Appalachian Trail Day 69 - Four Pines Hostel to Campbell Shelter - McAfee Knob (Mile 705 to Mile 715)

This trip was kind of last minute. My husband and I were supposed to take a road trip vacation to Canada, but his work obligations made it impossible to take off more than a couple days, so I decided to hit the trail.  GG is also booked up doing other things, so I am doing this section by myself.  

I arranged a shuttle with Stanimals Hostel in Glasgow.  I parked my car there this morning and was dropped off at the place where GG and I got off trail in May, when she broke her hand, at mile 705.   As a side note, I am glad to report that she did not require any surgery, and she is now fully healed from that injury. She was actually running trails with a cast on her hand! 

On the drive here, we passed a hostel I will be staying at in a few days, and I dropped off a resupply box, so I won't have to go into town to replenish my food.

I learned from our very first week on the trail that it's more prudent to park your car as far as you can reasonably hike during any section.  I leave my car at the end, so I have to hike back, and it makes it more difficult to bail out during a moment of weakness. 

The Mid-Atlantic region has experienced a drought with very little rain falling in four months.  I guess I don't have to worry about hiking in the rain any time soon, but I do have to worry about finding water, as many water sources along the trail are completely dry.  

I take a quick picture at the kiosk at mile 705 and head north once again on the AT.  The weather today is delightful: 75F degrees with a light breeze blowing.  The trees form a protective canopy from the sun until I emerge into fields with groups of cows milling about.  

The Kiosk at Mile 705

Following the Blazes Through a Beautiful Meadow

The trail starts easy enough.  The first 6 miles I ascend 1200 feet over rolling ups and downs to emerge onto VA Route 311.  I had a couple of hikers pass me southbound, but they were moving down the trail fast and didn't have time for anything other than I quick "hello." 

Route 311 is a busy highway with a lot of cars whizzing by. The state is building a long-overdue pedestrian walkway over the highway, so the hikers don't risk life and limb crossing the thoroughfare.  Since no parking is allowed here during the construction, the county is offering a shuttle bus so that day hikers can park in town and get a ride to this extremely popular hiking destination. 

 Today I will hit the second highlight of "Virginia's Triple Crown;" McAfee Knob. I have hiked and camped McAfee several times before, but it's so beautiful I am eager to hike it again.  On the weekends the camping areas can be very crowded, and privacy is non-existent.  

 

About one mile from the highway, I pass John's Spring Shelter.  A few years ago, GG and I hiked up McAfee and camped here before we went to the Grayson Highlands to hike into Damascus.  The camp was packed and a couple of rookies decided to do a bear hang, which isn't a bad idea at all.  The problem was they did it in the middle of the camp and the food bags were so low to the ground I could reach up and touch them. Right now, the shelter area is deserted, and the spring is dry as a bone. 

This part of the AT is peculiar in that there are two shelters very close to one another. The Catawba Mountain Shelter is just a mile north of the John's Spring, and I stop on a big rock to have a quick snack.  Three dayhikers come toward me, a speaker tied to the outside of a daypack blaring music and disrupting the quiet peace of the woods.  A young woman excitedly tells me they just saw a bear on the fire road just beyond the shelter.  I read in the FarOut app that a big black bear in the area has been increasingly harassing people on the trail.  Maybe the kids were onto something, and since I am alone, I decide blasting some music isn't such a bad idea.  Maybe the bear will be deterred by my taste in music and leave me alone!

I hope to reach McAfee by sundown, hoping for a nice sunset from the top. I have watched the sunrise from the top before, and it is absolutely magical.  I don't mind night hiking if it means I can have a great view, and several people are hanging out up here, hoping for the same. Alas, the cloud cover makes a nice sunset improbable, so I just enjoy the moment for a few minutes before heading down the mountain. 

The View from McAfee Knob

The Ridge I Will be Walking Tomorrow

I am walking down and full dark falls very quickly in the woods below the Knob. I stop to put on my headlamp when I see something walking about 25 yards away.  I am shaking like a leaf when I turn on the headlamp and illuminate a large buck with a very impressive rack looking straight at me. He bounds off and I laugh at myself for being so scared in the woods!

I arrive at the shelter less than one mile from McAfee.  The water source is down a hill behind the shelter, and I stop there before making camp.  I collect and filter three liters of water, which should last me until the next water source 6 miles away. 

I return to the shelter, and I realize someone is sleeping inside. I set up my hammock next to the shelter as quietly as possible and put my food bag in the nearby bear box.  I am snug in my hammock with my buff over my eyes and my earplugs in and out like a light at 9:30 pm.  

Today's Stats: 10 miles, 2822 feet gain, 2031 feet loss

Trail Stats: 715 miles, 164K feet gain