Im getting to this post pretty late but in November we decided on taking an overnight camping/hiking trip to the Roan Mountains on the Tennessee North Carolina border. We had wanted to go camping for a while and November was the only time we could make it work with our friends Cody and Dani. The closer we got to the actual date of going we realized just how cold it would be. We needed to get sleeping bags anyways so I found the Coleman North Rim Adult Mummy bag which is suppose to be good up to 0 degrees. More on that sleeping bag to come later so keep reading! If you can’t tell Grace thought it was for her.
We got up to our Campsite at Roan Mountain State Park around 3PM and got our tents set up, got some fire wood and then headed out for our first hike of the trip. The afternoon was beautiful and sunny and really not to cold. Our campsite was right near a river and had a water spout! We were also right near the HEATED bathrooms which was a nice touch.
Our first hike was about a 6 mile round trip to both Round and Jane Balds which is part of the Appalachian Trail. Really beautiful trail the entire way. It had recently snowed up in the mountains so the path was relatively muddy and a bit slick and some parts icy. Definitely worth the trip up though. Round Bald is 5826 ft elevation and Jane Bald is 5807 ft elevation.
We were able to walk back during a beautiful sunset but it definitely got dark and cold quickly!
We got back to our campsite and got the fire and grill going. We decided we would probably want more firewood than what we had gotten earlier. Our friends stayed behind to start grilling and Cam and I went into town to get some extra wood. We had grilled sausages, chips and salsa and s’mores for dessert! Great food and great company!
We woke up that morning and I’ll be honest Cam and I did not sleep well. I felt our sleeping bags kept us warm but we definitely need to invest in a sleeping mat. The ground was a bit hard and frozen. We aren’t huge campers so our first camping trip we bought a tent and this trip we decided we needed some sleeping bags. Our next purchase will definitely be the mat! We are living and learning thats for sure!
We got up, cleaned up some and had some chocolate chip banana muffins and coffee for breakfast. We packed up the car and headed up the mountain for another full day of hiking. The original hike we had planned was much too muddy, wet and slick with ice. We had to improvise a bit but I’m so glad it happened that way and you will see why shortly!
We found a service road instead of a trail that was pretty clear of snow in hopes we would find some trails toward the top to hike. We found a couple pretty side spots that we stopped for a break and for Grace to play fetch.
We ended up stumbling upon the Cloudland Trail, which was my favorite trail of the trip. It was also the trail we slipped and fell the most. Most of the trail was a sheet of ice; but boy was it beautiful! The view at the end was worth every fall.
We had an absolute blast on this short weekend trip with a couple of our best friends. We definitely recommend this campsite. It was so good to take a break from technology and the fast pace of our everyday lives and get out to enjoy God’s beautiful creation. It always helps to remind me how small I am and what a beautiful and huge God I serve. I hope you all are able to get out into nature soon or if not at least take a break from technology and just enjoy those beautiful little moments in your own life.
Here are a few more pictures from our trip! Have a great day!!
