View Full Version : Planning a Roan Hike
JMRedwine
08-10-2011, 09:23
Good Morning and Welcome to the forum to me! I am new here and am very excited about this forum and the opportunity to pick peoples brains about one of my favorite past times! My other obsession is Jeeps and the folks on Jeepforum have proved unbelievably useful, as I know you will also.
On to the subject at hand...
I am planning a 3 day section hike for next weekend. I want to do the Roan Highlands, as I love that area and am taking a group that hasn't been. In the past I have parked at Carver's Gap and hiked out to 19e and back. I was thinking about doing a Point to Point this time. I was going to park at 19e and have the other car at Iron Mountain Gap. However I have heard that 19e is a vandalism magnet and I don't want my volvo to look like my convertible Jeep when I get back. So what's a good alternative? Any other really good hikes in that area that will take me over the humps and through the balds? I like the area from clyde smith to carvers gap bc the pines are nice and shady this time of year. Would I be better to leave a car at bitter end road parking lot and just have a long first day? Is that doable from bitter end to Overmountain shelter for the first day?
One suggestion would be to park here: http://www.mountainharbour.net/ and get them to shuttle you to Iron Mt. Gap.
XrayDuke
08-10-2011, 11:24
On the 19E end leave your car at Mountain Harbor B&B. They are very reasonable and will also do shuttles. They are only about 1/2 mile or less from the 19E trailhead.
XrayDuke
08-10-2011, 11:25
10-K, you was typing while I was.
Berserker
08-10-2011, 12:19
One suggestion would be to park here: http://www.mountainharbour.net/ and get them to shuttle you to Iron Mt. Gap.
I did this exact thing last year. Worked out great. The shuttle was $44 (I think), and parking something like $2 a day. Not sure what the shuttle is now with higher gas prices.
Hiking Man
08-10-2011, 12:32
I am also doing this same seaction in two weeks. Has anybody heard how the water is in this section? Like at the Overmountain shelter?
XrayDuke
08-10-2011, 13:16
I did Carvers Gap to 19E last Monday-Tuesday and there was good water below Grassey Ridge and at Bradley gap. Didn't check at Overmountain Shelter and Doll Flats had just a trickle out of the pipe spring but was more than enough to filter four liters for me and my son. That area had rain the first of this week so should be better now.
Tennessee Viking
08-10-2011, 13:50
Diddo on 19E. Overnight parking at 19E to Bitter End is not advisable. Day hike parking is simi-ok but take precautions. There are some yocals that live in the area that don't like hikers.
I have maintainer friends that parked at Buck Mtn Road a couple years ago, and walked the trail for about 5-10 minutes and came back to their tires slashed.
One suggestion would be to park here: http://www.mountainharbour.net/ and get them to shuttle you to Iron Mt. Gap.
Ditto! Make sure you take the time to side step up to Grassy Ridge..worth the extra 3/4 mile or so each way...
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/5/4/6/2/dpp_0031.jpg
Good section--I don't think I'd be overly worried about water up there. All of the sources and more were running strongly.
Shooting Star
08-10-2011, 23:01
I've hiked through this section several times and love it. Sometime, I'd like to detour down
the Overmountain Victory Trail past the shelter and into the valley on the NC side. Has
anyone hiked this? Where does it come out? Any good trailhead places to leave a car?
Hiking Man
08-11-2011, 07:42
You can leave your car at the end of the Roarning Creek RD. I have never done it, but i know people who have. It's about a mile hike up to the overmountain shelter from the end of the road.
I am thinking of taking my 6 year old son on a overnight hike soon and this maybe good for that. Dose anybody know how safe it is to leave your car at the end of Roarning Creek RD?
Tennessee Viking
08-11-2011, 08:44
I've hiked through this section several times and love it. Sometime, I'd like to detour down
the Overmountain Victory Trail past the shelter and into the valley on the NC side. Has
anyone hiked this? Where does it come out? Any good trailhead places to leave a car?Its not a long trail on the NC side. The OMVT comes out at a another turnout near the main gate leading to the barn. Its just the old horse/wagon route that is still used by the reenactors. The TN side of the trail is a bit longer that goes down to the Hampton Creek Cove Farmstead. The OVMT then becomes a road route until Linville Gorge.
There are no public access points except for the Carvers Gap/Cloudland area and Roaring Creek for the Roan area.
You can leave your car at the end of the Roarning Creek RD. I have never done it, but i know people who have. It's about a mile hike up to the overmountain shelter from the end of the road.
I am thinking of taking my 6 year old son on a overnight hike soon and this maybe good for that. Dose anybody know how safe it is to leave your car at the end of Roarning Creek RD?Its pretty safe. I have parked there on a few occasions overnight. I would still take precautions on not having anything of value in view.
JMRedwine
08-11-2011, 08:57
Thanks guys! I never would have thought twice about leaving my car at a trailhead. I'm glad I found this site. If I have a group of 6 would it still be one flat rate to shuttle us up to Iron Gap? That would be convenient. Does anyone know what it costs to stay the night in their hiker cabin? We are going to be getting in around 11 on Thursday night, so is it still possible to park there? It's about a 6 hour drive for my wife and I, and a 4.5 hour drive for the other group coming, so our plan was to get there thursday night then get up friday morning and drop a car off and then get going. But if they allow late check ins maybe we should stay at the cabin thursday night and then let them shuttle us friday morning? I guess I should just call them.
To the guy hiking this section in two weeks, are you going the weekend of the 19th? See you out there! I have stayed at the overmountain shelter a number of times and there is a nice stream just up the path from it, in between the shelter and the AT.
Tennessee Viking
08-11-2011, 09:44
Call Mountian Harbour first to check on rates and reserve shuttles and check availablity of the hiker loft. Sometimes they rent it out to guests during the off season.
Mr. Bumpy
08-14-2011, 09:09
I am thinking of taking my 6 year old son on a overnight hike soon and this maybe good for that. Dose anybody know how safe it is to leave your car at the end of Roarning Creek RD?
That is a fine place to leave your car. That is where we started taking our son backpacking when he was 3 1/2. We have so many goon nights at the barn or up on the balds.
rpenczek
08-15-2011, 09:10
I had a group of Boy Scouts on that section two years ago, MH was our 1/2 way point. We intended to camp in their field, but since there were no hikers (other than us), I rented the entire loft for $180. Given the rain, it was well worth the bed and shower.
JMRedwine
08-17-2011, 09:17
Alright gentlemen. I am staying at Mountain harbor B&B tomorrow night and they are shuttling us to Iron Gap to start on Friday! But I'm wondering...It's 12.5 miles from Iron Gap to Roan High Knob shelter. It's mostly ridge with a 2200 foot climb over the last 2 miles. This is fine for me, but I am a little bit concerned because a couple of the people going are not very experienced, and are in decent shape, as in they may run a couple miles a couple times a week, along with some interval training, but 12.5 miles is a pretty long hike. Do you guys think this is too far? Does anybody know of an AT access point a couple miles closer, maybe in the vicinity of the Clyde Smith shelter?
Tennessee Viking
08-17-2011, 10:52
Don't let the climb fool you. Once you get a pace, you can climb it.The trail from IMG to Hughes Gap is mostly ridgetop with some climbs. But starting at Hughes Gap without a pace, is what really kills you. Stay at Clyde Smith or tent around Ashe Gap if your group is not wanting to make the climb in the 1st day.
The trail around Ashe Gap to Cloudland just had some relocation work done by TEHCC and Konnarock for a better grade. But it might not be open just yet. The old trail has been becoming more washed out the last few years.
There is a huge campsite with water source at Ashe Gap. Then there is a small flat area for tenting just north of Hughes Gap, and water sources down the road on the TN side and some possible ones south of Hughes Gap.
As for other access points, you can go up to the trail from CeeCee's Greasy Creek Friendly in Buladeen NC to GC Gap. Ignore the neighbor. Then there is a maintainers access from Tiger Creek Road/Roaring Creek Road then walk up USFS 4331. But you kind of have to know where to go for this as its unmarked. Then Hughes Gap.
JMRedwine
08-17-2011, 13:07
For some reason I hadn't even thought of just camping somewhere else. Duh! Thanks! That's a great idea, we will start at Iron Gap and hopefully make it to Roan High Knob, but if we have some folks struggling then we will tent it. Thanks again!
Trail head
08-17-2011, 13:55
I have hiked from greasy creek friendly hostel up to the gap, and then on to clyde smith and roan high several times. This would cut down on mileage, without sacrificing any great views. Not much to see between Iron mt. gap and greasy creek gap. Just a thought.
wornoutboots
08-17-2011, 22:15
12.5 miles is a lot for anyone on the 1st day especially folks who haven't backpacked. I suggest leaving the option of camping short of the destination if you get the feeling that even one person in the group is beat. The worst thing you can do is give a new backpacker a tough hike & they may never come out in the woods again. Enjoy!
JMRedwine
08-18-2011, 09:16
How do you access the trail via the greasy creek road? It doesn't look like it goes by it, did you just bushwack up to the trail from the road? How far was it/how difficult was the terrain? That sounds like a good option!
Tennessee Viking
08-18-2011, 09:32
GC Friendly in Buladeen.
1827 greasy creek road
bakersville, nc 28705
828.688.9948
There is a side trail leading up to the ridge top. Its about 3/4 of mile at the end of the road then follows an old road bed to the top.
JMRedwine
08-18-2011, 10:03
Cool. We're taking the shuttle from mountain harbor, and I would guess thy know where this is. But just in case it sounds like you basically go to the end of greasy creek road and there is an access trail.