First AT Hike - Spencer Beeson

After a forty minute drive through the hilly rural roads of southwest Virginia we arrived at a small parking lot off the highway where a sign read, MacAfee’s Knob Appalachian Trail 3.6 miles. Anxious to get onto the AT for the first time, my friend and I started up the trail on a beautiful spring afternoon. Since that day I have been back to different locations on the trail numerous times, but for some reason that first hike was one I would never forget. Underestimating the duration of the car ride, we were a bit rushed for time and our leisurely afternoon hike soon turned into a more vigorous trek up the mountain. About a mile into the hike we decided to take a short-cut up a rock face that ran about 200ft at a 45 degree angle along the side of the mountain. The rock climbing, which was not the smartest idea, quickly became a dangerous but exhilarating detour that gave me a scare as I contemplated the consequences of a slip that would most likely lead to my death. Minutes later, and after many cautious steps, we reached the top of the rock which grew out of the earth like a rocky tooth. We climbed down the backside of the rock only to realize we had lost the trail, which my friend had assured me would be at the top. An attempt to climb back down the rock would have been a dangerous and mindless decision, so we had no choice but to walk in the direction in which we suspected to find the trail. We trail blazed for about forty-five minutes up the mountain and we still had not found the trail. At this point I was beginning to think we may be lost but eventually we saw the white paint that marked the trail. We hooked back up following the white marks and finished the mile or so we had left to the top. Upon arriving, and after a bit of exploring, we found small caves below the peak where we sat and enjoyed the serene overlook. As we took in the view, my exhaustion turned into a feeling of joy and the experience sprouted a passion for both hiking and the Appalachian Trail.