Pick up the AT across the road from the parking lot. From about 2,000 feet at the trailhead to 3,200 feet at the Knob. A constant but mostly steady climb up 1,200 feet in less than 4 miles. Lots of people make it, however, who aren't well-conditioned hikers. The sharp drop at McAfee Knob.
Death is literally a step away.
If not, Africa's been here, geologists say. Catawba Mountain and others nearby were formed, they say, when Africa crashed into North America more than 200 million years ago. In Virginia, McAfee Knob is the Appalachian Trail's poster and postcard image. Pick up an Appalachian Trail calendar and there's a good chance it's there. Sharp Top points skyward to the northeast.