Day #64 - McAfee Knob!

Miles - 12.8 to a stealth site before Angels Gap
May 24

Today was awesome! The terrain wasn't bad for the most part and the weather was great. It was hot enough to make us sweat while we were hiking, but there was a nice breeze to cool us off when we stopped. We knew there were lots of iconic spots on the trail today, so we built that into our schedule and planned a short day.

We got to McAfee Knob around 9:30 a.m. when pretty much no one else was there. It was a clear day and we were able to get some great photos. Sitting and standing at the edge was pretty scary, especially with the strong winds. When I thought of it, I got vertigo. I don't like heights, but I had to get that iconic photo. The views were incredible! I've been wanting to take those photos for over a year, so it was very exciting. Since it's a holiday weekend, it quickly became very crowded. I'm glad we got there early!

After a long break, we walked about five miles to Tinker Cliffs for lunch. They weren't as scary as I anticipated. You only had to walk along the edge of the cliff (where the white blazes were) if you wanted to. You could easily walk a few feet from the side of the trail in the safety of the woods.

We stopped for lunch at a shelter and met EKG and Mad Dog. I also found a lovely fake fingernail (see photo). I really want to know how that ended up on the AT. I can't imagine someone with those fingernails hiking the trail. 

After lunch, we hiked until we didn't feel like hiking any longer. We can't technically camp wherever we want because we are on National Park Service land, but that kind of stuff isn't really enforced. We found a spot on an old trail crossing. While we were setting up our tents, Bluebird suddenly announced that she smelled poop. Muffin Man had just taken off his shoes. It was definitely his feet. He was a bit embarassed, but we all thought it was really funny. Clean is a foreign concept out here.

I finally used my own bear line and rock sack to hang the bear bags. It's day #64 and I've yet to use my own. I typically just hang my bag from someone else's line. I decided to start throwing the bear lines because my old job was to help hoist the bags. Bluebird takes a long time to eat, so by the time the bags are ready to hoist I'm normally in my tent for the night. I figured I should pitch in earlier in the process instead. I like the rock sack! It makes it pretty easy to throw the line. I'm definitely still perfecting my technique though. I had Velveeta shells and cheese for dinner. That's a very messy meal and weighs a lot, so I don't have it often. It was a treat! Yum!

Best Thing: McAfee Knob on a gorgeous morning before the Memorial day crowds converged.
Looking Forward To: A shower and spending the night in town!