For many miles after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the trail stays right on or near the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Sometimes, we hiked with the right foot in NC and the left foot in TN. Here are some of our favorites from that section of the trail. Click on any picture to enlarge it!
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- Nice view on a nice day
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- One of the buildings at Standing Bear Hostel
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- An evening with hikers at the Standing Bear Hostel
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- An easy stretch of the trail
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- Atop a grassy bald (some of the balds are mown annually by the Forest Service to provide habitat variation)
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- “Haalo” and “River”
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- Another cold, rainy day
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- A crosswalk in Hot Springs, NC – the trail passes right through town and is VERY well marked!
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- Front porch at Elmer’s Sunnybank Inn – a Victorian house that’s now a hiker inn (with awesome breakfasts!)
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- Sunset on April 14th
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- Looks like rain!
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- Melissa and a couple of other hikers at a typical shelter
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- The trail section from Spivey Gap to Damascus, Virginia is maintained by the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club
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- Round Bald
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- Longhorn cattle on Grassy Bald
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- My favorite longhorn on Grassy Bald – I don’t know who watched whom more carefully, but this one could gore you up one side and down the other!
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- Another party light at Uncle Johnny’s
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- Another party light at Uncle Johnny’s
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- Another party light at Uncle Johnny’s
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- Another party light at Uncle Johnny’s
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- One of the patio party lights at Uncle Johnny’s Nolichucky Hostel and Outfitters
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- Scott and June (section hikers from New Hampshire) with Mike and Melissa after breakfast at Curley Maple Gap Shelter
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- Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club – the maintainers of this portion of the trail (all sections are maintained by clubs and other volunteers)
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- No Business Knob Shelter
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- Door into Roan High Knob Shelter – real walls and a door that closes! It was very comfy on a cold night. There were just three of us there (we two and “Ramblin’ Man”)
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- The Roan High Knob Shelter is the highest elevation shelter on the AT at 6275 feet. It was originally a firewarden’s cabin.
I hope the really dangerous weather we have been hearing about on the evening news has bypassed the two of you.
Don
It will bypass us in another couple of hours! So far, so good. The wind is roaring in the treetops, but we’re not in the treetops.
It will bypass us in another couple of hours! So far, so good. The wind is roaring in the treetops, but we’re not in the treetops.
Lord have mercy on you two,the weather from the South the the Great Lakes has been wicked windy.
A large section of the roof on the Dansville High School was ripped off yesterday afternoon.
I have also seen the terrible destruction all across the Midwest as well,as the South.
Well enough bad news,I do pray you will be as safe as you seem to have been up to this point of the trail.
Oh yes very nice photos,you will have a very large scrap book by the end of the line.
I like the sunset photo especially. You are getting more rain and wind than perhaps you thought you would. Love you both in those rainsuits. All we get here is SNOW–6 new inches April 27. Be well!
Hi Mel and Mike,
I am back to the working world, very busy, for Scott work is slow. He has gone back to doing his redline hiking and enjoying it very much. For me, hiking the AT was an amazing thing to do. I think of our hike everyday and want to continue section hiking. Scott wished he stayed on the AT. Hope all is well for both of you. See you in NH!!
June
Scott & June – so nice to hear from you! We understand the wish to still be on the trail; we both know we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to do this. It was great meeting you folks, and you’ll sure hear from us when we get up north!