It was already warm at 9am when I started up to McAfee’s Knob, so I’m glad I went early. The great advantage of starting early is that there are fewer people on the trail and at the overlook. I made it to the top just before it started getting busy and got to see the still-early fall colors in the Catawba Valley.

The colors along the trail were even more stunning, with bright yellow and red leaves at every turn. Photo date: October 18, 2016.