I can’t believe I haven’t posted these photos!!!

When I returned from Cape Town, after my gun scare, I decided I needed to do something uplifting, to help raise my mood. It worked!

MacAffee Knob is all it’s cracked up to be. AWESOME. SPIRITUAL. COMMUNAL.

WHAT A SPOT! The most photographed place on the Appalachian Trail. Rightly so.

There were about 10 or 12 people there of all ages who had come up from the South. It’s about 8 miles, up and back, from the parking lot. That is not just a walk in the park. There was a pair of brothers in their mid 70s up there!

Everyone was having lunch, taking photos of each other, and just enjoying themselves. It is a special place.

But the best thing for me happened on my way there.

I came up the mountain from the North side. I had spent the night in a shelter, about 7 miles up the trail.

As usual, I stayed near the shelter, in a great spot by a stream, in my tent.

Anyway. When I got to what I thought was the Knob, I met the nicest young man. I asked him if he would take a photo or two of me, but he just shook his head and pointed to his lips. He couldn’t get any words out. Maybe from a very severe stutter. I’m not sure.

He got out a pad and pen and wrote to me that he couldn’t speak, and didn’t think he could do the photos.

I assured him that he could!!!

He shook his head but decided to try. Here is one of the ones he took.

These are really special to me. He got his hand in all the shots. That made it better. Not to mention the fact that we were in the wrong place!

Here’s another.

I cropped out his hand. Shouldn’t have.

And this one. My favorite one of them all, including the real MacAfee Knob. This is why I hike.

I was so pleased that he took my photo. I wish I could remember his name. Such a good guy. So humble. So courageous.

When I was getting photographed around the corner at the real spot, I looked over and he waved to me with a big smile as he left and headed down the mountain.

That was the best moment of the entire hike.

All In