Roan Mountain, TN (USA)

Clouds were forecast and I woke to a beautiful sunrise (with red skies to the east). After breakfast, I started exploring US-19E south of Hampton, hoping to find Forest Service Road 293. After asking some locals and trying (unsuccessfully) to find it by driving a couple of gravel roads north of Roan Mountain, I gave up and headed toward my backup plan, the AT Trailhead at Hughes Gap. Just as I parked, I ran into a guy from Illinois who came out of the woods to the south - he was finishing a three day section hike. At 0900, I headed NOBO. It was cold and I wore two layers as headed NOBO. Realized a bit later (after I was a few hundred feet above the road) that I’d started the day with Senior Moment and forgot my hat! I just kept going, anticipating major sunburn... Like yesterday, the trail followed the NC-TN border and was actually tracking south and east for most of the day. My car was parked at around 4K feet and the climb to the summit of the Roan High Knob and Bluff took me up to almost 6.5K. It was definitely a different world: the alpine trees were a pleasant part of the day (mmmm, minty evergreen). In the shade, there was lots of snow and ice but in the sun, it was probably almost 50 and muddy. Either way, it was slippery! I passed one lady hiker but she didn’t say a word to me. A bit later, when I crested the first ridge and found Ash Gap, I met two guys who were camping with their “jowelly” chocolate Lab. After I started climbing the bigger ridge, I found myself in lots more snow - it slowed me down a lot. Somehow, I made it to the summit (Toll House Gap). In 2014 I’d turned around somewhere between that spot and Carvers Gap and I had to descend a lot to find the place. During this part of the hike, I saw movement ahead of me on the trail and though it was a deer. However, it ended up being a HUGE turkey! Glad he was running away... Eventually, I got the typical deja vu cues and realized I’d found the turnaround point (it looked different with snow). I then cut over to the Roan Mountain Access Road (gate closed) and walked on pavement to Toll House Gap. By then, the sun had warmed everything up and I was sweating a lot. But, just like that, I was in the alpine shade again and was glad I didn’t layer down. Halfway back to my car, three guys who were Thru hiking passed me and asked a lot of questions about conditions. While we were talking, three girls arrived and started talking about lunch. The merry band seemed like they were all in for a great adventure! Made great time in the last descent, arriving at the road at 1420 after about 12.5 miles. Felt really good about my stamina and perseverance today - have a few other places left on the AT with this kind of terrain and I feel ready! Drove back to Elizabethton and checked back into Travelers Inn at 1510. Rested and read for a while and then walked to Amigo Mexican Restaurant for dinner (done at 1830). More TV and reading before bed time. Gonna try to squeeze in another hike before the approaching rain hits tomorrow morning. AT Today = 5.30 miles / G.T. AT = 1362.72 miles