4/29 Saturday: Little Bald Knob to Stan Murray Shelter (18.5mi)

Steve and I awoke to misty skies, 40 degree temps. We packed up and headed for lunch at a hostel just .3mi off the trail. Everyone has raved about the meals at the Greasy Creek Friendly. Unfortunately Steve and I made a wrong turn on a side trail leading to the Friendly and found ourselves back on the AT. We shrugged and decided we best keep moving rather than belabor the point. We had lunch an hour later at the Clyde Smith Shelter... It didn't warm up much throughout the day and when we came into the Roan High Knob shelter at 1600 for dinner it was already dipping back into the 40s... We took about an hours break and headed our for our final destination...The Stan Murray Shelter... On the way there, we crossed some Bald Mtns with quite spectacular views, but the temps were dipping and the winds increasing...we estimated about 55mph now...enough to blow us side ways if we were not careful... We arrived at the shelter at 1930, with temps in the 30s and found "Chewey and Sleeper" there cooking supper. Steve and I also another hot meal, to try to warm up, before retiring for the night. There wasn't a descent tent spot around so we all stayed in the shelter. The temps that night dipped into the low 30s with the wind howling all night. Unfortunately, the 3 sided shelter opening was to the E, the same direction the winds were blowing all night... IT WAS MY COLDEST NIGHT OUT YET...
PICTURES:
1. Nice vistas while ascending Roan Mtn.
2. More extraordinary views from this special mountain range...
3. While ascending the first of Round Bald, we met some curious local folks who were quite taken with the long distance hiker thing...
4. A native cerimonial ground located atop Round Bald... Spectacular vistas in every direction...
5. Stan Murray Shelter were 4 of us would come close to freezing this night...
6. Chewey and Sleeper here with Steve having dinner... And yes its as cold as it looks... We move the picnic table to the back of the shelter to avoid the wind... Yes...that meant that the wind was blowing directly into the front of the shelter... COLD!!!!!