Some section hiker asked me what my favorite section of the trail was so far.  It was a hard question, and I'd have to go back over all the journal entries, maps, and pictures to see what my favorite parts were.  I can say climbing up the balds (mostly NC, but a couple in VA were very interesting and scenic -- some were said to look a lot like Scotland, and by people who had actually visited the country, too.  There were beautiful, blooming rhododendron gardens, and also very scenic stretches through pine forests.  There were great scenic views from rock outcropings, and interesting chances to look back at the mountains behind you and see exactly what the previous day's hike looked like from a fresher perspective.  The Smoky mountains were wonderful too, but at the time it was a bit of a hassle with all the rules and regulations combinging with normal thru-hiker logistical issues.

I can think of one day recently that sticks in my mind as belonging in the "best of" category.  On this day the hike included a visit to McAfee Knob and Tinker cliffs.  The day before hiking up to the top, everyone was talking about the "photo-op".  Apparently it is a famous site, and every collection of Appalachian photographs includes this rock ledge.  I was told repeatedly, "you'll know it when you see it."  Well sure enough, as soon as I walked through the bushes to the overlook, I said aloud, "Leah's profile picture!"  We did the standard photo-op pose, with one person standing on one ledge taking the picture of the other sitting on the larger ledge, dangling their feet off in front of a great scenic valley backdrop.

Later on that day was a much less famous, though equally enjoyable Tinker Cliffs.  The trail winds up along a rising ridgeline, winding and rising over and over until you finally begin to see rocks.  The trail then niftily weaves between the rocks, over the rocks, and around the rocks, up onto the plateau and cliff rocks.  From there you actually walk along the cliffs, darting back into bushes and small trees every so often, with a great view to your left for a quarter mile.  It is a perfect spot for lunch - and unlike much more famous natural areas in the country (Old Faithful is a quick and easy example), you cannot just drive up, check it out, and drive off.  That adds to the intimacy and peacefulness of the area.

I'm not as much of a sucker for scenic vistas as some people on this trip are (always complaining if they have to go up and there isn't a view at the top making their efforts "worth it").  These areas are very nice, and together they made a great part of an overall difficult day's hike worth remembering and recommending.