here is summit. The top, right? Wrong. I don't know who the summit was named for but guess what... you're dead and this summit is the only place where you still go up. You got screwed!! In fact, I still went up another 300 feet. How could that be named a summit? Oh well. The wind gust hit me. Must have been over 75 mph. Blew me over, foot hit a trench called a trail and down I went. Kind of in slow motion but with my right foot headed 18 inches into the trench, my pack's momentum kept me rolling down. I guided my head to the top of the trench and slid it on the only part where there was not a rock. This is just not good. I got up, nothing seemed to have dropped out so I kept going. I don't think I spun so I made sure I headed uphill. With no point of reference, it is hard to be certain if you are going in the right direction.Eventually, I got up and over this area. As soon as I did, I was somewhat protected from the raging wind storm above. On the way I ran into Mr. Fusion who indicated we have about 2.2 miles to the barn. It was not about 3:00. On the way down, I ran into 3 women calmly on the side having a snack. I told them the storm is close and they should be getting into a shelter. About a half mile more I ran into 2 guys going uphill. They asked if I had seen 3 women. Apparently the guys were looking for the girls to get them off the trail. They are part of a 30 mile hike to raise money for cystic fibrosis. First time hiking and they were going to be taken off the trail. Good. They need to do something other than snack.Kept going down. The more down, the more I left the winds on top. Passed by the Stan Murray Shelter. The winds were blowing directly into the shelter. Wisely, no one was there. They all went down to the barn. Got to the barn. The fog was so heavy it was more of a wet mist. Any exposed surface instantly became wet. I went upstairs to the hay loft. Picked my floor space. The rain soon began. My 19.1 miles complete, I out ran the storm, a good day.In all, 4 thru-hikers and 15-20 others. One group had a stove malfunction that shot flames about four feet high. Not a good thing in a wood barn. They eventually got it outside.Since I had my dry clothes on, I could not get water. Mr. Fusion gave me a pint or so, which hit the spot. Talked a bit. Storm raging outside. Dry, in my bag, warm. Tomorrow, a hostel stop. Life is good. Cricket, Mr. Fusion, Eddie and myself are the thru-hikers. Good night.