A view of the Carvers Gap Parking area from the first ascent
Great views of the Blue Ridge can be found early in the hike
The beginning of the hike usually had wide, pristine trails like this
This is on or near Jane Bald. Its like a huge golf course almost!
There are up to 5 miles of forest smack dab in the middle of this route
Still looking clean and chipper at the beginning of the forest
About 5.5 miles in, there is a break in the trees where the Overmountain Shelter in visible
After the forest, the trail gets quite thin and rustic at times
A view of Little Hump mountain, the 2nd to last bald on this trip
The trail up Hump Mountain is a rather quaint dirt scar
Unreal view from the top
Your truly rocking the selfie stick
This is one of the first balds on the way back from the north side
As I was leaving the weather started to break
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Roan Highlands

2020 offered strange times indeed.  COVID-19 pretty much pushed the pause button on normal life in March and by July I was in or around my house for 4 months.  A major hiking trip I had planned to the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii had to be cancelled and state and national parks were closing everywhere due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

My only time outdoors was limited to my normal running route on the Rock Creek Trail near my home.  Though scenic and often photographed by visitors, its a scenery with which I’m very familiar.  I was eager to go somewhere – anywhere really – the first opportunity I had.

The south offered opportunities.  Roan Highlands had been on my radar a while now after seeing it on Reddit numerous times.  Within 2 hours of having the idea to go there, a hotel room was booked and I was set to leave in less than 48 hours.  My base of operations would be Johnson City, Tennessee.  This college town offered great hotel rates with covid having cancelled classes and was within an hour of the hikes I want to do.  So, it was set.

Carver’s Cap

 

Roan Highlands has universal appeal because great views can be found not too far from the parking area at Carver’s Gap.  The full hike to Hump Mountain traverses 5 “balds.”  Balds are mountain peaks covered primarily in grasses instead of trees.  The first 3 balds are within 2 to 3 miles from the parking area and, quite frankly, more than adequate to enjoy the area.  Following that, there is a long ~5 mile trek through the Yellow Mountain forest before arriving at the final 2 balds.

 

This trek through Yellow Mountain separates the casual from the hardcore hikers.  To go to the last 2 balds and back, you add 10 miles to your trip.  The last 2 balds are worth it, though in my opinion.  I found solitude on Little Hump and Hump Mountain.  It’s surreal to walk through that beautiful area and not feel a sense of awe at the amazing places in this world.  As I sat down for lunch, I felt humbled to be able to have this little slice of heaven all to myself.  I did nothing but sit for close to an hour taking it all in.

 

I had done 9.5 miles by the time I turned back after exploring the other side of Hump Mountain for a few minutes.  During the hike back, I experienced the pain that goes with any long hike on a hot summer’s day.  Though I never really felt tired or exhausted, my feet started to hurt.  The worst pain came from the layers of salt that had built on my skin that burned under the sunlight and caused chafing.  Furthermore, I wore shorts and realized that constantly rubbing my legs against the long grasses caused my skin to break out in welts and rashes.

I took very few breaks and tried to be efficient with the thought of the hot tub at the hotel and a calorie-rich meal as my reward.  Since there was nothing new to see, less time would be taken to take pictures and I made an effort to get back as soon as possible.  The hike had stopped being fun and I was eager to get back to civilization.

 

At close to 7pm, I’m finally back at my car.  It would be an hour’s drive back to my hotel and I freshen up as much as I could before leaving this beautiful place.  Another adventure awaited the next day!