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Thread: Roan Mt. advice

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    Default Roan Mt. advice

    new hiker here planning a two night backpacking trip with three other newbies. I was thinking the Hwy. 19E access point at Roan Mountain, TN going south to Carvers Gap, TN. Data books seem to indicate secure parking at the 19E crossing. We'd like to tent camp one night and maybe do a shelter the other night. Is this a good area for us to try for our first experience? We want to do a two week trip in the spring, so this is kind of a shakedown weekend for that. Any advice from people who live in the area or who have been there would be appreciated.

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    Peakbagger Extraordinaire The Solemates's Avatar
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    awesome area. but the databook is wrong - 19E is one of the worst spots on all of the AT for vandalism. Call Mountain Harbour B&B (0.5 mi from trail) and leave your car with them. stay at the overmountain shelter your last night. its an old barn and beautiful area. you'll love this section.
    The only thing better than mountains, is mountains where you haven't been.

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    Registered User chelko's Avatar
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    Park at the hostel just down the road from the 19E crossing it is safer. I think the hostel is either Kincora or Mt. Harbor not sure. Get a shuttle to Carvers Gap and hike northbound from there. Stay the first night at the over mountain shelter at yellow gap then camp at doll flats campsite. Great hike great scenery.

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    I have made that trip a 2 nighter on three different occasions. Great section for views....the newbies will be hooked. I hiked from Carver Gap/High Roan Knob on each occasion and parked my car at the Mountain Harbour hostel near the 19E trailhead. Terry from Mountain Harbour shuttled us to Carver Gap and stored our cars securely in his fenced area. There is a sign on the north side of 19E that warns of car vandalism. Apparently there is still tension between locals and hikers resulting from family land taken for public purposes (AT). Without going over particulars (garbage, broken windows, a rape) siuffice it to say your car needs to be secured or else. I guess because I am just boring....we camped same 2 places each time.....night 1 on Grassy Ridge just off the trail and night 2 Bradley Gap just a short ways up Big Hump Mtn. where the rocks are.

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    I just did south of this area in a section hike 2 weeks ago (July). I've parked at 19E back in 2007 and didn't have any problems, but it is notorious for vandalism. You could choose to park a few miles north of 19E.

    Overmountain shelter is really awesome, but there really aren't any views of sunrise or sunset. Roan High knob shelter is [at least what I was told] the highest shelter along the entire trail - which makes it a cool location [literally and figuratively] but there aren't any views and in the summer there's usually big black flies (was back in 2007 and same scene in 2012).

    Also, there has been a lot of recent work making the switch-backs on the south side of Roan that make it MUCH more gradual. I hiked down it in 2007 and it's been on my bucket list as a "major challenge" to see if I could hike up it - and in 2012, it was a challenge, but no more than any other hill along the AT I've noticed. Then again, we stayed 2/3 of the way up the trail at Ashley Gap (which was a lovely place to stay, although we filtered water 1/2 way south/up to Ashley gap/we hiked NOBO).

    There was no water between Clyde Smith Shelter and 1/3 up Roan as of July 2012 (and the water 1/3 up Roan was rough).

    There is tons of water (in fact we walked down a creek bed) just north of Roan High knob in July 2012.

    If you're interested in hiking to the peak of Roan (side trail), it's not well labeled, but there's a side trail when you get to the post noting "Carvers Gap" and if you decide to drive up from the parking at the road, make sure you save a few $$ for parking.

    And of MOST IMPORTANCE - beware of frequent afternoon thunderstorms going over the balds during the summer months!
    If you're set on going over the balds during the summer months - great - take precautions: get up early, get over them before noon.
    If you can wait until a fall trip for the balds, in my opinion, that would be the best time to take in the landscape! It's gorgeous!

    Enjoy. I hope this helps.
    …speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee… –JOB 12:8

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    If you want to make it a 2 night trip, you will have to have a coupld of really short days. Its not that far, many people do it as a one-nighter, some also just walk it in a single day. If you are going to stay in a shelter stay at Overmountain. Its about 10miles from there to 19E though.


    Who would pick you up at Carvers?

    Like others say, dont park at 19E. Constant local traffic goes by there, and some dont like hikers., some are probably just lowlifes too.

    Park at Mountain Harbour, about 300yds west of the AT crossing. Consider having them shuttle you to Carvers, and walk back to your car North bound, thats the normal way to do it if they can. Not sure what they do after thruhiker season slacks off though, eat breakfast there if you can.

    For a 2 nighter, consider getting Mountain Harbour to shuttle you to Hughes gap, at base of Roan. Then do Roan and the balds, and get legitimate 3 days of hiking/ 2 night in at a moderate pace for ~23 miles of so.

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    Yeah, that's a pretty short hike to make it last 2 days. My wife and I hiked it 2 months ago starting at 8:00 AM and finishing around 4:00 PM the same day and she's not a hiker.

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    My son and I did Hughes Gap to 19E this weekend (7/28-29/12). On advice of this forum we changed plans from doing it SOBO to NOBO instead. We parked at Mtn. Harbor (spent Fri. night at their hiker hostel - very friendly and accomodating) and they shuttled us to Hughes Gap. As noted, switchbacks on first 2 miles up Roan make this not a bad climb, last mile up from Ash Gap is pretty much straight up but doable. Once you're up Roan you're pretty much ridge-rolling along the balds and then up/down Little Hump and Hump on day two. The trail on Little Hump and Hump is rutted and very overgrown in the summer months which make it hard to see where to plant your foot - lots of opportunities for twisted ankle, or worse. Plenty of water right now where we looked (box spring at Carver's Gap, Overmountain, Doll Flats).

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    WMR, did you by chance stop and talk with a guy and his son at the Bradley gap campsite? If so, that was my son and myself. My son sat out in the gap watching you two go up Hump while I finished packing our gear. That was his first over night hike and he is already planning our next trip.

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    I hike Carver's Gap to Damascus every year. Personally...if you want the best scenery...

    Park in Carver's Gap. It's a good lot with a privy, and I park there every time. Hike North to Overmountain (I think it's 5-7 miles?) IF you want more miles there is small grouping of boulders maybe 3 miles past overmountain in a meadow area. You get great views, wild flowers, and a huge open field to see the mist in the morning. If you tent in the boulders there is an old fire ring. You will get to see the balds on Jane Bald and you can always take the extra side trail to Grassy Bald. Great views, and blueberries/goats to boot You can also hike another 3 miles past Over Mountain to a nice meadow as you approach and hike up Big Hump. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that area. Roan Mountain Shelter to Carver's is rocky and wooded, not much scenery and a lot of hill. I think for views and overall fun, do Carver's to a Over Mountain

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