Date: 2015-05-04
From: clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: few clouds

When I woke up today, again, it was not very cold. Maybe in the low 50s, high 40s. That is a BIG improvement! While I was packing up, the pup came back to the tent area again. She had slept under the shelter. She made the rounds to all of the hikers to see who had food and ended up next to McGuyver. He was going to try to take her to the nearest town.We hiked out with Roan Mountain ahead of us, one of our last significant climbs (we thought) for a while. Of course, we were wrong again. Roan was a steady 6 ish mile climb, but much of it was switchbacks and not too steep. Still, quite a work out. I met a few guys (see pics) who reminded me of the Blues Brothers hiking the AT. One of them is named Honey Badger, and there are two on the trail this year. He claims to be the REAL Honey Badger, and that's a pretty big claim...we'll see! When I got to the top of Roan, I didn't realize I was at the top and just headed down. I missed the real bathroom opportunity at the picnic area up there. On the way down, the trail became a preview of Pennsylvania. Rocks and more rocks. They were bigger than gravel and smaller than boulders and continued for more than a mile. The feet could really feel them. I started to imagine walking over 40 miles on this..as PA will deliver to us. Not fun! The trail improved after a while, but the maintainers had made a big effort here to make it safe and sturdy for lots of hiker wear and tear. There were steps and slip prevention things in place all the way to the bottom, where I found..trail magic!I got a bottle of water and an orange from Bettye and Saylor, hikers who live near the trail. They had set up and were just about out of everything. (see pics)The next few climbs were, I thought, harder than Roan. They were to the tops of 3 Balds, Round Bald, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge Bald. The thing about Balds-they are mountains too but they never have switchbacks. You just climb right up.I was sweating and breathing hard when I got to the top of the first. You cant see the second one till you climb the first, so if you didn't look at the AWOL book, which I didn't, they come as a surprise. They continue to amaze and confound me. Why are they bald? D.No and I compare theories and I'll google it at some point. They are just breathtaking with the views and soft billowy grass. But- at the top of the fist, I saw an even higher second one with an ominous line that looked like the trail heading straight up. Yep, that went to Jane Bald, and from the top of that, I could see an even higher third Bald. I trudged up to the top of the last one, quite pooped, but was again revived by the views. At this point, my goal was the shelter, a mere 3.6 more miles, all downhill. The walk was pleasant and I had no more surprises. The shelter was a converted old barn. It was .3 downhill off the trail. We pitched our tent in the grassy area next to the barn and enjoyed the best views yet from a shelter. The REAL Honey Badger emerged from the woods with a log over his shoulder that had to be 8 feet long and weigh more than he did. He proceeded to tear that log up into fire sized pieces by any method of destruction he could find. I videoed it because it was incredibly entertaining. He might be the REAL Honey Badger.The privy had no front door and faced the same view. (see pics) Very funny and somehow just perfect. I ate ramen noodle soup with instant mashed potatoes in it (don't try this at home kids) and went to bed with something that felt like an overinflated football in my gut. I fell asleep wondering what happened to the pup, if McGuyver had been successful in getting her to town. Such big hearted people on this trail. Yes, the stress I was hopelessly bound up in when I started this adventure is beginning to unravel. The trail reveals the beauty of the land, but you have to work for it, and it also reveals the beauty of people, and you don't have to dig too deep to find that.