I was finally able to make a brief getaway in late summer of 2006. I took off to the northwest region of North Carolina known as the Roan Highlands to dayhike a few miles on the AT along the NC/TN border.
The picture immediately below is one looking south toward Roan Mountain. At the time this was taken, the low clouds and fog were hiding the fact that a thunderstorm was about to roll over the top of the mountain, sending people scattering, including myself.
The next section hiked was located a little farther north around the junction of the Appalachian Trail and the Overmountain Victory Trail.
The OVT has a historical significance dating back to the American Revolution. On September 25, 1780, a voluntary force (Each man furnished his own horse, firearms, and ammuntion) of more than 1000 men gathered near what is present day Elizabethton, TN. From there, they crossed the mountains into the Piedmont of North Carolina pursuing Major Patrick Ferguson and his Tory Army. They finally caught them on the afternoon of October 7th at King's Mountain, in South Carolina. When the battle ended every Tory soldier had been killed or captured. The battle became known as the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
The photo below shows a spur trail which leads to one of several shelters along the AT. The intersection of the OVT and AT is located about 100 feet west of this point, and is identified by a historical marker. More information about the Overmountain Victory Trail can be found at OVTA.org.
