I picked up a copy of the latest Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine and enjoyed reading Jennifer Pharr Davis's article entitled "Gimme Shelter." A sidebar to her article was a listing of Ten Unforgettable Shelters and one of those ten was the one at Roan High Knob.

It states, "It is Christmas year-round on top of Roan Mountain. The sweet smell of balsam and fir trees that crown this mountain fill the air with a pleasant holiday scent. Located at 6, 285 feet above sea level, this is the highest shelter on the entire Appalachian Trail. The ecosystem and climate at this shelter is rare in the southern Appalachian Mountains and will remind southbound thru-hikers of the peaks in New Hampshire and Maine."

Ah for those camp memories. TrailRidge hikers who hiked the AT from Carver's Gap back to TrailRidge would have passed this shelter and the one at Little Rock Knob before descending the very rough trail down to camp. And as you remember...uphill or downhill...none of it was easy!

Former TrailRidger Davies Hood of the Birmingham area posted this photo of a seasonal brew from Highland Brewing Company on the TrailRidge Facebook page. It reminded him of all of his backpacking trips up over Roan Mountain. I'm not sure whether it was the name Little Hump that reminded him of camp or seasonal spring ale. I'm hoping the former.

How many of you remember some of those hikes from Carver's Gap down to 19-E on the Appalachian Trail? Highland Brewing Company wasn't around then but I'm sure you remember the stop at Bob's Dairyland on the way back to camp. Bob's, by the way, is still in business the last time I drove by.