Hiking One of the Most Traveled Sections of the Southern Appalachian Trail - McAfee's Knob Loop

McAfee's Knob

The McAfee's Knob hike begins at the junction of the Appalachian Trail and Route 311, just outside of the city of Roanoke, Virginia. It is approximately 3.9 miles long creating about an 8 mile round trip. An old fire road parallels the first 3 miles of the trail making the trail to the top very accessible by just about everyone. The trail overlooks the valley from Catawba Mountain. It begins at Route 311 and immediately ascends a stone stairwell to a series of switchbacks that reach to the crest of a narrow steep ridge passing by the Boy Scout and Catawba shelters. Water supplies at these shelters and along the trail may be seasonal and cannot be relied upon for drinking water. Therefore hikers should carry their own water for the trip. The mountains here sit on the edge of a giant sandstone out-cropping known as the Pulaski Fault. A series of narrow foot bridges carry the hiker over some of the rock ledges of the fault. Depending on the season the trail is dotted with a wide variety of flowers and trees. This area is known for its mountain laurel and redbud trees. Because of its hanging seedpods, the redbud is considered to be a member of the pea family. It is also called the flowering Judas tree. Some people believe it is the tree Judas Iscariot hanged himself from. At the top of McAfee's Knob are several large outcrops that jut out from the mountain side. Views from the top are breathtaking of nearby Tinker Cliffs and Catawba and Roanoke valleys.

 Hundreds of people hike this trail each year.  Wear and tear from hikers and downed trees from severe weather takes a toll on the trail.The large volume of hikers and the sandy soil causes the trail to require lots of maintenance.


                       

                              Hiking along the ridge of McAfees Knob Trail.

                                    Wooden bridges over sandstone outcrops

Tree falls across the wooden bridge.

A soil replacement trail for the destroyed wooded bridge

View of Catawba Valley from the trail

A sign announcing the end of the trail and top of the mountain

McAfees Knob

Psalms 121:1-2  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania Northbound from Swatara Gap to the Blue Rocks Family Campground

Hiking History

I have talked with many Appalachian Trail thru hikers, and each of them have told me how hard it  is to hike the rocky areas of the AT in Pennsylvania. In the past I have envisioned hiking the entire AT in sections at my own walking rate. I am over half way finished hiking the entire AT and I have recently come to the realization that at age 70 the vision may not become a reality.  About 20 years ago I was diagnosed with severe knee loss of cartilage due to many years of overuse and abuse running marathons and ultramarathrons. Three doctors told me that I needed immediate knee replacements in both knees and that my long distance outdoor activities of running, bicycling and walking were a thing of the past. I refused to give in to an inactive life of  being a couch potato. I vowed to become even more active than before the doctors' diagnosis. I knew that running was no longer an option, but bicycling and long-distance walking seemed real and viable to me. I began bicycling to and from work and started hiking small sections of the AT. My first real test was to bicycle 470 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I completed the trip in six days and since then I have not looked back.  I have completed many 100 and 50 mile bicycle rides, bicycled to and from work for ten years, as well as  hiked portions of the AT and the Continental Divide Trail. Last summer I hiked Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon. I thought that I would have enough time to finish hiking the AT before I physically would have to quit.  My latest adventure was to hike 75 miles on the AT from Swatara Gap to Lehigh gap in Pennsylvania. I divided the hike into two parts. The first part was from Swatara Gap to Port Clinton and the second from Port Clinton to Lehigh Gap.

Swatara Gap to Port Clinton Hike

At Swatara Gap a hiking friend joined me as an encourager and as a safety precaution against me falling and being left all alone injured on the trail. The AT is a well-maintained trail.  Hikers have a very small chance of becoming lost in the woods. The chance of injury comes from falling while walking long distances on basketball-sized wobbly rocks up and down the mountains with a 35 pound pack. During the month of April in Pennsylvania there are only a few thru hikers on this portion of the trail and an injured solo hiker may lay unattended for hours or even days. We hiked together for three days before he had to quit to attend the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. 

Along the trail we passed groups of young couples trying to find suitable areas to view the meteor showers expected that night.  Our first stop after 11.2 miles was the 501 Shelter. The 501 Shelter is one of the only shelters that are enclosed with a roof and four walls. The shelter is maintained by a caretaker who lives in a house less than 100 yards away. The shelter ceiling is composed of  a skylight covering the entire roof. If we had not been so tired we could have viewed the meteor shower without getting out of our bed. It was great to be able to sleep inside without the worry of bears or other larger animal visitations looking for our food. Of course, one has to worry about mice in the shelter trying to sneak a morsel of food or steal something to line their home from a chewed piece of coat or sleeping bag. It was 29 degrees that morning, making it hard to roll out of our sleeping bags to starte on the new day's hike. I dined on a breakfast cookie and some hot instant coffee. I usually pack only very light items for a long hike, but my pack was much heavier this trip. Although the mountains of this section of the AT in Pennsylvania are only 1500 feet high they are challenging because of the very rocky trails.

The next day we hiked to the Eagles Nest Shelter, approximately 13 miles. This hike was not  very scenic. There were rocks, trees, and shrubs along the entire day's hike. The shelter was three-sided with a roof. Another hiker was already at the shelter nursing a smoky fire. After three washes my jacket and clothes after three washes still smell like campfire smoke. The other hiker was in his late forties and appeared to be an experienced hiker. His destination was some place in New Hamphire, and I hoped we would not be seeing much of him further down the trail because his snore sounded like a wounded bear all night long. My friend and the new hiker hiked a lot together the next day. They hiked at a faster pace than I did, but my friend stopped many times to let me catch up with him. You should never hike solo along the trail in areas that can be very dangerous. We saw very few other hikers along this hike. We never saw the other hiker again. The next day's hike would be nine miles into the town of Port Clinton. This hike was very much like the last day's hike without any exiting views.

At one point my friend missed a turn in the trail, and I managed to get in front of him. It was a pleasant surprise to see him coming up behind me.  We walked together for awhile, and I was in front of him when I heard a large thump. He had fallen on the trail on some rocks, but he jumped up and exclaimed that he was not hurt and limped onward. I wonder while in private that night did he secretly survey his bruises and knots from the fall.  The trail coming into the town was almost straight down without any switchbacks for about a mile. It was very hard to keep our balance while going downhill, stepping over large rocks with a heavy pack.  I stayed in the town at the Port Clinton Hotel. The Port Clinton is an old coal town.  

There were many historic markers documenting the town's history. I believe the hotel was as old as the town. The hotel lobby was also the bar, and the dinning area was just off the bar. My friend decided to have lunch with me before he was shuttled back to his car in Duncannon, PA. He ordered meat loaf and stuffed mashed potatoes. Stuffed mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes with pieces of celery, onions, bread crumbs and other things (who knows what else). I had a cheeseburger and a small french fries. The small french fries were enough for three people. The large fries must have been made from ten large potatoes. The people who ran the hotel were very nice. My room was one of six rooms upstairs. The door was locked by a dead bolt since the door knob lock had been shattered sometime earlier. The bathroom was at the end of the hallway. The bed mattress reminded me of one of those sway-back horses I used to see during a family country drive when I was a child. I did not care about any of these things because it was a chance to sleep in a bed without anybody snoring next to me. 

Port Clinton to Lehigh Gap Hike

I planned to continue solo hiking for four more days to Lehigh Gap. Since I had come down in elevation to Port Clinton that meant I had to go back up the same distance to the trail again. Somehow the breakfast cookie I ate did not have that lasting energy it had the previous morning. There were many great views of the valley below on the way up the mountain.

At the top the rocks became almost unbearable to walk on and I found myself taking many breaks. This trail had more day hikers. They did not have a problem telling me how difficult the trail is since it is lined with softball-sized rocks for miles and miles. The more hikers I encountered the more they stressed how dangerous the rocks were along the trail. The right kind of encouragement goes a long way, and the wrong kind makes a good day turn bad. My day's destination was a family campground a mile off the trail. If the side trail to the campground was  only a sample of what was in store for me the next day I was mortified. At the end of the hike I checked into the Blue Rocks Family Campground. The campground was named Blue Rocks because there was a large rock field stretching from near the top of the mountain to the campground.

The rocks are thought to be deposited from glacier deposition during the ice age. The pictures confirmed to me that more rocks would have to be crossed the next day.

Graphic pictures of the dangerous trail rocks posted on the check-in wall was the straw that broke the camel's back. I made the decision to go no further and made arrangement's for my shuttle pickup for the next day.  I had envisioned starting the hike the next day and only going half way down the trail before falling and having to call for help. I felt that I had reached my limitations for a safe hike and had to call it quits. Part of hiking is making sure you are safe in all that you do along the trail. 

After Thought

I believe that I need to look at each section of the AT that I have not hiked yet and pick the hikes that are the most representative of each state section. I will not rule out slack packing or day hiking some of the more challenging sections.  Let me know your ideas on my plan and post then in the comments section of this blog.

Psalm 40:2.............God set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

High Bridge State Park

Farmville, Virginia

One of the newest state parks in Virginia highlights a trail that contains a long high bridge over the Appomattox River.  The trail is a non-motorized multi-use trail for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Bicycling the trail is a good way to get in shape early in the season.

Description: The trail is approximately 4 feet wide and 31 miles long. It is constructed of packed fine crushed white limestone along an old railroad bed originally belonging to Norfolk Southern Railroad. Mountain, hybrid or road bikes can easily ride the trail. Since it is relatively level and generally flat it is easy for bicyclists of all ages to ride the trail. 

The highlight of the trail is the high bridge that crosses over the Appomattox River.

The bridge is 2,400 feet long and approximately 10 feet wide (steel tower) built in 1853 by Southside Railroad.  The bridge is 160 feet to 125 feet above the Appomattox River.  The wooden deck bridge sides or railings are high and constructed so that you do not have to worry about falling over the edge into the river. There are observation platforms with park benches equally spaced along the bridge.  The bridge trail maintains a historic 6 % grade mimicking the original railroad elevation that makes it easy for bicycling or running.

  

Bicycle rider riding across the High Bridge

Observation deck with bicycles

The bridge is the longest recreational bridge in Virginia, and one of the longest in the United States.

For your comfort the trail is lined with picnic tables and toilets.  

Bench constructed part of an Eagle Scout project

Toilet facility

Drinking water is not available along the trail. Also along the trail are the original railroad concrete mile markers, and you also can see the remains of telegraph poles erected in the 1900's. 

The trail begins at Pamplin, VA and ends 31 miles just short of Burkesville, VA. Park rangers and local police monitor the trail daily. A small fee is charged at the beginning of the trail.

Park History: The trail was constructed along an old railroad bed that ran from Lynchburg, Virginia, to Petersburg, Virginia. The High Bridge trail now starts along the old railroad train tracks bed in the city of Pamplin, passing over and under roadways and through the cities of Prospect, Farmville, Rice, and ending north of Burkeville. Pamplin was once the largest clay pipe factory in the world. 

The trail crosses over roadways

Roadway crossingwith warning sign for motorists

Cities will often post a sign for the trail.

The High Bridge was originally made of wood with 21 brick piers, a pedestrian walkway, and wagon bridge alongside. The trail and bridge were very important during the Civil War. 

Historic marker at the beginning of the bridge

Old signs of the original pedestrian walkway

Remains of the old wagon crossing

Two very decisive battles were fought here in April, 1865 and lead to General Lee's final days of the war. On April 6 and 7, 1865, one of the final battles occurred that helped to end Lee's campaign 2 days latter in Appomattox. Troops of the armies of the North and South tried to burn the bridge down, but the bridge prevailed, and it was later donated to Virginia by the Norfolk Southern Railroad in the year 2006. The last train traveled over the bridge on October 26, 2004. The park is now part of the Virginia State Park system, a part of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Flora & Fauna:  A turkey was seen along the trail as well as a green snake. 

Green Snake

Many wildflowers were also observed along the edges of the trail. In June you may see the early low bush blueberry, blue ridge blueberry, winter grape, pigeon grape, suckling clover, kidney leaf rosin weed, marsh bristle grass and the bristly fox tail in bloom. While standing on the bridge in the spring you can hear what sounds like hundreds of spring peeper frogs echoing below.

Nearby town: Farmville is one of the largest towns that the trail passes through about halfway into the ride. It has lots of little eating places for you to stop for lunch or to freshen up before traveling further.

Old town Farmville sign

The High Bridge is located due east from the town of Farmville

      Local diner in Farmville for a lunch break before the High Bridge

JOHN 7:38 - Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.

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Grand Canyon Rim-2-Rim Hike

This Blog Contains Videos of My Backpacking Trip Down the North Rim of the Grand Canyon Via the North Kiabab Trail to the Top of the South Rim Hiking Up the Bright Angel Trail.

To remember my backpacking experience I decided to use a Hero GoPro video camera to record the event.

                                           

The trail leading to the bottom of the Grand Canyon is called the North Kiabab Trail. It begins at an elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. The trail switches back and forth among evergreens and cottonwood trees till it reaches the Phantom Ranch and the Colorado River. Three inches of dust coats the trail for the entire 14 miles to the ranch.  The dust cushions the impact to the knees making it a pleasant hike.  The north rim trail is shaded much of the hike.                

                                                                                 

                  

     

Only 15,000 people are granted permits out of 70,000 applicants to hike and camp in the Grant Canyon  each year in the months of May and September. The three of us were granted the permit to hike and the permit had to be displayed attached to the pack at all times.  

            

The trail up the south rim of the Grand Canyon is called the Bright Angel Trail.  It is maintained with cross logs and rock wanes to help the mule trains navigated the trail safely. The temperature at the bottom of the Grand Canyon the day before was 120 degrees and 102 degrees that night. I hiked out from the campsite the next morning at 4 AM to try to get through the hottest part of the trail before the sun reached its highest point around 1 PM.

         

Some of the best views of the canyon can be seen from the south rim trail. Many tourist hike to the Indian Garden Campground and back for a 10 mile hike.

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way;  but let it rather be healed.  Hebrews 12:13 

     
Backpacking Rim-2-Rim Grand Canyon Arizona
                              Part 2
Many people ask me why I would ever consider backpacking the Grand Canyon, and I answer by saying, "Because it is one of the many great wonders of the world that was created by God." We often get so bogged down with the every day routine of work and family life that we take for granted the great things in nature that God has created for our enjoyment. It is exciting to walk some of the same trails that our  pioneers and first explorers walked many years before. I also feel a special kinship with them when I put on a backpack with all of the necessities of life such as food ,water, shelter, clothing, and hike in much the same way as they did in the beginning. The excitement of knowing that if you hike into the canyon you must hike out because there is no other way out unless you are seriously injured. You are on your own. A helicopter port is located at every campground and at selected sites for the "bumblebee" copter ride out for the injured.  I also enjoy meeting and talking to fellow hikers along the trail. They come from all over the world to hike the Canyon. No matter what language they speak we all have the beauty of the canyon as a common bond.

Phantom Ranch

I ended Part 1 staying at the Bright Angel Campground near the Phantom Ranch. My two hiking companions and I stayed two days at the campground. The ranch is the only overnight lodging below the rim. It has eleven rustic cabins and two dormitories along the banks of Bright Angel Creek surrounded by cottonwood trees. A canteen serves home-cooked meals; showers and flush toilets add a touch of luxury.  The ranch acts as an overnight station for rafters and mule riders. Reservations for the ranch are accepted 13 months in advance and sell out within a few hours on the first day on January. I applied for a camping permit for the three of us for a end of May hike. Approximately 70 thousand people apply to overnight hike for the months of May and September,  and only 15 thousand are accepted--most of which are overnight hikers coming down from the South Rim. Not many people hike from Rim-2-Rim. 

                                                       Bright Angel Campground
                                     (photo was taken by Arnold Leonard)
   
There is a T-shaped metal pole on the left side of this picture, and it is designed for the hiker to hang pack on the top to keep animals from getting into it. The biggest problem are the ground squirrels. Ground squirrels look like tree squirrels but they live in holes in the ground and can jump high for long distances. They often jump up to the hanging packs and raid anything that is not in a metal container. I saw one squirrel jump onto a hanging pack, disappearing under the flap only to reappear within minutes with a chocolate cookie in its mouth. Most of our food was keep safe from animals in large military metal ammunition boxes provided by the campground. Each campground had national park rangers who provided care and guidance and evening programs to campers and lodge members. The campsite was great but the flush toilets were not working, and we had to carry water from the nearby stream to flush it after each use. The ranger explained that the rocks do a lot of shifting and tend to cause a break in the pipes supplying water to the ranch and campground. Sometimes when a water line runs along the trail a waterline breakage can wash out part of the trail. One such wash out did occur, and it washed out over 50 feet of trail. Fortunately we were already past that point in the trail. Some hikers were less fortunate and had to back track back to the beginning the trail.

                                           Ground Squirrel looking for a hand out.

We hiked around the Phantom Ranch onto the Clear Creek Trail. This trail climbs high above the Phantom Ranch at several advantage point overlooking the Colorado River. Views of the South Kiabab and Bright Angel Trails can clearly be seen from this point. I sat on a large rock and watched as the mule trains carrying up to twenty riders slowly made their way down the South Rim. I could also watch the whitewater rafters float down the river. The Colorado River is a pretty green with very little silt in it because of the two dams on the river above and below the canyon.

                                 
                                                  Wooden Deck Suspension Bridge

 If you look closely you can see the trail that carries mule riders down the South Rim.

                                                              Crossing Bridge

There are two suspension bridges one metal and one wooden. They cross the Colorado River from the South Rim.

                                                            Colorado River

At the right edge of the river you may be able to see some rafters who have stopped to visit the Phantom  Ranch (2,400 feet above sea level). The trip began on top of the North Rim at 8,250 feet above sea level.

                                                                      Tunnel

All mule riders coming to the Phantom Ranch from the South Rim via the South Kiabab Trail must come through a short tunnel in the rocks before crossing to the Colorado River. 

                                                  Mule Train mule fitted for riding 
                                               (photo taken by Hezekiah Goodson)

Can you imaging riding a mule and having to squeeze through this tunnel?  Most mule riders are given an hour long presentation by the mule team leader on what to expect and how to ride a mule. I overheard a mule team leader telling one young teenager that the mule she was riding liked to hug the outside of the trail next to the drop off. I know that probably did wonders for her confidence in riding mules on a skinnny trails.

 

The temperature in the Bottom of the canyon is 120 degrees

(photo was taken by Arnold Leonard)

The temperature at the bottom of the canyon is usually 20 to 25 degrees warmer than at the rim. At night it was 101 degrees with no air circulation and was a very dry heat. We were encouraged to sit in the Bright Angel Creek during the day to keep cool. As soon as we got out of the water we  dried very quickly.

                                                                  Indian Ruins

Native American tribes of the Hopi, Havasupi, Navajo, and Southern Paiute inhabited the Grand Canyon around A.D. 1300. There are many ruins from their existence near the Phantom Ranch along the Colorado River.

                                                                The Box

In order to get to the next campsite-- Indian Garden-- we had to hike through "The Box." The Box is a narrow canyon with high rock walls on both sides. Temperatures in the canyon can reach  dangerously high levels in the Box if it is not passed before noon. Many hikers start well before sunrise to be sure to get through the canyon on time. It was strange seeing groups of hikers with their headlamps on bouncing past our campground like little fireflies at night. We left at around 5:30 AM and had no trouble getting through it. If you look very closely you can see the trail at the bottom of the canyon. 

                                                               Sunrise shadows

I loved hiking in the morning, watching the sunrise cast shadows of one canyon wall onto another.

                                                                South canyon trail

The Bright Angel Trail leading to Indian Garden Campground was very easy to walk on because it consisted of a loosely packed weathered sedimentary soil. At no time did we have to rock scramble or walk on loose boulders. The trail was easy for mules to walk upon. The mule train guides were very proud to say that they have never lost a tourist or riding mule in the history of mule trips.

                                                        Indian Garden campground

Indian Garden Campground was the last overnight stop before we reached the South Rim--the end of our backpacking trip. The campground was an oasis of green in the desert. Native Americans settled here because there was an ample supply of water and available food to eat. The Grand Canyon is a desert with hot and dry conditions without the sand-like environment you see in traditional deserts on television. We always had access to water along the trail and didn't have to worry about dehydration.

The next morning at 4:00 equiped with headlamp on I left to get a jump start before the sun came up. I was well into the last 5 miles before the sun came up. The last 5 miles was loaded with people of all nationalities hiking down from the South Rim. Many people like to hike several miles down the rim just to get an idea of what it is like to hike the Bright Angel Trail and to be able to say they hiked the Grand Canyon.

                                 

                                        Hiking through one of the tunnels along the trail.
                                              (Photo taken by Arnold Leonard)

Along this section of the trail there are warning signs to help keep hikers safe.

At the end of the trail at the top of the South Rim.

A happy smiling finished backpacker!

Isaiah 40:4-- Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.

The Following Photos Taken by Arnold Leonard