More McAfee’s Knob Shots
July 1, 2011 at 1:00 am 2 comments
The pregnant hiking shot I shared yesterday was definitely my favorite of our McAfee Knob hike this past weekend. But, there were a lot of other wonderful memories of Sunday’s hike. Here are some more shots I fancy.
View
The first time I visited McAfee’s Knob in 2003, I wrote in my journal that none of my other hikes prepared me for the view I would see at McAfee’s. We had great weather that day and the views did not disappoint.
View – That’s Tinker Cliffs in the Background
Me (33 Weeks) and Ryan at the Top – That’s Tinker Cliffs in the Background
Ryan at Top
Fauna
In addition to lizards and millipedes, we saw a couple of deer, one with a surprisingly low flight distance.
Millipede (Photo by Ryan Somma)
Deer in Powerline Field (Photo by Ryan Somma)
Flora – American Chestnuts
Along the way, we spotted four American chestnuts of decent sizes. There was one at the top of the knob that was flowering.
American Chestnut Leaves From Below
An American Chestnut On the First Switchback After the Fireroad Intersection
American Chestnut Catkins at Top
More pictures of our maternity visit to McAfee’s Knob are available on my Flickr site.
Additional Links:
My Other McAfee Knob Posts
Virginia Appalachian Trail License Plate with McAfee’s Knob
Entry filed under: American Chestnut, Appalachian Trail, Hiking, McAfee's Knob, Pregnancy, trees.
TGAW 
1.
geekhiker | July 5, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Outta curiosity, how close is all this to “civilization”? Growing up in the west, where it’s relatively easy to leave the urban center and get to the middle of nowhere, we often have the impression that it isn’t as easy to be as “remote”. I’m sure it isn’t true, but curious nonetheless…
2.
tgaw | July 8, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Well…. it’s been a while since I drove that direction, but I would say this particular hike is 15-20 minutes or so from the Interstate and Salem, Virginia. (There used to be a Fuddrucker’s there which was a great place to visit after a hike).
From this same mountain, you can see the Roanoke Airport in Roanoke, Virginia.
When I lived in Blacksburg, Virginia, I was really lucky to a number Appalachian Trail crossings within an hour’s drive.