Located in the Northern Section of North Carolina is Roan Mountain. It starts out with a tough 2000ft climb as you gradually make your ascent through everchanging forests until you reach the open summit with great views of the surrounding areas. It was also the location of the Cloudland Hotel, built in the 1800s as a resort - only a few ruins now remain. From there it was a short hike over to Roan High Knob - a wooded summit that has a great shelter and cold spring located right in the middle of a spruce/fir forrest. From there you make your way down to a gap with a parking area (this is where we met mom and dad). We hiked back up to Roan High Knob to spend the night with them at the summit. It was a cold night up above 6000 feet and a little rainy - the shelter on top of Roan High Knob is a 4 sided cabin (formerly a fire marshalls cabin) and is the highest shelter on the trail. The next day we hiked back down to the gap then up to Round Bald and Jane Bald. The weather was a little cloudy so the views weren't great, but watching the clouds sweep over the open grasslands was pretty cool. The second night we stayed at overmountain shelter. This shelter was an old barn and could probably sleep 30 people - which is nice because it is one of the most popular shelters on the trail because of the amazing views it affords of the valley below. The next day we hiked up to the humps. Big hump was our favorite part of this section - an extremely large open grassland with views of the beautiful surrounding north carolina mountains. Luckily the weather cleared up really nicley for us as we made the trek across the open summits. From there it was a long downhill hike to the gap below where mom and dad had parked the car. A really great July 4th weekend.
The Open Peak of Roan Mountain - not many ruins to see, but great views of the surrounding mountains.
The top of Roan High Knob - some of the most beautiful forests that we saw during the entire trip. Nestled in these trees was the cabin and an extremely cold water spring.
Clouds on top of Round Bald
Great view of the Sunset from Overmountain Shelter
Hiking up to Little Hump
Views from rocks on Little Hump
View from Big Hump
Me, Mom and Dad on top of Big Hump
Mom and Dad beginning the descent from Big Hump
Another view of Big Hump
Dad posing with some nice cliffs on the descent off of the Highlands
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