McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 9/07/2024 | AT Mile 471.7 | Day Total: 14.7 miles | Gain: 4285 ft

Woke up at 6:15 this morning and grabbed my bear bag down from the tree. The tree branch stood right back up as if it were untouched. I ate my breakfast in my tent with my sleeping bag over my legs- I was feeling too lazy to put my rain pants in for warmth. All my meals have been large and filling because I got a ton of food, more than I need.

The group of orientation freshmen left just before I did. I caught up to the after a while and the let me pass. We were in field so it was easy for them to step aside. Shortly after I passed the section hiker that was going sobo (the same one I talked with yesterday when I arrived at camp).

I’m really enjoying the easier terrain. There are much less roots and rocks and I’m able to pickup my head while I hike which is nice.

The whole day I was passing roads, fields and wooded areas. It’s crazy thinking back to just 100 miles ago when I was rock scrambling up every mountain. Now I’ve gone up and down mountains on switchbacks that are graded nicely.

I ate lunch at a little farmers market called On the Edge Farm Stand. They have a small resupply and collection of fresh foods and pastries. I decided to get a blueberry pastry and a Gatorade. Out back they have a spigot, portajohn, and a bench. This is where I ate lunch and the yummy blueberry pastry.

It was a short .2 miles back to the trail before I was hiking up another mountain where I planned on spending the night tonight. I was hoping to get there before 4 because there was a storm that was going to roll through between 4-5. What’s special about tonight’s shelter is that is more of a cabin. It’s called “The Lookout” and the bare bones of a cabin with a fire place. It’s privately owned but they have been letting hikers stay there as long as they follow a few rules, including keeping the place clean and not kindling any fires.

The hike up was graded well, I’m starting to see this more and more. There’s a shelter 2.6miles before The Lookout cabin that I planed to get water at because there’s none at the cabin.

I arrived at the cabin around 4 and went up to the lookout at the top. A wooden ladder takes you up to a platform with a L shaped bench.

I sweep the loft and the main floor of dirt and shoe particulate. I also fixed the broom, the handle and brush had broken off each other. My phone battery was low so I went to charge it up and my power bank said it was dead?!?!? I think I charged it when my parents were in town… I’ve been so close to town that I didn’t need to use it. I’ll be going into town tomorrow so I use the last bit of the battery to make myself an elevation map with labels of water sources, mile markers, roads, etc. My phone now at 4% so I shut it off all the way to preserve the battery. I wish I had realized it sooner and hadn’t listened to an audio book while I hiked today. Hopefully I can use the last bit to get a few pictures tomorrow. I was thinking about doing a day without my phone like my dad had 25 years ago. I guess that’ll be tomorrow whether I want to or not.

I set my stuff up in the loft and got comfortable for the night. As I was about to cook dinner another hiker walked into cabin. His name was Sweeper and he’s doing a section hike so I from Katahdin. He hiked the PCT three years ago and is from LA. He started August 11th so he’s moving fast. Sounds like he’s going to end his hike in the next few days in Rutland and fly back home.

It began to rain as I was eating dinner. The reader had shown a large green line with a little red coming our way. So I was expecting a downfall. It’s supposed to stop by tomorrow morning so hopefully I can keep my shoes and gear dry while I’m hiking. I’ll probably wake up pretty early to get into town 17 miles away. The wind and rain is starting to pick up more as I’m about to head to bed but I’m cozy in the cabin.

Today’s journal was written on paper from the logbook because, well… my phones nearly dead…