The weather on the Blue Ridge was expected to be excellent today - luckily, I’d reserved a hiker shuttle last week! I was awake by 0600, ate "breakfast" (twinkies, fruit pies) at the hotel and left Elizabethton (TN) by 0715. Driving south on US-19E, I got to see a beautiful sunrise but, as I drove through the town of Roan Mountain (TN), I encountered some major fog. By the time I parked at "The Station at 19E" (to wait for the shuttle), I couldn’t really see any terrain and started to wonder if I’d get any views. Fortunately, I discovered that I just needed to get above the clouds - my driver (who arrived only 20 minutes after me) took me up to Carver’s Gap (TN/NC line) and I could immediately see I’d hit the jackpot on weather! There weren’t ANY clouds at 5K+ feet, the temps were already in the mid 50s and there was hardly any wind. I started NOBO on the AT just after 0830 and soon (very short climb) summited the first peak. I’d actually done the short walk here in May 2014, just as my AT journey was beginning, so I couldn’t count the mileage until I crested the top. From the spectacular “long views”, it was clear I’d reached the gateway to the famous Roan Highlands! Several young couples (and their photographers, Rachel) had anticipated the beautiful weather, I guess, because the first bald was covered with people in suits, wedding dresses, kilts and bridesmaids barking out instructions. A bit farther on, I noticed that there were also MANY tents (scattered across the bald). At about this time, I encountered another hiker (“Skipper”) who was going the same way as I was. He told me he’d started a 2021 Thru hike but had been forced to leave the trail (injury) - instead, I learned he was trying to join the “2000 Mile Club” (just like I am). For most of the day, we ended up leap frogging (which was fun). For several miles, I walked in open fields in the bright sunshine - there were lots of great photo opportunities. After a little while, though, I descended back into a forest and spent a few miles in shade. Unlike during my normal hikes, I never really counted any of the other hikers - I may have seen 5-10 SOBO Thru hikers but there were also 30-40 other people walking in the opposite direction during my walk on the AT. Despite this, I was alone for much of the hike - it was amazingly quiet at times. I passed two shelters in the middle of the section (didn’t stop at either) and encountered the Overmountain Victory route again (Yellow Gap). A bit later, I stopped to talk to some students (from UNC Charlotte) who had volunteered to repair the trail. I could tell that a lot of erosion control was needed because much of my hike was through muddy areas - I thanked the young folks for trying to improve the hiking experience. The next phase of the hike involved two challenging climbs/descents - I had to cross Little Hump and Big Hump. Like Roan Mountain, these two terrain features were balds - and both were close to 6K feet tall. Several times, I got glimpses of views that were very similar to the White Mountain peaks on Franconia Ridge and the Presidentials (Skipper agreed). Somehow, I made it through the high points without a problem and marveled (several times) at the views of Grandfather Mountain (to the East) and Watauga Lake (to the North). Just as the descent began from the top of Big Hump, I remembered that I’d basically been straddling the TN/NC border. This point was driven home after I’d gone back into the trees and continued a dramatic descent into the valley where Roan Mountain is located - there was actually a sign that told NOBOs they were finally done with the border dance… The AT followed the sides of the mountains for close to four miles, weaving back and forth into little crevasses where tiny creeks began their journey to the sea. I probably had to walk through about 30 “S turns” before I abruptly encountered US-19E - the sounds of traffic had been masked by running water in the hollows. I had to walk about another mile (south on the blacktop) to reach my car and was done with my 15ish mile hike at around 1530. Felt tired but wasn’t too sore. I cleaned up a bit in my car and then drove to Elizabethton for lunch/dinner at Taco John's (1620). I stayed in the restaurant for over an hour, catching up on news, emails and texts. By 1730, I got on US-321 and drove west (I'd made a reservation for a hotel online). I used TN-67, TN-107 and TN-351, along with several other country roads (I ended up behind an ATV for a while) to reach the next "hiking zone". At 1800, I joined our Knights of Columbus Council meeting (via telcon). Even though we had trouble staying connected, I heard almost everything and ended up winning the 50/50 raffle (!!!). After eventually getting back on US-321, I arrived at my hotel (Quality Inn) in Newport (TN) at around 1915 and checked into my room. I had some difficulty with keys (with some stuff "trapped" in one room and me in another). Finally settled, I talked to Mollie a bit about what I'd learned during my hike (about the Student Conservation Corps) and then relaxed, read and watched movies until bed at 2215. Felt awesome after being able to finish the AT in Tennessee! I have just about reached the 300 "miles to go" mark - I hope to breach that barrier on Wednesday! AT Today = 13.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 1881.1 miles
