Trail Journal - May 12, 2005
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May 12, 2005
Note:  Due to the mailing of tapes, this journal is about 20 days behind.  As of May 30, 2005 Sandy and Simon are at Pearisburg, VA and doing well.
Leaving Stan Murray Shelter at 9:30am; a 10 mile day planned.  Coming down on the trail in switch backs.  There's a beautiful lacy white flower along the trail that I'm not familiar with at all.  No leaves on the trees yet, and hawthorn trees with the big stickers on the side of them.
There's an airplane flying over head; its probably my son-in-law E.J. trying to find me in this wilderness so he can drop a big water balloon on top of my head.  If he finds me and does that he's going to be X son-in-law.
I'm at the Yellow Mountain Gap; this is the junction of the AT  and Historic Bright Trace route used by the  over mountain men to cross the mountains in route to the Revolutionary War Battle at Kings Mountain.
Overmountain Shelter is a big red barn.  375.2 miles from Springer Mountain.  I must be getting towards the top, back on the Tenn. side now.  I'm going around the side of mountain that to my right there is a huge bald I think the path is going take us right up and over.  I was right, we're going straight up over the top.  I stopped on top of the bald to eat lunch.  I watched the rain clouds form in the valley; went and got my rain gear out to cover my backpack. Then, I heard this big rumble of thunder off in the distance and put my rain coat on and gathered up my food.  My goal is to get off the top of this mountain.
It was pretty rugged until we got down to Brady Gap, then we started back up a very steep hill, by the time we got to Brady we were fogged in.  It had rained a little bit, but the next hill bald was so fogged in it was hard to tell what was there, when I got there were big boulders.  Coming off the bald is was slow moving because we had to cross over big huge boulders, some small ones and bunches and bunches of roots.
Got about 2.3 miles to Apple Shelter.  When I get there I'm going to see what time it is and stay there the night or try to Elk Park NC.  The trail is going around and under huge big boulders; I can look up there ant they go maybe 20 to 30 feet above my head.
It's sprinkling on now and thundering, looks like there may be a big thunder storm tonight. Got to Apple Shelter and stayed a while.  Then got a ride to Buck's Place that's very close to Roan Mountain.  Stayed there and avoided the thunder storm.  Had my supper that evening at the little dinner that was there.  It wasn't the cleanest place around, but it had everything a hiker could need, some beds or sleep on the floor, hot showers. etc.  The next morning after pancakes and eggs I had to walk about a mile back up to the trail.
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