McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 10/30/2024 | AT Mile 1499.2 | Day Total: 17.0 miles | Gain: 3718 ft

Woke up early this morning for sunrise hike to McAfee Knob! Packed up as quietly as I could because the others around me are still sleeping. I’m saving breakfast to eat at the Knob.

I began hiking at 6:15 and have just .7 miles and 550ft of climbing. There were a bunch of switchbacks which was nice. The trails pretty wide here because so many people come and visit. The trail also has developed a sandy powdery base that gets all over your shoes.

There was a switchback that turned around at some power lines. You could see some city lights down in the valley below, but the best part was the moon.

It didn’t take very long for me to reach the top. The trails pretty wide waves through some rock crevices before reaching McAfee Knob.

I had arrived at McAfee Knob at the perfect time. The skyline was barely lightning up! I was also shocked to see that there was only a couple with a baby up as well. I’m glad there isn’t a crowd like there was last time.

I took a seat and threw some layers on. There’s a little bit of a breeze and all the rock is covered in a layer of dew. I began cooking breakfast and enjoyed some celebratory powdered donuts. As this sky became prettier, I set my trekking pole up for a picture. With a 10 second timer and a brisk walk I was able to get a pretty good picture.

The valley below was a dark area when I arrived but as it became lighter I could make it out better. It’s a wonderful view with lots of memories.

After spending some time at the knob it became light outside and I decided it was time to continue my hike. I took one last picture before I left.

As I walked down the trail towards the parking lot I passed a ton of day hikers. Probably close to 30 in the 3 mile section. I’m glad I was able to beat the crowd and get some beautiful views of the sunrise.

I passed by a ridge runner on my way down and we had a short conversation mostly about the closers down south. She was older and made it very clear that thru hikers should be allowed through the closed section. She encouraged me to do so even if it was closed which I thought was interesting.

I passed by the shelter Nate, dad and I spent the night at. It’s cool to see what you remember about a hike even if it was just two years ago.

The original parking lot is currently closed because they are building a pedestrian bridge across it. When I arrived the bridge looked complete but they were actively working on the ramp leading up to it.

I took a long sit break shortly after this to figure out my plan for Friday. My parents are coming into town then! But I’ve got a meeting with my advisor and some other miscellaneous things to do in addition to the usual resupply before we start hiking. They’ll be with me for 3 nights which is amazing! Can’t wait to see them!

The trail bumped along the ridge for the next few miles. I passed some more cool large rocks and as I descended into the valley I spotted a small turtle in the middle of the trail. It hid itself in its shell as soon as I approached it.

I walked through some pastures down to Catawba Creek. I decided this would make a good place for lunch and took another long break.

After lunch I continued down through a few more pastures and across the bridge over Catawba Creek. The last time I was here there was a cow in the middle of the trail! No cows this time but lots of manure piles.

As I got closer to Dragons tooth the trail became more technical. I enjoy a bit of technicality once in a while, it changes things up.

There a particular section of trail that I remember from the past times I’ve been here. It’s nearly a wall of rock that you hug with your side and climb up. Gotta be careful because you could get injured pretty bad if you misstep.

I soon came to the short side trail to Dragons Tooth. I headed down and I was surprised to see only a few people here. I was expecting a bigger crowd but I’m not complaining. There’s a big open area at the base where crowds gather and a view of the valley below.

It was getting pretty late in the day and I still had 4 miles to get to the shelter. About 2 miles later I came to some ledges with a decent view. As I got closer to the shelter there were some massive rock piles along some switchbacks.

Pickle Branch Shelter is where I’m staying tonight. Unfortunately it’s .3 off the trail and the water source is a further .2 downhill. I arrived about 30 minutes before sunset and went down to grab some water from the creek. Nobody else was here but the shelter wasn’t very clean so I went back up the trail for some tent spots as the shelter was on a steep slope.

Once I was settled in I cooked some dinner and journaled. It been an eventful day and I’m ready for a good sleep. I’m going to take my time in the morning.