McAfee Knob

"My first-time up McAfee with snow. The temps were in the low 20's with wind chills of below zero at the top, but the run up was sunny, no breeze, and over-dressed hot. Had great company with the Hollins U soccer coach and it went fast. Views were spectacular as usual, but with an extra highlight of snow. The way down was fun, and I ran over to the top of Sawtooth Ridge. May have strained my left calf, but worth it. " — runshigleyrun • Jan 20, 2024

"My 10th trip up McAfee and it was a good one. Peak color and brilliant views of the sunrise and mountains of orange, yellow, and red. Amazing day other than an injury sustained from a rock slamming into my foot on the way up. " — runshigleyrun • Oct 28, 2023

"An epic day of taking my thru-hiking buddy up McAfee for his first time. Not to mention, we had a brilliant sunrise on a day of celebration. Later, we climbed Dragons Tooth after eating monstrous cinnamon rolls and gulping Barqs. " — runshigleyrun • Oct 2, 2023

"Celebrated the 20th anniversary of moving to Virginia from Nebraska by trailrunning up the famous McAfee Knob in my backyard. An unseasonably cool day covered in Canadian forest fire smoke. Views were still outstanding and gave the presence of foggy mountains. " — runshigleyrun • Jun 7, 2023

"Took my sister and brother-in-law up McAfee for their first time. Their minds were blown by the expansive views over the tranquil Catawba Valley and the mountains that seem to go forever. Epic photos of us reminiscent of Red Dawn. " — runshigleyrun • Aug 12, 2022

"Took my friend's family up to McAfee for their first time. Beginner's luck as we had the peak to ourselves even if the parking lot was full. Beautiful striations of clouds and cool, breezy temperatures on the day before summer. " — runshigleyrun • Jun 20, 2022

"I'm so fortunate to have McAfee in my backyard. With longer days, I can complete the route in the evening after work. This particular evening was spectacular as I passed thru-hikers along my way. As I reached the summit, I had a magical moment as I was the only human enjoying the spiritual view. I am thankful for this rare occurrence. " — runshigleyrun • May 18, 2022

"An 8-mile out-and-back trail run the day after Explore Your Limits 10K. Not much of a recovery run for my legs, but the views were tremendous as usual. I love that I can see the city, my neighborhood, and my backyard mountain (Mill) from the peak. Of course, one can spot the Peaks of Otter and the entire Roanoke Valley as well. " — runshigleyrun • Mar 1, 2022

"Ran with Sara up to the magnificent view overlooking the Catawba Valley. A much more runnable trail than I remembered. A warm December Sunday afternoon and we surprisingly had the cliff to ourselves. Only the second time I've run in my six months of living in the Roanoke Valley. Once unfamiliar land has now become my backyard. " — runshigleyrun • Dec 5, 2021

"My first summit after moving to Roanoke (2 days after unloading the U-Haul). My first run with the Roanoke Valley Trail Runners. A tough climb up as the group of mountain goats I was with insisted on running. However, the effort was worth the epic view that I fall short of having words for. I'm humbled that this is now in my backyard. " — runshigleyrun • Jun 15, 2021