After lingering at Angel's Rest, I hauled my pack on, adjusted it and braced for the upcoming steep descent. For the next 3mi (5km), I descended nearly 2,000ft (610m), the earth beneath my boots a mix of loose rocks and root-strewn paths. My legs burned as I navigated the steep drop, where each switchback felt more intense than the last. The trail was narrow in parts, bordered by thick vegetation. Navigating carefully the uneven footing, I felt the ache in my knees, but I knew this was temporary, so long as I got to the bottom as quickly as possible.
Passing the outskirts of Pearisburg, I crossed the New River. I headed back into the wilderness, albeit on slightly more manageable terrain, where the undulations were gentler than the usual climbs. As expected, it wasn't to last, and soon, I was hiking up to the ridge, passing through the Peter Mountain Wilderness, known for its biodiversity and the rare cerulean warbler, all while following the state lines of West Virginia and Virginia.
Coming off the ridge, the trail twisted through a series of tight switchbacks before undulating through the Mountain Lake Wilderness, each rise and fall bringing me closer to Keffer Oak. When I reached it, I paused briefly, struck by the grandeur of this incredible tree. Known as one of the largest white oaks along the Appalachian Trail, the Keffer Oak was once considered a contender for the title of the largest on the trail. However, a larger oak was found in New York. Standing beneath its vast canopy and far-reaching branches, I marvelled at its immense girth and resilience, enduring centuries of storms and weather.
A little further along, I stumbled upon a memorial for Audie Murphy, the most highly decorated soldier in U.S. military history. Known for his extraordinary bravery during World War II, Murphy earned 24 medals, including three Purple Hearts. Two benches sat opposite the memorial, and sitting on one of them, I took a few moments to pay my respects and acknowledge this man's immense courage and sacrifice.
I continued down the trail, soon reaching Dragon's Tooth. This strange geological formation is a spire of rock that juts out from the earth like a dragon's tooth—sharp and imposing. The descent proved to be quite difficult, with a very steep, rocky track where steps were cut into the rock and, at times, bent iron bars drilled into the rockface as makeshift steps. Sheer vertical slabs resembled the scales of a dragon, creating a fascinating formation, but it was the crevices between them that posed the real danger if not careful on the descent. Each step was a calculated risk as I negotiated with the mountain, gripping the rock and cautiously inching forward.
The final leg of the journey was a steady climb to McAfee Knob, the most photographed spot on the AT. Before long, the sight of its iconic shelf rock came into view, jutting out over the edge of Catawba Mountain with a 270-degree panorama of the Catawba Valley. McAfee Knob is one of Virginia's 'triple-crown' hikes, along with Tinker Cliffs and Dragon's Tooth. All three are within Roanoke County.
Pitching my tent here, I
got to work settling in for the night, cooking food, and watching the
spectacular sunset over the horizon.
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