McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 9/19/2024 | AT Mile 701.6 | Day Total: 15.9 miles | Gain: 1940 ft

Woke up at 5 to the rustling sounds of the overnight hiker at the shelter and opening the bear box. He was by no means being quiet. I laid there for another 15 min before packing up. Both Kill Bill and I are leaving early this morning so we can get into town for a shower, laundry and resupply anyway. The owner would like us both there by 8:15am so we had to rise early. Not a big deal considering how early we’ve been getting up lately.

I began hiking with my headlamp. I wouldn’t need it very long as the sun was about to rise. Luckily the trail was clear of tripping hazards and very flat. I realized that there was a view coming up about two miles ahead and if I keep the pace I would get there just before sunrise.

I got to Lion’s Head just as the sky had begun to turn pink. I was ahead of schedule so I sat there for the better part of 20 minutes and admired the view.

Kill Bill joined me a few minutes later at the view and we continued down to Salisbury. Descent was easy and we got to the road in no time. Fortunately the town is close by and walkable but it’s still a half mile road walk…

We arrived at 8 and sat outback on some lawn chairs while we waited for the owner to arrive. Shortly after 8:15 he pulled into the driveway and walked us inside for a tour. He asked if we could be out by 9:45 because he has an appointment. I was hoping to be able to relax here for a while but that’ll give us enough time to shower, recharge and do laundry. There’s an inn at the center of town that had nice tables and outlets in the front. So we planned to hang there and go grocery shopping and eat lunch.

After shower and laundry I felt refreshed! Kill Bill and I headed towards the inn just a few feet down the road and went to the grocery store for resupply. I had gotten a few snacks while I was there to munch on before lunch. We sat around for over an hour for which I spent most of the time getting journals uploaded.

The grocery store had a nice, and popular, deli in the back. We decided to get sandwiches there and walk back to the Inn. I got an Arnold Palmer and the Hot Sicilian sandwich. The sandwich was delicious! Just before 1 I decided to get back on the trail. One thing we noticed while we walked to get sandwiches was how hot it was. The high was 84 today… As I was walking along a road on the trail a friendly gentleman in a red suv stopped, rolled down his window, and asked if I needed a ride into town. I explained that I was just there and I appreciated the offer. This was the first time that I had been offered a ride without asking, unfortunately it happened just as I was leaving.

Luckily the climb out of town isn’t very tall or hard but I was still sweating like a pig. I passed a large group of elderly walking down. They were out for a day hike and were shocked when I told them I was planning on doing another 10 miles today. They were very sweet.

After the initial hot climb it wasn’t terrible. Just a very gradual ascent to Mt Prospect and passed Billy’s view and Giant’s Thumb. Sections of the trail had a little breeze and I would arch my back and let the wind blow between me and the bag. My back doesn’t have much room to breathe otherwise.

My Prospect had a mostly treed view. The descent was easy and brought me right to a 4 mile section of very flat hiking before the campsite. So flat in fact that there was a wheelchair accessible gravel path. I followed the Housatonic River through town. I frequently dipped into the woods and back onto the road. The road sections were really hot, especially the ones in the sun.

Today I hit 700 miles! It’s hard for me to wrap my head around how far that is, even being the one who hiked it.

Belter’s Bump is right before the campsite and is a mere 200ft climb. Not much for our standards.

I got to the campsite just before 5 and sat down. It took a long time for me to finally feel as if I’ve cooled off. At which point I went to the spring to gather some water and wipe my dusty legs down.

I enjoyed some Knorr marinara pasta tonight. This one takes longer to cook and I let it sit for 15 min to soak the water up and cool off.

The privy here is very open concept but hidden by bushes. Luckily there’s only two of us here tonight so it’s easy to coordinate.