We woke up well rested and ready for a great day of hiking! And we had a lot to look forward to on this day! We anticipated many great views and a climb up Roan Mountain. Spoiler: the views did not disappoint!
High jumps with Turkenna
Turk showing us the rock he conquered
We left the Clyde Smith shelter early. We had to walk 18 miles and a big climb right in the middle of the day. We passed Little Rock Knob early. The top of the knob was covered by these huge rocks on both sides of the trail. One of Turk’s FAVORITE things to do while hiking is «up-up.» He is one of the most agile dogs and loves to jump on anything that is at least 3 feet tall. A fallen tree, retaining wall, tall stump, etc. Huge rocks are his favorite! He jumped happily over one rock and then over the next. Sometimes he would climb several rocks to reach a particularly high one! She seems very proud of herself as Cody and I congratulate her on being a «upin» girl! She lives for this game!
Stopped to rest and roll in the grass
We arrived at a small camp at the base of Roan Mountain and stopped here to filter some water. There weren’t many sources of water for the next few miles and we wanted to make sure we had enough for the climb. While Turkenna and I waited for Cody to go down to the water features (about 0.2 miles under a blue glow), Turk lay down on the grass and soaked up the morning sun. 
I met a hiker from the SOBO section who stayed at the Refuge Hostel. He had good things to say about it, which was great because we had just booked a stop there for the next night. Cody came back and started filtering the water. He stopped to take pictures of Turk because he had started rolling in the grass. With his feet in the air, he flopped from side to side. She wriggled her body, trying to grab his tail with her mouth and pinning his back to the ground. What a fool!
Roan Mountain
Either the elevation is getting gentler or our trail sections are starting to take shape because the climb didn’t seem as intense as I remember the Georgia mountains feeling. Maybe it’s a mix of both. We passed through a closed shelter and entered another forest of evergreen trees. 
Tree cover makes a difference. We made multiple comments to each other about how nice it is to walk in the shady sections compared to walking in the sun. We can’t wait for the green tunnel. Or maybe we can because the views through the bare trees are amazing too! Of course, Turk tried to fly through the trees as soon as there was shade, but we tied her up for a long stretch of the trail. After all, we planned to walk 18 miles.
Beautiful bald spots after lunch
Lunch and nap at Carver Gap
We had a quick lunch at Carver Gap. We found a small spring next to a large parking lot full of hikers and ate in the shade. We hopped back onto the trail to begin our ascent over some very windy but also incredibly awesome balds. There is a reason why many hikers choose to frequent this area. It has so many wonderful scenic areas just a few kilometers down the road.
Grassy hills stretched as far as the eye could see. And the views from the top of each one were impressive. The mountains in the distant landscape surrounded us on all sides. Turkenna leapt with great leaps across the tall grass, exhaling different smells. We talk to people along the way. He congratulated someone who was walking back with his little boy strapped in a baby carrier on his back. Another friendly couple chatted with us about hiking with a pup as they sat on the best rock on the trail, taking in the best view. Several people gave us the «I’m impressed» look when we told them we were actually hiking the entire trail, from Georgia to Maine.
up and down
We walked sideways, against the wind, along one side of a bald patch and found shelter under a rock jutting out on the other side. 
The weather was crazy! Layers were put on and we removed them. We passed Round Bald and could see the trail leading to Jane Bald. And finally we made the last and biggest climb to Grassy Ridge Bald. To say we were exhausted by the time we reached Little Hump Mountain is an understatement. There was nothing that seemed small about that climb after walking 17 miles! We were glad to finally reach camp after a long day of hiking.
Eighteen miles is a lot for us and Turk. We are putting up to 20 miles a day. Maybe we’ll get there. And if not, who cares? We are not competing with anyone. Our second night sleeping in our new tent was great!
Hump mountain in the morning
The next morning we woke up in the small unmarked tent sites just 8 miles from the lodge we had booked the day before. The last day before a restock is always my favorite! My backpack is light and we usually walk fewer kilometers. 
We got up and got to work. If yesterday’s climb up ‘Little Hump Mountain’ was any indication of what the ‘Hump Mountain’ climb was going to be like, we didn’t heed his warning. We walked and walked and walked through this tremendous patch of grass. We could see the narrow path leading to the top. And just when we reach the top, we realize that there is much more on the other side of that peak. We watched the much faster hikers get smaller and smaller as they walked ahead of us. I never tried to claim to be a fast hiker!
Turkenna was loving though! But he had a great time! She’s a morning girl! It’s like I don’t even remember how tired I was the night before, after walking 18 miles. 
He ran carefree in a field of tall grass. Cody and I looked at him and smiled at how happy he looked. We stopped several times to take pictures and videos because even though I was totally out of breath, we wanted to remember how perfect this morning really was. Despite the cold winds and difficulty of the hike, we wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else but here. I’m so grateful that this is how we can spend the morning.
Walk to a hostel
Soon enough we reached Hump Mountain and arrived in the small town of Roan Mountian, Tennessee. We took a quick 0.2 mile road hike to Mountain Harbor to pick up a hiker pack we had sent ourselves. I had Turkenna’s dog food resupply. And then back on the trail, head to hike to The Refuge Hostel, just 2 miles from the trail.
El Refugio Hostel
We stayed at this perfect little lodge with two friends from the trail, Billy Goat and Serial Killer. Shout out to The Refuge for having the best prices on the trail and such nice accommodations! We showered, did laundry, had lunch, and resupplied at their little hiker tent. It was perfect! 
The hostel owner took the four of us into town to pick up a barbecue for dinner. Cody got the biggest burger he’s ever seen called The AT Burger. I have the Highlander Tots. Both were loaded with pulled pork and cheese. We had dinner and watched Braveheart at the hostel before going to bed. Perfect day close to o? Or an almost perfect day? Both.
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