Date: 2007-04-11
From: Deep Gap (another one... sigh)

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: overcast clouds

A pretty crazy day to-day, weather-wise at least, but nothing I couldn't deal with. It was very rainy, and very windy, especially near the end when I summitted Roan Mountain, which I think has perpetual bad weather. Left camp at 9:15 - Twiglet, Hoosier and Gulester were up - everyone else's tents were pretty still. It rained last night, but the combination of the tarp and bivy worked well, and I slept quite comfortably. Twiglet is one of those hammock hangers - except he doesn't have a rain fly - not very smart - he said he barely got an hour's worth of sleep last night. Get a tarp, Twiglet!I was the first one out of camp - hell, Twiglet looked like he was ready to live there - he was throwing wood on the fire, not just stoking the embers.I immediately had to go up and over a rather large mountain called Unaka Mountain. It's what prevented me from going the extra 5 miles yesterday to the next shelter, mainly, but I did it with ease this morning. The summit was very cool and very creepy - wisps of fog and old growth made it seem like I had plunged into the tulgey wood - whatever that means.Arrived at Cherry Gap Shelter in under 2 hours - no one was there, but Footpump had stayed the night, according to the registry.I continued on, passing from [illegible] Mountain Gap and onward to the Clyde Smith Shelter where I met 2 section hikers. We exchanged pleasantries and I ate lunch, and watched the rainstorm turn more fierce.Presently, as I was about to leave, Gulester showed up. He said Hemlock and Hoosier were at the previous shelter cooking food when he left, and that they might stay there because of the rain, or continue on a few miles to the Greasy Creek Friendly, a hostel which I passed earlier.Now the rain really wasn't that bad. It's only between 45 and 50 degrees, so if you have the proper gear, hiking 8.7 miles at this point shouldn't be a problem at all. I had no trouble.Up until this past week, we thru-hikers have had almost perfect weather. Barely any rain, clear sunny days. If you're going to let rain spoil your hiking day, especially rather ordinary rain such as this, maybe you shouldn't be out here, is all I'm saying. Hell, I'll take this stuff any day over 0 degree temperatures and snow. Winter hiking blows.Gulester was calling it quits for the day, but perhaps because I'm a little crazy I decided to go ahead to the next shelter at Roan Mountain, 6 miles away. Roan is about 1000' higher than most of the other mountains in the area, and what a climb! Up and up and up I climbed - it never seemed to end. Finally after 3.5 hours of slick, snowy, rainy, windy uphills, I reached the summit. I read a sign discussing the once-meaningful Cloudland Hotel, long since demolished, and made my way to the shelter at damn near 8:00 pm.The shelter he is like a house - door, windows with panes, complete protection from the weather. As I walk in the door, I see a bunch of sleeping bags, a headlight is pointed my way, and I hear Widowmaker say, "Holy shit, it's Katter Pilllar!" So I caught up to Widowmaker and Footpump. Mr. Ed, who I met in Erwin (and got there in 3 weeks!) is also here, as well as Medicine Man, who I didn't know, and a section hiker. Since there is no room downstairs, I'm upstairs in the attic, which is a little breezy, but just as nice - the mice are a little friendly too, which is also a perk. There's also another hiker here - Footpump called him "Ross," but I gather he's asleep or very unfriendly. Or just tired. We're all tired, though.