McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 9/18/2024 | AT Mile 685.7 | Day Total: 22.7 miles | Gain: 4856 ft

Fun day today! Woke up, packed up, and ate breakfast by the shelter. Got some easy miles this morning. Gotta get down off the mountain first but I’ll have 5 miles of flat pastures to walk through. After that I’ll come to some steeper stuff.

First thing I came across was the ridge walking with some bumps and rocky sections with ledges. The Ledges offered good views down below.

The brush underneath the trees has started to change color and welt. The ferns in this area have really started to go.

Once I was down off the mountain I walked through a few fields and saw a hawk on a power line.

I continued on the flat trail along Housatonic River to US Route 7. On the other side Kill Bill was drinking a Gatorade. There must be trail magic! There were two coolers. One filled with drinks on ice and another with candy and snacks! I enjoyed a raspberry tea, a packet of love corn, and a small snickers bar. Thanks Steady Stream!

I passed roads, streams, pastures, fields, and railroads with ease. I really enjoyed these flat miles.

I planned to eat lunch on top of Mount Bushnell about 1200ft up. I wanted to get up a decent amount before lunch so I could have a nice break before climbing up again. Mount Bushnell offered good views from a rock ledge and had nice rock for sitting. The view was a bit obstructed by some trees but I could see over them for the most part.

Next up was Mount Everett, another 1000ft of climbing. The trail has gotten significantly more rocky than it has been the past few days so I’m back to looking down at my feet for footing. I was enjoying the nice tall views, I haven’t had super good ones for a few days.

I had passed a parking area just before Mount Everett and a gentleman asked me if I had seen had seen his dad, an older guy with a large walking stick. I said I hadn’t and he asked if I needed water but I had just filled up so I passed the offer with thanks. As I walked across the lot, he realized that his dad was hiking nobo and said I should pass him soon. I took a mental note and continued on. On my descent off Mount Everett I passed crossed paths with his dad and had a short conversation. He’s been section hiking and his son has been following him for a few days.

Next up was Mt Race. The climb wasn’t bad at all and graded well. The sun has been hiding behind the clouds today so it’s been cooler in the afternoon for a change. Mt Race and the ledges that followed offered stunning views. The trail at times walked right up against a ledge and had view for a few hundred feet before drifting back into the brush.

After Mt race I dipped down into a valley for a few miles passing a few campsites. At one of intersections to the campsite I got stung by 2 ground bees at the same time just above my heel. A few choice words were followed by a near run. After my brief jog I stopped and saw the bee on my left ankle still attached to my sock where it had stung me so I flicked it off. I was happy to find that no other bees had followed. I must have upset a nest… ouch…

I continued on walking through Sages Ravine. The sting’s were uniform in location on both legs and the tingle still lingers as I write this journal. On the southern end of Sages Ravine I passed the MA/CT boarder! Massachusetts had gone by fast!

I had just one more climb over Bear Mountain before I arrived at camp. Bear mountain had a large pile of rocks at the top accompanied my a very worn stone sign. Views were spectacular.

As I came down Bear Mountain the sky had just started to turn pink in the horizon. We still had another 2hrs until sunset but it was already beautiful.

I arrived at Brassie Brook shelter just after 5 o’clock. The shelter was rebuilt in 2023 so it brand spanking new. There was a gentleman, Jon, with his tent setup in the shelter. I talked with him for a minute and dropped off my food and cooking stuff and walked around to find a tent spot. I generally like to setup before dinner so I don’t have to fumble around in the dark trying to get settled.

Kill Bill walked up as I was pitching my tent. He got word from one of the hostels in town (Salisbury, 4.2 miles away) that if we arrived before 8:15 we could shower and do laundry for a small fee. We both plan to wake up tomorrow and spend the morning and lunch in town for resupply. My shirt has definitely collected some dirt and funk the past few days.

I ate dinner with Jon and Kill Bill. Jon lives close by and has done this hike many times before. We talked about the Whites and Maine quite a bit over dinner. Looking forward to town tomorrow morning!