Great sunrise experience at McAfee Knob this Easter morning, save for one unfriendly exchange with a couple of hammock hikers wandering around the cliff area flashing full power headlamps into our dark-adapted eyes and eventually choosing a solitary pine sapling clinging to the rock edge as an anchor for both of their hammocks.

After a short chat about how much I wanted the tree not to be a broken stump the next time I came up with everyone else to welcome the sun, they agreed that the tree was sketchy for the top hammock. They relocated the cliffside end to a couple of 1 1/2 inch rhododendron bush stems, again at the cliff edge. Fine. HYOH.

But, a request. I understand that mountaineers sometime drive pitons into cliff rock to set their tents on a cliff edge, but there are a lot more hammock hangers, yes? Risking damage to fragile vegetation and blocking other hikers' view just is not good stewardship. Please -- don't?

They were using the old style narrow straps, too.

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