Carver's Gap to US 19E, northbound

May 24, 2013
14.8 miles
9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

We have been hearing a lot about the breakfast at Mountain Harbour. Almost every hiker who came in during the last few days was disappointed when they found out that Mary was not cooking breakfast. Post cards on the wall of the hostel from successful thru-hikers say it was the best breakfast on the trail for them. We’ve been here three nights and finally, Mary is cooking breakfast. We were the first to go up to the house and had the pleasure of talking with Mary and Terry while we drank coffee and they finished cooking breakfast. It was indeed the best breakfast ever. Quiche, cinnamon rolls, apple dumplings, biscuits, sausage gravy, fruit, and more. Awesome!

 Well, the day we have all been waiting for – our hike across the Roan Highlands.  We have been hearing from the northbound hikers who come into the hostel about this hike.  Each one has a different tale to tell.  Some have been over it in the rain, some in the scorching sun.  But all have told about the rocks and roots coming down into the final gap. 

We reached Carver’s Gap at 9:30 in the rain.  We started back up the trail we had traveled once before.  Good thing we took pictures before because we could not see much this morning.  It was nice to make it further this time. It was still rainy, foggy and windy. 




Here is some history from the Revolutionary War in 1780.

As we reached the trail to Overmountain Shelter the rain stopped and sun came out.  The wind was slowly blowing the clouds away and we could see more of the scenery. 

Overmountain Shelter

The clouds finally began to lift and we could see the scenery.

The Overmountain Shelter is named for the Overmountain Men, American frontiersmen from west of the Appalachian Mountains who took part in the American Revolutionary War. They are best known for their role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.  At Yellow Mountain Gap the Overmountain Victory Trail crosses the AT and is part of the 330 mile trail used by the frontiersmen as they marched from Abingdon, VA to Kings Mountain. 

The Shelter is a large, red, converted barn once used as a backdrop for the movie "Winter People." It is an interesting shelter.   
 

 

 

 

I kept looking back at the shelter as we went up the mountain. 



Little Hump Mountain (5459') and then Hump Mountain (5587').  This area is quite possibly the most beautiful scenery on the southern trail.  Hump Mountain stands high above the surrounding hills and the view of its valleys seems to go on forever.  Words cannot express how beautiful it is.  Our AT guidebook says that the origins of the balds are a mystery to scientists.  Some say it is the harsh conditions at high elevations, while others claim Indians cleared the mountains for religious ceremonies.  Many believe extensive grazing and cropping led to treeless summits.  

One peak on Hump Mountain is Houston Ridge where a plaque can be found honoring Stan Murray, the former chairman of the ATC and originator of the Appalachian Greenway concept.  A shelter 2.2 miles south of Overmountain also carries his name. 

As we climbed the Hump, it was so windy it was difficult to stay on our feet. We felt so fortunate that we had a clear view though, we knew that did not always happen.  Each time we reached the top of a bald we were in awe of the beautiful view, then went up higher for more.  I really had a hard time getting up Hump Mountain because of the wind.  When I finally reached the summit there were some big boulders there for us to get behind for some reprieve from the wind.  We were joined by a young man who we had been leapfrogging with all day.  After a short break, we continued on.  The young man was ahead of us, when he went over the top of the mountain, we heard him give out a whoop.  When we got there, we knew why.  We had not reached the summit yet!  It kept going up more!  What a surprise.  Hump Mountain was more mountain than we knew. 

 

After the balds, we had some forest and pasture-land hiking and went through Doll Flats where we saw a sign “Leaving North Carolina.”  We will be in Tennessee until we reach Damascus, Virginia.  No more North Carolina. 

We had a great time and a wonderfully beautiful day going over the balds.  But what we had heard so much about – the roots and the rocks - was yet to come.  Yes, the descent was rough, but well worth it.  We reached Highway 19E in good spirits after almost 15 miles.

We left Mountain Harbor and drove up to our next hostel, Black Bear Resort. It is located on the other side of the mountain from Hampton, Tennessee, just a short distance east of the trailhead.  Kincora Hostel is about the same distance west of the trailhead.  I hear that Kincora is a popular hostel because the owner is so involved in trail work. Black Bear is in its second year of operation and overall is a very nice facility, operating also as an RV park and campground.  They have a bunkhouse and also cabins to rent.  We chose a cabin with a refrigerator and microwave. We were surprised to find that there were no sheets on the bed and we had to pay extra to get some.  We had spent enough nights in sleeping bags and wanted to be able to stretch out on the beds more than our mummy bags would allow, so we opted for the sheets.  Other than that, we had a pleasant stay at Black Bear for the next few nights.
 

So much rain lately, my feet got awfully muddy.