Hump Mountain, My Old Friend
I've come to talk with you again
Hump Mountain, my old friend
I have come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
apologies to Simon and Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence
The North Carolina high country grants the gift of silence which can be hard to find these days. When I was a young man (a long time ago), I spent a lot of time walking the trails of the high country. That was a long time ago and I had almost forgotten about the high country.
This past weekend, I walked from Carvers Gap on the Appalachian Trail (AT) to where the AT crosses highway 19E. I was tagging along as my daughter Liza (that is her in the picture above) vets a route for her “Happy Hiking Company.” More on the Happy Hiking Company in a minute.
The route from Carvers Gap to 19E goes across Grassy Ridge, goes over Little Hump Mountain, and then over the aptly named Hump Mountain. Balds, meadows, tree canopied trails, deep valleys, mountain passes; this section of the AT has it all. For most of the route, the only sign of civilization is the trail itself and the occasional campsite. This section of trail has the highest (in altitude) shelter on the trail. The Stan Murray shelter is at over 5,000 feet in altitude. This section of the AT is also known as the Roan Highlands.
If you walk this route, especially on the weekend, you may find a large crowd at the parking lot. The mountain filters that out by the time you reach Grassy Ridge and you will have plenty of space, solitude, and silence.
It is restorative to walk the high country. There are hundreds of miles of trails in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Shining Rock, Davidson River, the AT, Mountains to Sea trail, Mount Mitchell, Devil’s Courthouse, Table Rock, Linville Gorge, Grandfather Mountain, Craggy Gardens … the list of places and trails to hike goes on and on. And do not forget about the Great Smokies. They are all good and I walked them all with teammates and friends.
But time flows ever onward and I had almost forgotten the high country. This weekend was a nice reminder that I need to spend more time there. More time there for mental health and for the sake of my Scotch-Irish soul. It is small wonder that the Scotch-Irish immigrants to America found the Tennessee-Carolina high country so appealing.
Liza runs the “Happy Hiking Company.” Happy Hiking is a full service guide company that runs guided backpacking trips in the Great Smokies, Grayson Highlands in Virginia, and now in the Roan Highlands. These trips teach first-time backpackers how to do it. They are mostly women only. It is an environment where outdoor-curious women can learn to backpack among a group of encouraging compatriots.
Liza provides all the food along with backpacks, tents, sleeping pads, water filters, first aid kits, and more. Hikers provide their own sleeping bag, clothing, boots, headlamp, water bottle, mess kit, and rain gear. Instruction in how to use the provided gear is an integral part of the trip.
Liza has two trips on the calendar in the Roan Highlands. One is a single-night out and back to the Overmountain campsite. The Overmountain campsite is named for the Overmountain Men. The truly epic march route of the Overmountain boys to the battle at Kings Mountain intersects the AT near the campsite. You can learn more about the Overmountain Men at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overmountain_Men .
The second trip in the Roan Highlands is a Yoga flow two-night walk from Carver’s Gap to highway 19E. This is the trip that crosses Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain. It is a walk worth doing.
You can learn more about Happy Hiking at https://www.facebook.com/people/Happy-Hiking-Company/61554085520885/# or at
https://happyhikingcompany.com/
.
I resolve to spend more time in the Tennessee-Carolina high country and I recommend it to you as a tonic for all the modernity that ails you. The solitude and the silence is restorative.
Below are a couple more pictures. Enjoy!
Looking out from the Overmountain campsite.
This article is on X ( @keith_rutledge ) and on my Substack (keithrutledge.substack.com).
I write about shooting, guns, and tactical competitions. Read my book “Understanding the AR-15 and AR-10” – available on Amazon at Understanding the AR-15 and AR-10