I had hiked Roan Mountain several years ago and it was pretty incredible so I’ve been anxious to get back and do it again.  Well, Memorial Day weekend seemed like the right time do do it again – but I was a little off, lol.  Should have waited a month because it was rainy and cold the entire time we were there.  In either case, it was a good hike with good friends even if we only saw a few rhododendron blooms on the hike out on Monday.

The temperatures during the day averaged around 50’s Fahrenheit and night temps got down in the 30’s Fahrenheit.  The fact that it was raining nearly the entire time made for a perfect hypothermia situation so we were sure to keep our fleeces handy during the day and puffy’s handy in the evenings.

Fortunately, we had a large tarp which allowed us to at least eat dinner together before heading off to our separate abodes.

Night 1 – We camped in a small saddle located about halfway between Grassy Ridge and Stan Murray Shelter.  Nothing spectacular and definitely not protected from the wind and rain.

Night 2 – We camped at Doll Flats.  I forgot just how incredible this area is since the last time I camped here.  It’s absolutely beautiful and you can squeeze in 20 tents comfortably here.

Day 3 – The hike out was incredible – but a little sketchy due to the wet slippery rocks.  But the views were good.

The Water – This section of trail has more than enough water sources to keep you watered up.

The Lowdown – Most of the hike we were socked in unfortunately – due to the weather.  The last time I was there we had some breaks in the weather that offered some good views.  That really didn’t happen until the very last day which was a great hiked out.  The sun was shining and we actually got to see lots of things that were hidden the prior two days like plants, views and rock formations.

No wildlife but there were a lot of hikers out that weekend.  But, I think there were a lot more day hikers than backpackers.

The Shuttle – Mountain Harbor Hostile was awesome and the shuttle driver was great.  I forget her name but she made the drive so enjoyable that the 45 minutes whizzed by.  The pricing is very reasonable for the shuttle and parking.  And, they let me change in the hostile bathroom even though I wasn’t staying there.  They appreciated our business!

 

 

This is how it went down.

ROAN MOUNTAIN 16.4 MILE 5/29 – 5/31
TOTAL MILEAGE	16.4 MILES
START POINT	TOLLHOUSE GAP – ROAN HIGH KNOB
STOP POINT	Mountain Harbor Hostile
TOTAL DRIVE TIME	7 HOURS TOTAL (INCLUDES BREAKS/LUNCH STOPS)
SHUTTLE TIME	SHUTTLE TIME 3PM SHUTTLE DRIFE 40 MINUTES
SHUTTLE COST/PARKING	$29.00 Total

 

	HIKE MILEAGE	PLAN	WATER	CAMPSITE
5/29 SATURDAY	4	ON TRAIL AT 345. TIME TO STAY AT ROAN KNOB FOR A BIT AND EXPLORE	ROAN HIGH KNOB SHELTER (1 MILE) CARVERS GAP (2 MILES)	SADDLE  – HALFWAY BETWEEN GRASSY RIDGE AND STAN MURRAY SHELTER
5/30 SUNDAY	9.1 MILES		CARVERS GAP (1M) GRASSY RIDGE SIDE TRAIL (2.5 M) STAN MURRAY SHELTER (5.2M) YELLOW GAP (7.1M) LITTLE HUMP MTN (8.7M) BRADLEY GAP (10M)	DOLL FLATS
5/31 MONDAY	3 TRAIL + .3 MILE ROAD WALK	OFF TRAIL AT 12 NOON	JUST PAST DOLL FLATS (3.5M)