4/23/01
Yippee! ! Today was a day of milestones. First, I climbed over Roan Mountain, the last 6000+ peak between here and Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Second, the climb is the toughest in terms of total elevation gain at a steep ascent. Third, I saw snow on the ground for probably the last time until New Hampshire or Maine. Hiking began at 8:00 a.m. It took 4 hours to get to Roan High Knob where I stopped to write a journal entry in the shelter register. Hip and I ate lunch together on Jane Bald and got a nice sunburn while we enjoyed the incredible views. Since it was clear, we could see Roan just to our southwest, Grandfather Mtn. to the east, and Mt. Rogers in Virginia on the distant horizon to the northeast. We arrived at the Overmountain shelter (otherwise known as "The Barn") around 4:30 p.m. This is the shelter I have spent many nights with BSA Troop 33. The barn can sleep 30 upstairs and 10 downstairs comfortably. Staying here tonight brings back many memories, especially the night our troop arrived in the fog and you couldn't see one end of the loft from the other with a flashlight, it was so thick! Tonight Pop Pop, Kay, Hip and I are sleeping upstairs in the loft out of the wind. Downstairs Brian from NJ and Othera are braving the wind. Pop Pop is serenading us with harmonica tunes as the last light is fading and the wind is blowing in the background. Life is good. Rain is coming in tonight or tomorrow so we'll play it by ear with the hiking schedule tomorrow morning. This is a great shelter to weather a storm if it's going to happen, tonight's a great night for it! The trail from Roan Mtn. across Hump is one of the most beautiful areas of the Southern Appalachians, so I might even make tomorrow a zero day just to wait for fair weather to cross the "Humps". Another awesome day on the A.T. Today's stats: Low 49 degrees high 75. Sunny. Today's mileage 12.4; cumulative mileage 376.2.
