Hump Mountain

(This is Hump Mountain with an elevation of 5,587 feet.  There are many balds like Hump Mt. and the origin remains a mystery to scientists.  Some point to the harsh conditions at high elevations while others claim Indians cleared the mountain for religious ceremonies.  You can see the path I climbed on the left side of the picture.)

Thursday (4-21) I left Erwin and enjoyed a wonderful day.  The weather was beautiful with a breeze.  Erwin's elevation is 1,700 feet and I climbed up and over Unaka Mountain with an elevation of 5,180 feet.  I hiked 17.0 miles.  On Friday (4-22) it rained in the morning as I was taking down my tent.  After the weather cleared, it turned very cloudy and windy and on a descent I fell on wet leaves that were covering some mud.  The ground was quite slippery all day and I almost fell again.  Thankfully I was not hurt.  The big climb began at 3,900 feet and I finally reached the top at 6,275 feet.  Another hiker called it the "Stairway to Heaven."  It was a very rocky and difficult climb.  I hiked 20.4 miles over 12 hours to reach Stan Murray Shelter.  I needed a lot of miles in order to enjoy an easier day on Saturday so I could get to a highly recommended hostel.  At night the winds rocked my tent and I could feel the tent move even though it was staked.  Saturday (4-23) was an easy day of hiking as I covered only 10.9 miles (7 AM-1 PM) to get to Mountain Harbor Hostel.  I needed mole skin on one of my insteps due to a boot problem.  The hostel is a beautiful place.  I am at the end of the NC/TN border.  The next 71 miles are all in TN.  After that I'll be in Virginia for 550 miles.  After 33 days I have hiked 388.2 miles, an average of 11.76 miles.