Samwise Hikes the Appalachian Trail! - Trail Journal -
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May 8, Apple House Shelter - mile 384.4

I got up at 4:20 this morning to get a chance to see the sunrise on top of Roan. I hit the trail at 5:37 -- still dark, but with a hazy full moon, I could make out the trail well enough to finish climbing the 1.5 miles to the top. I was hoping for a colorful sunrise, which didn't happen, but it was still a beautiful sight, with all the thunder clouds swirling around the sky. I also made a point to visit the parking lot up there, where they had restrooms with running water! What a treat.

After Roan, the weather socked in and I didn't get a chance to see much from the top of the next two balds. In fact, it was so foggy that I had trouble telling which rut I was supposed to follow for the trail. They have been relocating the trail up there, but it wasn't always clear which one I was supposed to follow. Eventually, I just looked for boot prints and followed those.

Around noon, I got to Overmountain Shelter, one of the best-loved shelters on the trail. It's an old barn that has been converted into a shelter and it sits at the top of a valley with the most breath-taking view in the world, I swear. I came with half a mind to spend the night there, just for the experience. But when I evaluated the miles left to my next mail drop and my food situation, I determined it better to keep moving to the next shelter. But I did take a 2 1/2 hour lunch break, and loved every minute of it! Mr. Moo, Featherweight, and Lightfoot were all there as well, and we had a good time chatting and eating.

The rest of the afternoon, I spent climbing 2 more balds and enjoying the beauty of the day. Coming down off the second bald, I came to a huge surprise. A pasture full of longhorn cows were grazing there! There were also several calves and a big bull hanging out there, too. It was a little bit surreal. I calmly tiptoed past them all, working hard not to take any souvenirs on my boots, and then plunged on another 5 miles to this shelter.