Date: 2015-04-12
From: Almost VA311

To: Newport Rd, Daleville
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

I spent last night cowboy camping. It was nice to watch the stars and have a nice night. I watched the Big Dipper and the rest of the stars with contentment. The morning brought fresh, colder winds that kept my ambitions at bay. The temperature was, at best, 40.The increasing daylight quickly went from its earliest red beginnings to full illumination. Eventually, I did get my gear together and continued down the ridge line. The views of the valleys were really nice, but I was most excited about my parents visiting in Daleville!With them coming in early afternoon, I was on a mission to get to town as early as possible so to mazimize my time with my folks. During this day, I would also pass the most iconic spot on the AT--McAfee's Knob.The weather for today was quite pleasant. It would make McAfee's Knob a lot more fun. Soon after starting hiking, I ran into this wicked looking spider. It was very large and brown. I thought the body looked unusual because it looked polished. He looked really unusual. I was just glad that he didn't sleep with me last night....or did he?!?! Ha!Spring is here.... More things have just started blooming-- violets. Bloodroot, columbine, mountain laurel, dogwood trees, Mayapples coming up, and more! It is wonderful! My hike followed the crest of the ridge line which undulating constantly. Once I descended to a low pass, I saw a full parking lot. It was then when I finally realized it was the weekend.Wow. The number of people in the next little bit was crazy!! Dozens of people day hiking and overnighting. It explains why the map said that this area is restricted camping. The path was as near to perfect as I had ever seen. It was well built and cared for. There was even a fellow named Jim who was picking invasive Garlic Mustard. He went on to say that he picked 91 pounds of it yesterday alone!I chatted with some of the walkers. Most were very nice. Too many had dogs off leash. I guess they couldn't read the large info board at the parking lot! Ha! I walked quickly on, hoping to leave all of the random visitors behind. It worked and soon enough i was alone. I stepped out into the rock outcropping that McAfees Knob is known for. It was really scenic. You can sit on a small rock slab that overhangs a cliff that looks out into Virginia. I didn't take too much time as I was still on a mission. The day got hotter, but I kept cruising. I walked from ridge to ridge, descended into valleys and ascended back up again. It was hot enough that I did stop twice for water.The Tinker Cliffs were also along the way. Giant, broken, slabs of upheaved rock stacked in a multitude of ways. The trail built nearer to these cliffs was very rocky and slower going. Towards 3pm, I finally descended for the last time and the trail took me to Daleville. As I got near the road, the was a delicious Angry Orchard Cider bottle sitting by the tree. I quickly drank one while I called my folks.My parents quickly picked me up and treated me to a wonderful town stop. We ate great food, had some beers, and went to the grocery for my resupply. I was lucky in that my mom brought nearly a whole resupply with her! It was a perfect selection.It was really great to spend a little bit of time with them. They are so supportive!! I really couldn't do this without them!As the evening got late, I worked hard to organize my food and finish my town chores... I didn't even have enough time to finish my beers. That is sad!! So, so sad