A Walk in the Woods

Hospital Rock

2010-05-25T09:29:00.004-04:00

I think this may be one of the hardest hikes I have ever done. It should be, because it is rated as the most strenuous hike in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness.

The trail is so steep in areas, cables were stretched along the trail to assist the hikers pull themselves up, but hikers depended too heavily on these cables and they become a safety issue. The cables were recently removed so now the hikers have to depend on their own climbing and rock scrambling abilities in the most difficult areas of this trail.

If you survive the climbing on this trail, you will be rewarded with many beautiful views. There is a lot of history surrounding Hospital Rock. During the Civil War, wounded and deserting soldiers hid out under the rock overhang being held up by Leah in the picture.

Another beautiful site is Falls Creek Falls seen here.

2010-05-20T10:32:00.003-04:00

Rain was forecast the day the Foothills Outdoor Group hiked along the Jones Gap Trail. Most of the people that said they were coming didn't take a chance with the forecast, but for the four of us that showed up, we had a wonderful hike.

There were many flowers blooming and the overcast shies were perfect for photography. Oh, the rain held off until we got back to the parking lot so we didn't get wet at all on the hike.

Spring tour of the Clemson Botanical Gardens

2010-05-20T10:21:00.002-04:00

No need for any explaination here.

If you haven't visited the Clemson Botanical Gardens, you are missing one of the Upstate's treasures.

Raven Cliff Falls Loop

2010-05-20T09:38:00.003-04:00

Early this spring, I lead a hike on the Raven Cliff Falls Loop for the Foothills Outdoors Group. We started out on the Raven Cliff Falls Trail. We went to the overlook and viewed the 400' waterfall from there, then backtracked a short distance and began our desent into the bottom of the valley on the Dismal Trail.

When The Dismal Trail intersected with the Natraland Trust Trail, we turned right where in a short distance we had to cross Mathews Creek by way of this Cable Crossing. Making our way up the trail, we were greeted by the Cathedral. A shear rock wall that towers over 100' above the trail.

A little further up the trail we finally come to the cable Suspinsion bridge that spans over Raven Cliff Falls.

From there we hiked on until we come to the Gum Gap trail where we turned right again. When we intersected back with the Raven Cliff Falls Trail, we turned left and headed back to the parking lot.

Table Rock in the Clouds

2010-01-26T09:46:00.008-05:00

Saturday, January 23, 2010 was a cold, cloudy,and just plain raw. The kind of day most people would be content staying in the house with a cup of hot chocolate.

I, on the other hand, decided to go hiking. I chose to go back to Table Rock as it is one of my favorite places. (I seem to have a lot of those)

Anyway, at the bottom I could look up and see that the clouds had descended below the top of the mountain. As I ascended the nearly 2,000' of elevation gain, I entered into the low cloud cover. The higher I climbed, the more dense the cover.

I met some people coming back down complaining that they couldn't see anything from the top, but I thought is was still pretty, as the clouds give the mountain a mystical look.

An icy Rainbow Falls

2010-01-12T20:11:00.005-05:00

This is the same Rainbow Falls where I had my Thanksgiving Day lunch. There is a posting of it a little further down. It was fun to comare the trail and the waterfall from Thanksgiving to today in the one of the coldest Januarys we have had in nearly 28 years. The temperatures here have been into the single digits and have not gotten above freezing in nearly three weeks.

It is amazing, but beautiful, to see the water freeze on the rocks like this.

Winter Wonderland at Flat Laurel Creek

2010-01-12T19:15:00.004-05:00

I was just here the Saturday before this hike, but I loved hiking in the snow so much and it was so pretty here I wanted to come back.

This time the temperature was around zero or maybe just a little below zero. The wind was blowing pretty hard so I would hate to think what the windchill was.

Last week when I was here there was ice in this stream, I still had to cross stepping from stone to stone. This time the stream was frozen so solid you could tell it was a stream anymore except you could still hear the water flowing underneath it. The same with the waterfalls I come across on this trail too.

Ice Climbing

2010-01-12T09:42:00.005-05:00

On January 9th, I was going back to hike in the snow on Flat Laurel Creek Trail again. The trailhead is located just north of the Blue Ridge Parkway on Highway 215. The actuall temperature this day was right around zero degrees and it had been below freezing for serveral weeks.

The water that seeps out of the rock rock wall on the left side of the road near the Parkway was frozen over into a solid wall of ice.

This provided the rock climbers an opportunity to have some fun scaling this wall of ice.

I stopped to watch for a while and enjoyed talking to Leslie with Fox Mountain Guides. Their website is located at http://www.foxmountainguides.com/ if you would like to check them out.

A Walk in the Snow

2010-01-04T11:52:00.007-05:00

On the second day of the New Year I wanted to not only do another walk in the woods, but also do a walk in the snow.

We found plenty of it by going up Highway 215 from Rosman, NC up to just past the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped and walked up the Flat Laurel Creek about 2 1/2 miles or so trying to walk in the snow that other hikers that gone in before us had packed down. If we stepped out of that rut the snow was often over knee deep.

Here is one waterfall that was frozen completely over. You could still see the water flowing under the ice.
When we started hiking the temperature was 24 degrees, but as it got later into the day, the temperature started going down and it was 11 degrees when we got back to the car.

What a way to start 2010

2010-01-04T11:15:00.005-05:00

I always like to start the New Year off doing something fun like scuba diving, kayaking, or hiking a nice trail somewhere. This New Years Day I revisited Moonshine Falls. The last time I was there, the Upstate of South Carolina was in a drought and the water flow over the fall was down to a trickle. This past year we had plenty of rain so I wanted to see the waterfall in full flow.

To get to Moonshine Falls you have to enter into the Asbury Camp on 276 just North of where 276 and Highway 8 come together. Asbury Camp is on private property so please look it up and call for permission to enter before you go up.

The trail in not particularly difficult, but there is a cable crossing on the trail that small children and people with a fear of heights may have a problem with although the foot cable is only about 4~5 above Mathews Creek. There is a picture of it on an earlier post on this site. Also, be aware that stepping from stone to stone to cross the creek here is not an option so dogs will have to swim across and the current can be pretty strong.

You can usually pick up a map in an info tube near the trail head. The trail is not hard to follow, but there is one point where the trail looks like it goes off to the right after you are on the Natureland Trust Trail for a bit. Someone has marked this trail with a pile of rocks. This would not be a problem except the trail map you pick up and all trail descriptions tell you to turn right at the pile of rocks on the side of the trail. If you turned at this pile of rocks you would follow a trail that dead ends in about a quarter mile. So just in case, to avoid confusion, look for the pile of rocks that you will find after you have walked up a long grade in what almost looks like a ditch or gully of sorts. There will be a kiosk on the right about 50 yards telling you this where people get into trouble getting off the trail. if you see that, you will know you are on the right trail.

When you come to the next pile of rocks the bigger trail you have been walking on keeps going straight and there will be a smaller trail to the right on top of a ridge that you will take to the fall. In about two hundred feet you will see signs where people have gone done the bank to the falls that you can hear and barely see through the trees at this point. Please use caution going down this steep bank as the leaves can be quite slippery.

From one of the pictures above you will see there are remnants of the old moonshine still that used to be there under the waterfall.

2009-12-22T08:59:00.003-05:00

I really wanted to go up to WNC and hike in the snow that fell this weekend in December of 2009, but I was a little afraid of the ice on the roads so I headed over to another favorite trail of mine and hiked from the Fish Hatchery on the East Fork Trail down to the Chattooga River Trail.

While it didn't snow here, it was still very cold as you can see by the way I was dressed. Thank God for Under Armor as well.

I'll let these pictures speak for themselves as to how pretty this trail is. The Walhalla Fish Hatchery is located off Highway 107 north of Walhalla just before you cross the North Carolina line.

Ty-Lyn Plantation

2009-12-22T08:36:00.003-05:00

The weekend after Thanksgiving was a walk in the Christmas Tree Farm near Cashiers, NC. I have been going to Ty-Lyn Plantation to cut my own Christmas tree for years. The first time I went to Cashiers I didn't know which tree farm I was going to go to, but I saw one of their Santa signs pointing the direction to go so I followed the signs until I found Ty-Lyn and quickly become a fan.

It is always beautiful there and this year it snowed just a little the morning before I went up really making the trees pretty.

After I cut my tree, I always like to stop by the Highland Hiker Outfitter store in Cashiers then over to Tommy's Coffee shop for a warming cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

2009-12-06T15:51:00.003-05:00

Every once in a while you come across a trail you don't want to let anyone else know about because you want to keep it all to your self. Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park is one of those trails. This trail was closed a few years ago for maintenance and what they did to this trail is amazing. There was a fire here in late February of 2009 and some signs of the fire still remain today, but other than the few charred trees you see along the way the trail is still in fantastic shape.

you start out at Jones Gap State Park and head upstream along side the Middle Saluda River. in about a half mile the Jones Gap

Trail will continue straight(okay, slightly left) and the Rainbow Falls Trail will fork to the left and cross over the Middle Saluda River. You will walk along close to or cross the Cox Camp Creek several times as you work your up to Rainbow Falls. The trail takes you through some neat features like you see at t he left here and in the winter when the leaves are down you will be treated to some great views looking back down into the Jones Gap valley .

I was here once during the drought on 2008 and the water in the fall was reduced to a mere trickle, but in November of 2009 with all the rain we have been having, the fall was running strong and was magnificent. You can see how this waterfall got its name here. just be aware that there is a waterfall in North Carolina with the same name so if you tell someone you are going to meet them at Rainbow Falls that you tell them which one you are going to.

Table Rock revisited

2009-12-06T15:26:00.004-05:00

I don't even remember how many times I have hiked to the top of Table Rock in Table Rock State Park on Highway 11 near Pickens, SC. This may be one of the most strenuous hikes in SC, but is also one of the most popular due to its easy accessibility. I love to do as part of my exercise routine and you will probably meet people there that walk or run it every day.

Once you reach the summit at just past 3 miles you need to keep going almost another half mile.

You will first come to a bald rock area that offers a splendid view looking back down on Highway 11 and towards Greenville, but if you keep going the trail gets a little hard to follow as you have to look for the red blazes painted onto the rock that have nearly faded away, but soon you will come to the end of the trail just past the 31/2 mile marker. The view here looks over the water shed and if the air is clear you can see the water tank at Caesars Head State Park on the mountain straight across from the lake.

I used to think the shelter was a the half way point, but since they put the mile markers up I

found it is not exactly half was, but it offers a welcome place to stop and rest on the way to the top. The view from here is not bad and after the climb to this point a lot of people call this good enough and return back to the bottom.

The trail to Table Rock starts out along Carrick Creek which also has a trail that runs along side of this small stream . this is a nice loop and can be done alone as I have done many times or can be added to the Table Rock trek is seven miles is not enough for you.

Panther Creek Falls

2009-11-16T08:14:00.004-05:00

This weekend I joined the Oconee Hiking Club for this trek to Panther Creek Falls. The directions to the falls, take US 23/441 south from Tallulah Falls . In 3 miles, turn right on Historic 441 to the Panther Creek Recreation Area on the right (fee area).The western end of the trail begins across the highway from the Recreation area.

Panther Creek Falls is 3.5 miles from the trail head. The trail soon goes under an overpass US441 and for a short distance seems to be sort of boring. Then the trail comes high above the creek below. The trail seems to be mostly flat with a few mild inclines. In a few places the trail is mostly a ledge with a steep hill side down to the creek so footing should be watched in these areas.

Cable handrails have been provided to assist with traversing in the worst areas, but in one place very near the falls the post holding the cable has pulled out of the ground in the worst possible area so extreme caution should be used here.

While the trail is high above the creek in some areas, in other areas it runs right along side of it with many great views of shoals and cascades.

This is a great hike, but that also makes it a very popular one. Expect large crowds at the falls or go through the week or in colder weather if you prefer a little more solitude, but it is one one worth seeing.

2009-10-27T15:15:00.003-04:00

If you are anywhere near Brevard, NC, you should really check out these falls. Take Highway 64 west and go about two miles past Rosman and turn right on Highway 215 at the Headwaters Outfitters. Go about 7 miles and you will notice the road seems to straighten and level out where you will look on the left shoulder of the road where people have been pulling off and parking. If you see the Living Waters Ministry, you went 100 yards too far. Look for a pile of big rocks where you find the trail head going down to the falls. Go to the right first toward the ministry and you will see two separate falls where the North Fork of the French Broad River and Shoals Creek come together.

The Shoals Creek Falls is the one next to the red house. Return back on the trail and go beyond where you come down from the parking lot and you will come to Cathedral Falls or often called Bird Rock Falls because of the birds that nest in the rock cliff here.

Just one thing to mention here. When I got here to photograph the falls in this post I realized the batteries were dead in my camera. I thought, what the heck, and took these photos with my Blackberry Cell phone and was surprised at how well they turned out.

Courthouse Falls

2009-10-27T14:18:00.005-04:00

In the search for new waterfalls to explorer, I heard about Courthouse Falls from a Park Ranger in the Pisgah Forest near Brevard one day and I was anxious to check it out. To get to Courthouse Falls, take Highway 64 west out of Brevard or 178 north to Rosman then turn left on Highway 64. About 2 miles west of Rosman turn right onto highway 215 at the Head Waters Outfitters. Take 215 for 10 miles and look for a narrow bridge. There is a gravel road on the right (FR 140) just before the bridge. Take the gravel road for three miles.

You will cross several small bridges along the way and climb up one somewhat steep and curvy section. I would not recommend cars with low ground clearance attempt the drive, but I did meet a Mercedes on my way out. Immediately after the fourth bridge there is a wide place on the side of the road...park here and look for the trail head at the corner of the downstream end of the bridge. Walk about seven minutes or so and look for a trail that cuts back down the slope at an angle. You should be able to see the fall through the trees. There are several trails that go straight down the bank, but do not take those.

This trail eventually comes back out on 215 so if you end up back out on the road you know you went way too far. The gravel road goes on up to several smaller falls that I plan to explorer one day.

Jumping Off Rock

2009-05-12T21:57:00.006-04:00

The view from Jumping Off Rock has to be one of the best panoramas you can find in South Carolina. Standing on top of a 300' rock cliff looking over Lake Jocassee you can see the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Jumping Off Rock used to be a popular repelling site and once I saw the Army Rangers training here.

Jumping Off Rock is closed to the public now since a mating couple of Peregrine Falcons have decided to call the rock cliff home and have been nesting there for two seasons now.

A new overlook has been constructed a hundred yards or so away that still offers unbelievable views and is much safer than Jumping Off Rock itself. if you are lucky perhaps the Peregrine Falcons will come out and show you some high speed areal maneuvers they are known for.

You can access the Jumping Off Rock overlook from Horse Pasture Rd. This is a rough gravel road and while you don't need four wheel drive, it is a good idea to have a vehicle with high ground clearance like an SUV or pickup. The overlook is nine miles off 178 near Rocky Bottom and depending on the condition of the road you will probably not be able to go over 10~15 MPH, but there are many great views along the way. Just watch out for mountain bikers, dirt bikes, and four wheelers.

Horse Pasture Road is open to foot traffic, mountain bikes or horseback all year, but is only open to vehicle traffic from Sept. 15 through Jan. 1 and again March 20 through May 10.

Another Walk on Jones Gap Trail

2009-04-07T21:38:00.005-04:00

There are so many pretty places along the Jones Gap Trail it has become one of our favorite hikes. Following along side the Middle Saluda River there many small falls and cascades all along its entire length. The trails are well marked and easy to follow. Another good thing about hiking in this area is when you return back to the trail head it's only about twelve miles or so into Brevard, NC where you can find some great Fish & Chips, Shepherd's Pie, and Bangers & Mash at Dugan's Pub.

Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve

2009-04-05T16:05:00.007-04:00

The trail head for this hike is near the parking lot at the end of Horse Pasture Road and 178 near Rocky Bottom, SC. This is an often over looked hiking location, but it is a great walk in the woods and poses no great challenges or difficulties even for the casual hiker. It's a straight forward in and out hike that is easy to follow. However, even the most serious hiker will find this an enjoyable adventure. The Eastatoe Creek is beautiful and once you make it to the stream, make your way to the right over and around some fallen trees and you will come to where this entire creek rushes into a sleuth no more than two or three feet wide. Where the trail ends at the creek the forest to the left is open and clean and has some great camp sites. Camping here along side the Eastatoe Creek would be a most enjoyable place to spend a weekend doing some trout fishing.

Raven Cliff Falls Loop

2009-03-16T12:29:00.009-04:00

Many people only view this cable suspension bridge over Raven Cliff Falls from the overlook that's an easy walk from the parking lot on 276 just north of Caesar's Head State Park. A few more trek down the Gum Gap Trail then turn left onto the Naturaland Trust Trail for a half mile or so to the bridge. For a real challenge, make a full loop hike to the cable suspension bridge, by taking the Raven Cliff Falls Trail to the Dismal Trail down to the Naturaland Trust Trail. Then turn right and make your way up the side of the mountain to the bridge. This section of the Naturaland Trust is very difficult, but loaded with cool extra features like a cable crossing and ladders to climb. A huge rock wall named the Cathedral along the trail make a good resting place before you get to the suspension bridge. Continue over the bridge to the Gum Gap and then to the Raven Cliff Falls Trail to complete the full loop. Like I said this is a difficult hike and a little over seven miles long so know your limitations. There are many places on the Naturaland Trust where the trail is narrow with steep slopes and drop offs on one side where a slip or fall could mean real trouble so if you take kids on this trail make sure you keep them under control.

Botanical Gardens in Clemson

2009-03-06T07:50:00.006-05:00

After the early March snow that swept across the Upstate of South Carolina we went for a walk through the Botanical Gardens. Not exactly a hike, but always a pretty place to go for a walk any time of the year.

Moonshine Falls

2009-02-24T23:10:00.007-05:00

The barrels from an old moonshine still remain in a cavern behind this waterfall.

This is a great hike with a fun cable crossing. The original trail head has been closed, but you can access Moonshine Falls from the trail head at the Asbury Methodist Youth Camp near the intersection of Highway 8 and 276. This is private property so please call ahead for permission to enter the camp.

On the Jones Gap Trail

2009-02-22T09:21:00.007-05:00

This one of the many waterfalls (Dargan's Cascade) along the Jones Gap Trail. We like to access the Jones Gap Trail by starting from the parking lot on Highway 276 a mile or so past Caesars Head State Park. We hike the Coldsprings Branch Trail to the JGT then turn left and follow the Saluda River until we get to the Tom Miller Trail. The Tom Miller Trail takes us back to the parking lot for about a 5 1/2 mile loop.

You can also access the Jones Gap Trail from Jones Gap State Park.

Sometimes I Trade My Hiking Shoes for a Pair Of Fins

2009-02-20T06:48:00.003-05:00

I like to vary my outdoor activities so I don't get stuck in a rut doing only one thing. I don't get to scuba dive as much as I would like too, but occasionally I still like to head south for warmer temperatures and clear water.

Once a PADI diving instructor in Anderson, S.C. and in Greenville, S.C., I spent a lot of time under water. The Florida Keys become one of my favorite diving destinations to take personal vacations or to lead shop trips. I also went on several trips diving in Cozumel and the Bahamas. One day I hope to explore the underwater world of Belize and Cancun.

Fall Colors on the Blue Ridge Parkway

2009-02-19T22:31:00.008-05:00

This past 2008 Fall we went to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina to see the Fall colors. We hiked several trails along the Parkway over the weekend.

Look Who's Coming to Dinner

2009-02-19T08:04:00.002-05:00

I come across this while kayaking on Lake Jocassee. I will leave it up to you to guess if the turtle had lunch or if the spider got away.

Clemson Botanical Gardens

2009-02-19T00:19:00.004-05:00

This not exactly my idea of hiking, but it is still a walk in the woods. These photos were taken at the Botanical Gardens in Clemson SC.

Bloodroot

2009-02-18T22:57:00.006-05:00

I found a patch of Bloodroot flowering while hiking on the Naturaland Trust Trail near Raven Cliff Falls.

The Bloodroot is a native plant that is toxic, but has been used in medicine, toothpaste and dyes.

Lower Whitewater Falls

2009-02-18T22:40:00.003-05:00

This is the Lower Whitewater Falls. A parking lot offers a short walk on a paved path to view the Upper Whitewater Falls, but to get to this fall you will need to hike in to a viewing platform. Then you have to go back the way you came. You can get to the Lower Whitewater Falls viewing platform from the Upper Whitewater Falls parking lot or you can park in the Bad Creek Access parking lot.

When the leaves are all down, one can spot the wreckage of a small plane that crashed just to the left of the falls.

Another beautiful day on Lake Jocassee

2009-02-12T07:22:00.007-05:00

Whether your mode of transportation is shoes or paddles, one the most beautiful lakes you can explore is Lake Jocassee on the border of North and South Carolina. The lake level is very low in these photos, but that takes nothing away from the lake's beauty. There are numerous waterfalls that spill directly into the lake. A lot of these waterfalls are small and the best way t0 explore them is by touring kayak.

You can access Lake Jocassee from Devil's Fork State Park.

Yellow Branch Falls

2009-02-11T22:35:00.002-05:00

One of our favorite hikes is to Yellow Branch Falls near Walhalla SC.
It's about a 45 minute hike to the falls and not particularly difficult to get to, but sometimes we trade strenuous for beautiful.

View of Table Rock from Highway 11

2009-02-11T21:48:00.005-05:00

I first hiked to the top of Table Rock on New Years Day 2006. I have hiked to the top over a dozen times since then.