McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 12/14/2024 | AT Mile 2197.4 | Day Total: 11.6 miles | Gain: 959 ft Today’s the day! The final day. Woke up before my alarm this morning and made my last breakfast on the trail. I saved half a bag of mini powdered donuts for the occasion. Meeting my parents at the parking…

Date Written: 12/13/2024 | AT Mile 2194.6 | Day Total: 16.2 miles | Gain: 3315 ft Best night of sleep I’ve had in a while. Slower start to the morning. I took my time eating and packing up. The view near the campsite is beautiful! Lower miles planned for today. I could in theory finish…

Date Written: 12/12/2024 | AT Mile 2178.4 | Day Total: 16.5 miles | Gain: 3744 ft It’s a chilly 21 degrees this morning. The wind isn’t helping- it picked up through the night. My tent was flapping in the early hours of the morning waking me up occasionally. Made some breakfast and watched the sunrise.…

Date Written: 12/11/2024 | AT Mile 2161.9 | Day Total: 22.9 miles | Gain: 5135 ft Well I’m glad to say I think this will be the last night I spent in a shelter. The whole night a chubby mouse came up to me and chewed on my pillow. It would wake me up every…

Date Written: 12/10/2024 | AT Mile 2139.0 | Day Total: 11.0 miles | Gain: 3950 ft Slept well last night. It was nice to have a laidback evening with others. Breakfast was set for 8:15 and shuttle for 9. I packed up may backpack and set it outside before I went over to the common…

Date Written: 12/09/2024 | AT Mile 2128.0 | Day Total: 4.5 miles | Gain: 1191 ft Didn’t sleep great last night. I could hear the rodents in the shelter scurrying around but I somehow didn’t see any. Once the rain came around 10pm it drowned out the rodent noise. Woke up at 6:15 this morning…

Date Written: 12/08/2024 | AT Mile 2123.5 | Day Total: 23.5 miles | Gain: 4295 ft Another good nights rest. Woke up at 6:15 and made some breakfast. I was packed up and hiking at 7:30. It’s much easier to get ready in the morning when it’s warmer. Had a gradual 700ft climb this morning.…

Date Written: 12/07/2024 | AT Mile 2100.0 | Day Total: 20.4 miles | Gain: 4055 ft I was surprised when I woke up and saw that it was 32 degrees. It had warmed up throughout the night which makes my morning a bit easier. Slept really well last night only recall waking up once at…

Date Written: 12/06/2024 | AT Mile 2079.6 | Day Total: 18.3 miles | Gain: 6364 ft Another chilly morning! 18 degrees in my tent. Slept very well, only tossed a few times. The inside of my tent was coated in a layer of frozen condensation. Made some breakfast and packed up. It takes way longer…

Date Written: 12/05/2024 | AT Mile 2061.3 | Day Total: 14.6 miles | Gain: 3584 ft Woke up around 7. Slept like a rock last night! So nice to be in heated sleeping quarters. Made some pancakes for breakfast and brewed a small pot of coffee. Relaxed this morning and packed up. Heading back to…

Date Written: 12/04/2024 | AT Mile 2046.7 | Day Total: 15.5 miles | Gain: 4777 ft Woke up at 6:15 and was wide awake. Didn’t sleep very well last night. There were some snorers in the shelter… Hard to complain after spending the past 31 nights (excluding hostels) solo with nobody to talk to. It’s…

Date Written: 12/03/2024 | AT Mile 2031.2 | Day Total: 17.8 miles | Gain: 2558 ft Coldest night yet, it was 15 degrees in the shelter and 13 outside. Was a little chilled but nothing a few jumping jacks wouldn’t cure. Water bladder was super frozen. I duped out the massive ice cube and hiked…

Date Written: 12/02/2024 | AT Mile 2013.4 | Day Total: 19.1 miles | Gain: 4931ft Another chilly morning in the Smokies. It was 19 in the shelter and the temperature dropped to 13 when I stepped outside. Water bottles were mostly frozen. I had to warm the caps up with my hand before I was…

Date Written: 12/01/2024 | AT Mile 1994.3 | Day Total: 20.6 miles | Gain: 4911 ft Slept okay for but got little chilled in my feet in the early hours of the morning. I was rolling around a lot which caused drafts. I went to bed at 7pm so I’m not surprised I was rolling…

Date Written: 11/30/2024 | AT Mile 1973.7 | Day Total: 18.1 miles | Gain: 6722 ft Entering the Smokies today! Slept really well last night. Woke up once last night and threw my quilt over the blanket – the little heater is struggling to keep the not well insulated treehouse at room temperature. Still way…

Date Written: 11/29/2024 | AT Mile 1955.6 | Day Total: 7.2 miles | Gain: 1437 ft Lazy start to the morning. Didn’t start moving till it was light out. Walked the rather far distance to the bear box to make some breakfast. Last night that mouse made frequent visits skurrying across the head of my…

Date Written: 11/28/2024 | AT Mile 1948.4 | Day Total: 23.0 miles | Gain: 6051 ft Happy Thanksgiving! Woke up a few times last night so some rain hitting my tent. Was able to roll right back to sleep. At 6:45 I began to get ready for the day. The rain should stop around 9…

Date Written: 11/27/2024 | AT Mile 1925.4 | Day Total: 15.9 miles | Gain: 3778 ft Woke up to a beautiful sunrise! Grabbed my bag from the bear line and made some breakfast. I’ll be heading into Hot Springs today. I tried to contact a few places to stay yesterday with no luck. I’m going…

Date Written: 11/26/2024 | AT Mile 1909.5 | Day Total: 20.9 miles | Gain: 4369 ft As expected the rain poured down on the middle of the night. I was nice and dry in the shelter! I did have a mouse run over the footbox of my quilt… I could hear them running in the…

Date Written: 11/25/2024 | AT Mile 1888.6 | Day Total: 22.3 miles | Gain: 5542 ft Slept okay last night. Coyotes were chirping in the early hours of the night but didn’t bother me much. A hunter, I assume, came up the side trail around 5:30am with a headlamp beaming around camp. Otherwise, beautiful sunrise…

Date Written: 11/24/2024 | AT Mile 1866.3 | Day Total: 13.6 miles | Gain: 4184 ft I slept like a rock last night. I was in need of a good nights rest after some rough nights and weather. I took another hot shower this morning and organized my resupply food before going to breakfast. They…

Date Written: 11/23/2024 | AT Mile 1852.7 | Day Total: 12.1 miles | Gain: 1086 ft Didn’t sleep well last night. Wind was still whipping this morning. I would wake up every few minutes to a loud gush of wind. I got an additional 1-2 inches of snow last night. I packed up everything in…

Date Written: 11/22/2024 | AT Mile 1840.6 | Day Total: 20.9 miles | Gain: 4203 ft Got some snow last night! Had to nudge it off the walls of my tent this morning. Looks like 5ish inches total. Plenty warm in my tent. My thermometer reads 29 degrees – a bit warmer than outside. Made…

Date Written: 11/21/2024 | AT Mile 1823.2 | Day Total: 20.8 miles | Gain: 5807 ft No rain last night but it was pretty windy. Slept well and warm during the 30 degree night. Made breakfast and packed up with my quilt draped over me. Got a huge 2700ft climb this morning. I’ll be hiking…

Date Written: 11/20/2024 | AT Mile 1802.4 | Day Total: 19.0 miles | Gain: 3247 ft Spotty rain last night. Had a lot of condensation buildup on my tent this morning. Used my bandanna and soaked most of it up. Made some breakfast and packed up. Was out on the trail around 7:30. Had some…

Date Written: 11/19/2024 | AT Mile 1783.4 | Day Total: 14.7 miles | Gain: 4527 ft Slept well last night. I woke up before my alarm went off this morning and put my contacts in before heading to the common house where they had coffee and cereal. One of my staples when I’m in town…

Date Written: 11/18/2024 | AT Mile 1768.7 | Day Total: 16.1 miles | Gain: 2156 ft Tried to get an earlier start this morning. Was hiking by 7:30. Loaded up with water at the spring .2 south of shelter. Unfortunately it seems that the trail is not clear south of the shelter. My goal today…

Date Written: 11/17/2024 | AT Mile 1752.6 | Day Total: 14.5 miles | Gain: 2691 ft Starting getting ready for the day right as the sun was rising. Snapped a quick picture of the sunrise when I went out to grab my food bag from the tree. After packing up I continued onward along the…

Date Written: 11/16/2024 | AT Mile 1738.1 | Day Total: 11.7 miles | Gain: 3144 ft Woke up before my 7am alarm. Breakfast is made at 7:30 by Lady Di. I packed up a little before I headed down. Downstairs I poured a cup of coffee and went into the dining room. She had a…

Date Written: 11/15/2024 | AT Mile 1726.4 | Day Total: 19.1 miles | Gain: 1614 ft Woke up officially a little before 7. I’ve been turning since 3:30 when got sucked into looking at trail conditions ahead in the middle of the night. To be fair at 3:30am I already had 8 hours of sleep.…

Date Written: 11/14/2024 | AT Mile 1702.2 | Day Total: 9.3 miles | Gain: 1614 ft Lots of sleep last night! As expected it rained beginning around 2 in the morning. My thermometer reads 33 degrees this morning. That’s about the worst combination ever… Rains supposed to continue through out the whole day unfortunately. Ventured…

Date Written: 11/13/2024 | AT Mile 1692.9 | Day Total: 20.1 miles | Gain: 4789 ft Cool 37 degree morning. Made breakfast in my tent after retrieving some water and my food from the bear box. After packing up I preformed some acrobatics through the dozen blowdown back to the trail. Started the morning with…

Date Written: 11/12/2024 | AT Mile 1672.8 | Day Total: 9.8 miles | Gain: 1738 ft It’s day 100!!! Last night I relaxed and watched the first Harry Potter movie. I’ve been listening to the audiobooks for entertainment while I hike. Nearly done listening to the series now. I first read the series in middle…

Date Written: 11/11/2024 | AT Mile 1663.0 | Day Total: 0.0 miles | Gain: 0 ft Woke up around 6:30 to rain pouring down on the shelter. Luckily it’s bone dry in here which is really nice. Taking my time I made some breakfast and packed up. I walked back over to the Mt Roger’s…

Date Written: 11/10/2024 | AT Mile 1663.0 | Day Total: 14.4 miles | Gain: 3065 ft I was awake at 6:30 but rolled around until 7. I don’t have many miles planned today so I’m going to take my time this morning. Not to mention I have a bear line to untangle. After 15 minutes,…

Date Written: 11/09/2024 | AT Mile 1648.6 | Day Total: 21.3 miles | Gain: 4428 ft Woke up to my alarm and packed up my sleep system before heading to the picnic table outside for breakfast. Slept okay, the mice scurried throughout the whole shelter last night. I enjoyed the beautiful sunrise while I ate…

Date Written: 11/08/2024 | AT Mile 1627.3 | Day Total: 22.0 miles | Gain: 5262 ft Woke up at 6:30 and took a refreshing shower. It’s the modern conveniences, like everyday showers, that you end up missing the most living in the woods. Made some breakfast and finished the last journal that was deleted after…

Date Written: 11/07/2024 | AT Mile 1605.3 | Day Total: 0.0 miles | Gain: 0000 ft Woke up at 8 this morning. I showered and made a quick breakfast. I’m really bummed out that the past 8 days of journals has disappeared. I’ve done everything I can think of. The last thing I tried was…

Date Written: 11/06/2024 | AT Mile 1605.3 | Day Total: 11.9 miles | Gain: 2533 ft Woke up just as it began to get light outside. The rain/mist stopped late last night and I’m happy to say the cockroaches didn’t bother me last night. I made some breakfast and packed up. I’ll heading into Bland…

Date Written: 11/05/2024 | AT Mile 1593.4 | Day Total: 24.0 miles | Gain: 3571 ft Drizzly start to the morning. It lightly rained last night and the shelters sitting in a cloud this morning causing the trees to drip water onto my tent. Made breakfast in my tent this morning and packed up. Started…

Date Written: 11/04/2024 | AT Mile 1569.4 | Day Total: 16.5 miles | Gain: 3763 ft Alarm went off at 6 this morning although we were up slightly before then. It’s a bit chilly this morning. Even though the winds blowing on the other side of the shelter there’s still a small draft coming in.…

Date Written: 11/03/2024 | AT Mile 1552.9 | Day Total: 12.5 miles | Gain: 2661 ft Took a leap of faith off the top bunk this morning. Relaxing start otherwise. We cooked some breakfast, filtered water, and dad made some coffee. He’s starting to get the hang of the press. We were hiking out of…

Date Written: 11/02/2024 | AT Mile 1540.4 | Day Total: 12.7 miles | Gain: 2687 ft Woke up this morning and it was still dark but I could tell it was going to be light soon. I turned more than I usually do last night, waking up every so often. A hunter walked through camp…

Date Written: 11/01/2024 | AT Mile 1527.7 | Day Total: 9.1 miles | Gain: 2531 ft Set an alarm this morning so I can get up and out. I retrieved my bear bag and cooked breakfast in the dark. I’ve got a little over 6 miles to Rocky Gap where my mom and dad are…

Date Written: 10/31/2024 | AT Mile 1518.6 | Day Total: 19.4 miles | Gain: 4323 ft Happy Halloween! Took my time getting ready time morning. I was packed up and hiking a little after 9. Hiked the long .3 miles back to the trail. It’s never fun having to hike extra miles… but oh well.…

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…

Date Written: 10/29/2024 | AT Mile 1482.2 | Day Total: 20.4 miles | Gain: 4162 ft Cooked breakfast and headed out towards Daleville. The wind has died down throughout the night. The smoke from the fire was being blown right into my campsite. I’m going to do a quick resupply there and continue hiking in…

Date Written: 10/28/2024 | AT Mile 1461.8 | Day Total: 27.0 miles | Gain: 6747 ft Woke up at 7 this morning. Slept really well last night which is good because I have a big day ahead of me. I made breakfast from my sleeping bag because it’s pretty cold this morning. I’m going to…

Date Written: 10/27/2024 | AT Mile 1434.8 | Day Total: 10.2 miles | Gain: 1543 ft Wake up call at 7 this morning. Seth’s alarm rang on and on to an eerie tone. Had on most of my layers this morning. Last night the low was 34 degrees. I went over to the bearbox and…

Date Written: 10/26/2024 | AT Mile 1424.6 | Day Total: 12.6 miles | Gain: 4850 ft Nice slow start to the morning. Rip, the sobo I met in town yesterday passed by this morning. Once 9 o’clock came around I woke Megan and Seth. Megan was stirring but Seth was still out so I just…