McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 9/17/2024 | AT Mile 663.0 | Day Total: 21.3 miles | Gain: 4274 ft

Early rise this morning around 5:30. I was able to sleep without my arms going to sleep in the middle of the night. They sometimes that when I’m on my sleeping pad.

I went downstairs and sat on the couch as the caretakers prepped the kitchen for breakfast. I offered to help but they said they are all good. They were just talking how this morning was already going smoother than yesterday morning. Soon after they bright out of pot of coffee, mugs, spoons, sugar and creamer. I gladly poured a mug and sipped it at the table. They soon came out with some pancakes. They were thick, fluffy, nearly burnt, blueberry pancakes. They are still figuring out of the griddle works in the kitchen. It seems to heat the cast iron unevenly.

Shorty later the couple going nobo walked down and Kill Bill a minute later. We talked while sipping coffee and eating delicious blueberry pancakes. The caretakers eventually joined us and we all talked for well over an hour. It was around 8 o’clock when I went back upstairs and packed up. Luckily it didn’t take very long because I didn’t have a tent and sleeping pad to take down.

I said my goodbyes and thank you’s to the caretakers and began heading down the .5 mile trail back to the AT. I enjoyed the cool morning air while I made my way over small bumps this morning. They were some easy miles. There’s an “A.T. Stand” around 9 miles away that I plan to stop at for lunch and upload journals.

I passed by lots of bogs this morning which were accompanied by boardwalks.

In our conversation this morning the nobo’s talked about some porcupine quills on the ground and in logs on the trail. On my descent to the AT stand, I saw the quills scattered about. I can’t imagine all these quills coming from one porcupine. There were thousands…

Down in the valley just before the A.T. Stand there was a long really wobbly and tilted boardwalk. As I walked along it carefully I could watch it shake 30feet in front of me. It’s in pretty dire need of replacement.

The A.T. Stand was amazing! They had an antique fridge and freezer. Unfortunately no icecream sandwiches today but they had soda, chips, candy, eggs, and popsicles for sale. They also had wifi and a place to charge your electronics. While I sat one the picnic table talking with Kill Bill I enjoyed, to the best of my ability, a coke. I also got a 25 cent popsicle with the quarter I’ve been carrying. Bill Kill continued on but I stayed for a bit to transfer and upload journals while I had reliable Wi-Fi. I forgot to get a picture of the stand but it was a small, red, couldn’t be for than 3×3 shed with a large white AT logo on it. It had a wonderful view of the valley and fields.

I left the stand just before 1 and still had 13 miles to crank out. I had a little incline out of the bat that brought me to multiple views of the valley. A few viewpoints even had benches.

On a climb up another mountain I passed Kiwi. He’s a sobo and has just come from town. He started July 4th and has been taking his time.

I’ve been checking FarOut for water sources this afternoon and a lot of them are dry. It wasn’t rained much which is nice for hiking but for hydration, not so much. I was able to filter water trickling into a beaver bog. I was glad to not have to filter the water coming from the bogs outlet.

There were some ledges about 4 miles before camp that had some good views. At one of the bogs I was able to get a close picture of what I’m going to call a bog Frog.

Right before camp, and I mean right before, I walk along the top of Ice Gulch. It’s a super cool ravine that glaciers carved in the mountain.

I had setup my tent, cooked and eaten dinner all within an hour of arriving at camp. That’s got to be a new record. There’s a partial view from one of the tent pads. Until tomorrow, goodnight.