Appalachian Trail in TN – 2/29/16 – Iron Mountain Gap to
Carver’s Gap – 15.2 miles
During the winter of 2014 I worked on my goal of completing
the Virginia section of the AT. Week
after week, my efforts were thwarted by frequent heavy snowfalls and colder
than usual temperatures. Many of my
hikes are solo and I take seriously the consequences of an injury in any
circumstance, but an injury out alone in the cold is more than I am willing to
risk, so the conditions under which I go winter hiking are zero to very little chance
of precip and no wind. More than once in
the winter of 2014 I arranged shuttles for dayhikes, only to have the shuttle
driver advise me the day before that it might not be safe.
Not true in this winter of 2016. Trailheads have been accessible and trail conditions
have been tolerable. Given all that,
today’s hike still took me a little bit by surprise high up on Roan
Mountain.
My shuttle driver and I met at Carver’s Gap on Highway 261 just
a smidge over the state line in Tennessee.
Carver’s Gap is the jumping off point for roaming around the Roan
Highlands, a favorite section of the AT for its high elevation, grassy balds, rhododendron bloom
and Sound Of Music vistas. From there we
drove south and she dropped me at Iron Mountain Gap. I faced 15.2 miles on a chilly but clear
winter day with lots of waypoints to keep me entertained on my walk back to
Carver’s Gap.
And traces of snow
Notice that “Greesy Creek Gap” has been written in by
hand on the trail sign (with creative spelling). Four miles into my hike I stopped at this gap
to eat and saw another hand lettered sign indicating a hostel .6 miles down a
side trail. I met a hiker at the gap who
told me the story of a dispute between landowners. A woman bought a piece of property and
created a hiker hostel, but her neighbor did not appreciate the endeavor and
began a campaign to make life difficult, mowing the lawn at 6:00 a.m., blocking
the driveway, etc., and possibly defacing the sign to remove the name of Greasy
Creek Gap. How much of that is
true? Be sure to read my next blog post.
The trail featured plenty of small ups and downs and
intriguing trees. How does this one stay
standing?
Winter sky
I couldn’t tell whether this was a trail maintenance
marking or graffiti
The reward for the steep push up Little Rock Knob was a
sweeping view into a valley with a Christmas tree farm
And a little more snow
Monument at Hughes Gap
I was 9 miles into my hike and feeling a teensy bit
fatigued. Looking at the elevation
profile ahead did not help. Right in
front of me was an intimidating relentless climb up Roan Mountain, 2,245 feet
in less than 4 miles. One foot in front
of the other.
The snow got a little deeper, and a little deeper, covering
the rocks and roots so that every step needed to be intentional. My criteria of no precip and no wind was in
effect, but I hadn’t expected the amount of snow and definitely did not want to
slip and sprain an ankle or break a leg.
I hadn’t seen another hiker since the fellow at Greasy Creek Gap and
there weren’t going to be any buses coming by.
I concentrated, taking short steps with my tongue hanging out, and my
pace slowed to about one mile per hour. Whew.
I took just one photo during my ascent, icicles on a
cold day. Near the top, balsam and Fraser
firs appeared and transformed the woods into magic land. As the trail continues
north, this is the last large area of fir and spruce before reaching New
England, other than one small section on Mount Rogers in southwest Virginia and
another in Shenandoah National Park. Sound was muffled by the snow and I kept
my eyes peeled for tiny tracks and woodland creatures.
Just past the summit of Roan Mountain is Toll House Gap. Back in the 1880’s General John Wilder took an
interest in the beauty of the views and the profusion of rhododendron and built
the Cloudland Hotel so all the wealthy folks could enjoy it in comfort. The hotel operated for about 20 years before
being dismantled in 1914 and returning the mountaintop to nature – almost. Today there is parking, a picnic area,
restrooms, boardwalks and viewing stands.
From the meadow at the Cloudland Hotel site you can see
Table Rock and Hawksbill at Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mountain.
Too early to celebrate – there is still a half-mile to
Roan High Knob Shelter (more uphill in the snow). Yes, I skipped the slight side trail to the
shelter. Don’t judge.
The rocky trail (old Hack Line Road) from Roan High
Knob down to Carver’s Gap was blanketed in several inches of snow, giving the
switchbacked descent a dreamy snowshoe-like quality. I met one local fellow going up to the top,
said during the winter snows he frequently hikes a loop going up the trail and
down via the road. I envied his
proximity to this place in all seasons.
The trail turned right off of the wide track and zigzagged through
the open forest, crossing several footbridges before connecting to the parking lot
at Carver’s Gap. It was later than I had
anticipated finishing the hike and I had a three-hour drive home. All in all, a
challenging, invigorating, soulful day in the woods.
"Only when you drink from the river of silence, shall
you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall
begin to climb..." Kahlil Gibran
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