When Two Nights Became One...Trials & Tribulations On The Roans

This summer has seemed dominated by problems and weather. This means I had only been camping twice (not counting the Elkmont trip, which ended in June), and both of those were car camps. I had been backpacking since a May trip to Rocky Fork. Well, I would change that Wednesday with a trip to the Roans.

Truth be told, the original plan was to head to the Humps, but decided I wasn't really ready for that trip and it would be a good decision for many reasons I will touch on. So, instead, I decided to go up to the Roans instead.

I first drove up to the Roan Gardens area to run the drone and then hiked out to Roan High Bluffs. It had been a couple of years since my last trip out there. This time, I did the shorter hike of a mile out and back. I did this so I could put up the drone to good results. 

The trip up from Carvers Gap was harder than in the past. I know I keep getting older, but a 40-pound pack doesn't help. I don't know how it got so heavy. I mean, my Big Agnes is lighter than my Kelty Salida. Well, this weight issue is something I need to figure out. 

Because of my lack of hiking and heavy pack, I decided to keep my original plan and camp first at Jane Bald and then head to Grassy Ridge Bald on Thursday. One thing I have to say about the day was when the sun was out, it was abnormally hot for the Roans. Luckily, as soon as the sun started to set, so did the temperature, and it made for a pleasant evening. 

When I turned in for the evening, I didn't expect problems, but I would be wrong. When I went to bed, I had to blow up my sleeping pad (REI Rails), which wasn't unusual. What wasn't is waking up in the middle of the night after the pad deflated. Not all the way, but enough, and no, it's not fun having to blow it back up at 3 am. When I woke up in the morning, I knew it had a hole but found no sign of it. So, because of that and other reasons, I decided to cut the trip short. Pete wasn't happy, but I placated him by going up to Grassy Ridge Bald, and he was content. Also in the morning my sunrise was blocked by clouds and before long, I was shrouded in them. So, Thursday's views weren't like the day before.

Anyway, while shorter than I wanted, it was still a great overnight, and I found a new place to eat in Roan Mountain (Smoky Mountain Bakery) for pizza...win and win!

Carolina Mountain Club: A Story 100 Years In The Making

There never is a better time to celebrate than turning 100 years old. It was for this reason that we traveled to Asheville Sunday for the Centennial Anniversary of the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC). 

This 100-year bash was held at the North Carolina Arboretum. In the history of the Club, I have only been a member for a very short time. The CMC is the oldest hiking organization in the Southern United States and has a long storied history beginning in 1923. Two years before it started the Southern Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) formed in 1921. This lasted for two years before the Club reformed, with the blessing of the AMC, on July 16, 1923, as the CMC. With the idea of the Appalachian Trail (AT) being birthed around this time, the CMC would become officially involved with the AT when it absorbed the Carolina Appalachian Trail Club, which had formed in January of 1931, in December of the same year. Besides building a good bit of the AT in the south it also is involved with the starting (and maintaining) trails like the Art Loeb and Mountain-to-Sea. If you want more on the history of the CMC check out Danny Bernstein's book Carolina Mountain Club: One Hundred Years. 

At the event, there were hikes, vendor booths, a pizza truck, free ice cream, and cupcakes. We also got to walk around the gardens and to Pete's getting to hike on a trail. I even got time to talk "shop" with Paul and others in the CMC.

A couple of other things I did in Asheville were going to REI and visiting a new donut place...Vortex Doughnuts. I had read this place was good and it lived up to the hype. Finally, I want to give a shout-out to Jemima at Laurel River Store (near Hot Springs) who made me a coffee after the official closing...thank you!

Hard Day On AT-CMC Section Better With Help

This past Thursday, I was back on the section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) that I help take care of, for the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC), to do some weed-eating.

However, I wasn't alone. I had help (and I don't mean Pete), but Dennis Boone, who is helping me on the section. See it three miles one way, and according to an AT Thru-hiker I met, Handmade, he does maintenance for the Potomac AT Club and said their crews usually only took care of a mile Oh, those three miles don't include the two (at minimum) just to the AT and the section. So, any help is appreciated! Dennis and Paul came up the week before to do some of the weeding, but unfortunately, I couldn't come because of the sickness going around. So, we just had about half the section to do, including the area around the shelter as it had grown again. 

Heading up to...

...to Round Knob & Connector Trail.

Reaching the AT...Dennis left me a message.

High Summer AT.

Where Dennis weeded.

Before & after weeding at Jerry Cabin Shelter.

Some old & new signs.

Anyway, Pete was right about a few things. First, Dennis did have a great weedeater, and second, my damn bag was heavy. I will finish by saying I appreciated the help, because these trips might look all fun, but this one was bloody hard! I don't know if I was ever so glad to see the car on this day...I was gassed! 

More pictures of the weeding around the shelter.

(Clockwise) Roseby Rhododendron, Roundleaf Catchfly, Mountain Laurel, Zigzag Spiderwort, Star Tickseed

Dennis Doing Work.

Where we weeded too.

I ran out of water & thought of drinking from the many puddles...that was a beautiful site!

The clouds from earlier had cleared.

That is why it's surprising I was able to hike some of the Tusculum Trail because I was sore and tired...extremely!

SmugMug Photos

It's June & That Means A Trip To The Roans

What has become an annual event in June, I head up to the Roan Highlands to take in the beautiful blooms of the Catawba Rhododendrons.

Head up to Roan Mountain.

It's always a crap shoot of when the blooms will be at peak. I talked more about it here, but the Rhododendrons aren't the only reason to head up to the Gardens and the old Cloudland Hotel site. I last was up here in the white of winter, and either time of the year, it's just a beautiful place. I will just add how much different it is, and it is more than just the lower number of people. It's just so quiet in winter. Oh, and another thing, it was so much hazier (wildfires aren't helping) in summer. Just like back in January, I sent the drone up with a bird's eye view of the Roans. I even flew it over the Highest Shelter on the Appalachian Trail (AT), Roan High Knob. 

(T) Winter & (B) Summer

Winter & Summer at the Roan Rhododendron Gardens.

One more look at the differences between January & this trip.

Looking back at the Cloudland Hotel Site.

Roan Highlands vista & notice the rust-colored roof...Roan High Knob Shelter.

Unlike this past winter, I did head up to the Balds from Carvers Gap. Some new additions on the mountain included first some boot cleaners to help with spreading invasive species. The second was on the summit of Round Bald. Puncheons had been installed on both sides for when it gets sloppy and cut down on wear. At the end of each were information signs with points of interest in Tennessee and North Carolina. 

Carvers Gap

Rhododendrons, AT & the new boot cleaning station.

The trail to Round Bald &...

...new Puncheons & information boards.

Headed through Engine Gap.

On this trip, I went only as far as Jane Bald. At some point, I did a few more "assisted" photographs.

Jane Bald Big Rock Vista

I have a quest at my campsite.

Roan Highlands

Looking into NC.

Jane & Grassy Ridge Balds.

Looking into Tennessee.

Round Bald & Roan High Knob.

Back to Carvers Gap.

To the chagrin of Pete, I decided to camp at the campground at Roan Mountain State Park (RMSP). I have wanted to for some time, and I'm glad I did. It's a really great campground with nice bathrooms and water at my site. I will be staying here again, that you can beat on. 

Campsite #26...

...& the nighttime glow.

It was a pancake mornng.

I wanted to hike on Friday, but it was not too hard. So, it was decided on the Peg Leg Loop Trail. As Pete said, it was a different configuration from when I thought of doing it a few years ago. They had merged the Peg Leg with the Cloudland Trail, so it tripled in size. Still, it was a nice hike and a great way to end two days in the Roans.

(T) The Owls & Snakes of RMSP, (B) Peg Leg Mine Loop hike.

SmugMug Photos

Weed Eating Is Just One Task (Raking Privy) As Summer Comes To The AT

It's June and that means the thru-hiker bubble has passed, but that doesn't mean an AT (Appalachian Trail) Maintener's job is done. So, over a fortnight ago I headed up to my section of the AT to do some post-thru-hikers, summer maintenance. 

I didn't do an overnight because one of the tasks involved weeding and I had to carry a tool for the job two miles just to reach the start of my section. Well, it turns out that the weedeater I took wasn't close to doing the job. Plus I had three miles to do and that was a little much for just me, so I asked Paul at the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) for help, so another trip is coming soon. 

Heading to the AT

The difference in the trail...

...in just over a month is amazing!

That did mean I didn't get anything done. I was able to get weed-eating done around Jerry Cabin Shelter and around the water plus the privy. Speaking of the privy I had another job to complete in regards to it and that is raking the privy. Yes, it is how it sounds, you take off the cover closest to the drop zone and then use a long rake to pull the waste into the uncovered section. Yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds. It was like a fudge that smelled terrible and the flies, I have never seen this many and they were all big ones. Once finished then cover with leaves and put the lid back on. I should have raked it in April it's a mistake I won't make again. 

Just some of the work at Jerry Cabin

Because of all the work I did around the shelter I didn't have the time or energy to go the other two miles of the three-mile section. I also had a full bag of trash to haul out. However, on the way back I did get to weed-eat some, mostly just cutting back stinging nettle and poison ivy. While the maintenance work ended when I reached the Round Knob Road Connector, I still had some additional trash duty along the way.  Once back at Round Knob, I sent the drone up for a few shots. It gave me a good look at the smoke from the Canadian Wildfires as it had obscured Greeneville 10 miles away.

Like I said I did get some weed eating done on the way back.

Leaving the AT & heading back I picked up trash on the way back & at Round Knob

(T) The view from February & June... (B) The view of where I was...

SmugMug Photos