Days 22-28: Hot Springs, NC to Roan Mountain, TN
Hi from mile 395.2! As of today I’ve officially made it through 2 states (since the start of the Smokies the AT has basically traced the NC/TN border, so it’s a fun game to guess which state I’m sleeping in on any given night), and I have only about 75 miles of Tennessee left before I hit Virginia! These past 7 days have been some of my favorites: I’ve kicked up the miles and really felt my trail legs grow in, and I’ve walked through my favorite landscapes of the trail so far.
Stay Strong: a serendipitous reminder
I found the stick above tucked in between boulders on a rocky ridge that I climbed a few days back. I have been having the most amazing time on trail, but I have been a bit apprehensive knowing that I’m heading into Virginia. The “Virginia Blues” are common on the AT: 550 miles of the trail run through Virginia (around 1/4 of the entire trail), and around Virginia tends to be the time when the mental game becomes a challenge, now that thru hiking isn’t fresh and new. Even though I’m still in a super positive place and hopefully I will continue to be, finding this stick was a nice reminder of support.
Beauty Spot: True to its name
A few days ago, just as I was being lulled into the bliss and comfort of 40 degree nights and 60 degree days a cold snap hit, and temperatures dropped just as I was gaining elevation. The challenge: readjusting to cold nights—when it’s cold my routine basically is get to camp, put on all my layers, tough it out in the cold as long as I can, finally crack and crawl into my sleeping bag, wonder why I didn’t get into my sleeping bag 45 minutes earlier. The reward: my morning climb up to Beauty Spot, a bald summit a few miles past Erwin on the way to the Roan Highlands, a few days ago. It had rained the previous day, and the cold overnight temperatures covered the trees in a layer of ice, which sparkled in the morning light and made me feel like I was walking in a fairy wonderland. My favorite single spot on the AT so far.
The Roan Highlands
I had been hearing about the Roan Highlands for weeks as one of the highlights of the trail, and even with the high expectations they did not disappoint. The highlands are a series of balds all above treeline. Walking extended sections of trail above treeline is one of my favorite hiking experiences: so far I’ve had experience hiking in the alpine in Colorado, Washington, and New Hampshire. All of these experiences are distinctly different: the loose rock and nestled alpine lakes of Colorado, the sharp peaks and high meadows of Washington, and the granite slabs and waves of green ridges in New Hampshire. It’s awesome to now have the experiences of the waves of tan grass in Tennessee to compare.
Plus last night I stayed in this really awesome barn nestled in a beautiful meadow. That’s the first picture. So A+ for the Roan Highlands.
For Mom: Bad Selfies
Taking bad selfies is an honored tradition for me and my mom, so I couldn’t let her absence be an excuse not to take some myself. These images depict (1) one of the balds in the highlands (2) the sign denoting I was leaving NC for good (3) me and Rose, one of the lovable dogs at Mountain Harbour Hostel where I am staying tonight, and (4) me with Moki, an equally lovable dog. Enjoy.
Some things that I have discovered that make me feel like an ~expert~ backpacker:
– my phone loses battery a lot more quickly when it’s cold, so I’ve been putting it in my glove when I hike so that I can still listen to music or audiobooks
– portioning out my food into individual ziplocks for each day is the way to go: it makes it way easier to manage and helps me ration my food well.
Up next: Virginia! I’ll be in Damascus in just a few days!!