Winding Stairs

It's been awhile since I've hiked this trail. First time was with Pam and the weather was mostly a drizzle. Today was almost the same, but still enjoyed getting out of the house since we didn't get to hike any last week. There was 14 of us today and we gathered in Walhalla to car pool to the trailhead. I'm learning how to read GPS coordinates on the google maps and today I was able to follow it to the trail head parking area. We visited the 75-foot Miuka Water Falls with a bit of a scramble to its base. I choose not to scramble this one since I had already seen it before. You can still see a good bit of it without the extra effort. The 7 mile round trip, beginning from the southern trail head on Winding Stair Road, is a nice woodland hike up to Cherry Hill Recreation Area. A good place for lunch and actually got to sit at picnic tables instead of rocks or the ground. This was a mostly gradual and steady 1000 ft. climb with switchbacks and several creeks to cross. On the return leg, several decided to do the one third mile spur below Miuka to Secret Falls. Again, I stayed back, mostly because it is somewhat difficult to view and the trail is not marked very well.

Miuka Falls

NOTES: Directions - GPS34.922325, -83.077492 We traveled 7.5 miles NW on SC28, bear right onto SC 107. Go another 5.8 miles, then right onto FS710, variously named: Cheohee/Winding Stairs/Tamassee Rd/FS710. Today it read FS710 and Cheohee. We continued for 2.5 miles on gravel to a small parking area and trailhead on the left.

Eastatoe Heritage Preserve

 The weather was iffy today with a slight drizzle of a rain when I headed out to meet the group. No word of cancellation, so off I go with my rain gear in pack. I've done this hike before 2 years ago with Mandy. My pedometer read 6.5 of this easy to moderate hike. The trail leads to a pristine mountain gorge, falls and a bold stream. We begin at the Laurel Fork Foothills access along the Horsepasture Road for a quarter mile then head south 1.9 miles on an old logging road. The trail then drops about 900 ft into the gorge with several switchbacks and stairways along the way. Near the gorge bottom, a 0.2 mile spur to the right leads to an overlook and scenic falls. On the return, we followed the creek up steam for half a mile for lunch on the rocks at the rapids.

NOTES: From Holly Springs Mart on Hwy 11 and US178, go 8 miles north on US178 through Rocky Bottom. Then, just over the bridge across Eastatoe Creek, turn sharp left onto Laurel Valley Road. Immediately bear right following the graveled Horsepasture Road uphill another quarter mile to the Foothills parking area and kiosk.

Table Rock (the dreaded hike)



I've passed on this hike 3 times for the mere reason I didn't think I could do it. This hike is rated difficult due to the climb of 2000 feet. We started out on the red-blazed trail which begins at Carrick Creek Nature Center. The pathways are rocky with rock steps through open forest strewn with huge boulders. There were many places to stop and rest and I wasn't the only one making those stops.

The shelter at about the half way point has a spectacular view but none like we saw from Governor's Rock and from the Table Rock Cliff. Legend says errant Indians were thrown to their death here.



View from Covered Shelter at half way point



One of the views from Table Rock



A new friend!











Governor's Rock







 

Spaghetti legs by now!

From my pedometer readings we reached Governor's Rock at the 3.4 mile mark and 4.3 mark at Table Rock Cliff. A definite longest hike for me of 8.6 and very difficult. At this point, not sure if I'll do it again, but I'm glad I can say I DID IT!

NOTES: From Holly Springs Mart off Hwy 11 and 178, follow Hwy 11 NE for 5 miles to the West Gate of Table Rock State Park. Stop at gate for pay pass and follow road up to the main parking lot and Nature Center.

Hickorynut via Sassafras Mountain

The forecast today was great for this hike with low am temps of 35 but reached 65 by lunch. Started from 3550 ft summit of Sassafras Mountain with a quick peek at the overlook....a little windy but had a pretty good vista. First hike I've done being the only female. From the summit you follow the Foothills trail toward Table Rock....a little confusing a first because we started on the wrong trail but quickly realized our error.



I couldn't get a picture of all the lakes at once but you
can see Hartwell, Keowee and Jocassee from this point.

After about a mile or so we passed the remnants of the John Cantrell homesite and decided this would be the perfect place for our lunch on the return.

About a mile beyond this point is Hickorynut Mountain Gap....this is a gradual decent and we continued until we had the view of Pinnacle Mtn in our site where we did our turnaround making this a 6 mile mostly moderate hike with about 650 ft of elevation gain.


Where is Tarzen?

NOTES: From Holly Springs Mart off Hwy 11 and US 178, follow 178 for 7.2 miles to Rocky Bottom. Bear right on Vanclayton/Sassafras Mtn. Rd and continue for about 4 miles to parking at the summit.

Long Creek and Raven Cliff (Deliverance Rock)

Missed a few hikes in the last two weeks so I was anxious to get out into the woods. Since our Thursday hike was cancelled due to weather, Bill decided to schedule the hike for Friday. So glad I was feeling better and didn't have anything pressing that would have prevented me from hiking this day. After doing some research to see if I had been on the Long Creek hike before, I discovered the directions to the trail head was familiar but the surroundings from the previous year pictures was not. It wasn't till after the hike today and driving back out that I saw a sign that read "Trail to Opossum Falls" (my first hike with the group 3 years ago)....so I had been in the area but not on this particular hike. Twelve of us gather at the usual meeting place and off we go. A little bit of a turn here and there, but we found the trail head. NOTE DRIVING TO TRAIL HEAD: Follow gravel Turkey Ridge Road till the end and trail head will be on an old maintenance road. Just a short distance on the hike, the road veers off to left (this will be way to Raven Cliff). No markings to speak of, so we just had to relay on past experiences on this trial. We hiked for approximately one mile before reaching the view of the Chattoogo River/Raven Cliff/Deliverance Rock. What a site to see.

After the specular view we returned back to the main trail and headed to Long Creek Falls. Our leaders' memorary was a little off, and led us off the path but shortly most of us turned back and found the correct trail to the river. It was such a beautful day, no one seemed to care about the extra scramble.


Long Creek Falls - leads into Chattooga River Section IV



After our usually picnic lunch we scrambled back up the hill and found our other group pondering on if they had missed us.

Raven Gap Falls

What a great hike today to the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Twenty Five of us gathered at the Holly Springs Mart off Hwy 11 and headed to Caesars Head State Park for a moderate to strenuous 9 mile hike to Raven Gap Falls and then to the suspension bridge off the Gum Gap Trail. This area has 40,000 acres of wilderness containing over 50 miles to the best hiking trails in the state. We stoped at the Ranger Station to purchase a trail map....not that we needed one (our leader takes care of that), but I like to have my own map so I can see where I'm going and where I've been.



Raven Cliff Falls
Matthews Creek plunging over 420 feet over
the side of Raven Cliff Mountain





Suspension bridge sits directly above the
1st drop of the falls



Tour de Falls....Dupont 2013

What a gorgeous day for hiking at Depont State Park and boy were the folks out taking advantage of it. From the Holly Springs Store on Hwy 11 (junction 178 and 11) we went 22.7 miles E on SC11, 11.5 mi N on US276, and 5 mi N on Cascade Lk Rd (at firehouse) then a right on to Staton Road to the parking area on the left, just over the bridge. There are potties, and no fees. There is a new trail bridge from the Hooker Falls access area to the Triple Falls Trailhead. Visitors can cross the Little River on a 120 foot long bridge, walk under the highway bridge and go up to Triple Falls. There were 21 of us today and and we mastered 8.3 miles and 4 waterfalls.





Triple Falls



Other Info: DuPont State Recreational Forest contains 10,400 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Elevations range from 2,240 feet at Cascade Lake to 3,620 feet at the peak of Stone Mountain. Little River runs through the forest, with four major waterfalls along its course. The forest also contains five lakes. The largest is 99-acre Lake Julia. The forest has over 80 miles of roads and trails that are shared by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians








High Falls



Bridle Vail Falls



Lower part of Bridle Vail Falls





Not for us!



Hooker Falls

Keowee-Toxaway State Park

My hike today took me on another trail I have been on with the group except for the park service has re-routed the trail for a much better hike and with more assessability to lake views. This moderately strenuous, well-marked 4.2-mile loop provided us with a link to the past as we hiked on land that Cherokee Indians once traversed. We begin the hike on the Natural Bridge Trail and shortly afterwards we crossed Poe Creek on the Natural Bridge, and then we turned right onto the Raven Rock Trail. We ascended and descended around McKinney Mountain to a rocky area near the top where we were treated to a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west while surrounded by mountain laurel. Continuing, we came to another vista that overlooks Lake Keowee, then begin a steep descent to the lakeshore. From here we begin a steep ascent over stone ridges with excellent views of the lake, then descend to Poe Creek. Boulders in the creek provided us a way to cross Poe Creek where we rejoin the Natural Bridge Trail for our return.



At top of Raven Rock
Just below is another level of rocks where you can jump off into the lake





Refreshing waterfall along the way



Largest fungus I've ever seen

BartramTrail to Laurel Branch

What I love about this hiking group is that you never know who will show up. Newbies, regular hikers and the occasionaly hikers. We have lots of laughs and share information as we wonder through the woods. Todays hike took us to the Georgia State Line on Hwy 28. We drove about 17 miles north and The Bartram Trail parking area is just over the Russell Bridge (Chattooga River)and the trail head starts across the street. This particialar area of the trail is in the Chattoga River Flood Plain and I thought I could see evidence of some recent flooding. A beautful day for a 7.5 mile round trip hike that included several wooden bridge crossings and a site of an historic farmstead. Our picnic was enjoyed on the banks of Laurel Branch Creek.

Heart of Tree



Partridge Berries





Last of an old home place



Pigpen and Licklog Falls

This one I have done before and would do again anytime. An easy in and out of 6 miles to see two beautiful water falls. You will find the 25-foot stack of Pigpen Falls and the two-tiered, 80-foot Licklog Falls are much prettier than their names imply. Interestingly, these two falls are among five waterfalls you could visit by hiking the entire Chattooga Trail.

Had to hike down to river....coming up wasn't so easy!



Pigpen





Hard to see Licklog in this pic



Indian Cucumber - Had a hard time identifying this one, but my friend Laurie did.  The roots are edible and taste like a cucumber....so the research says.

There are several places along the banks to camp or just a day outing for a picnic or swim.

Moonshine Falls & Confusion Falls - Greenville County, SC

It was a confusion kind of hike today, but we all gathered at Holly Springs Mart off Hwy 11 and junction 176. Twenty of us asssembled and headed further up Hwy 11 approximately 9 miles to Hwy 8 then veered on 276 for approximately 1.7 miles to Asburn Hill Camp. This is a private Methodist Retreat for all - and known to be a great boys and girls summer camp. Today's hike lead us through a beautiful trail, mostly within hearing distance of water. An unexpected swarm of bees approached some of us on the trail. Our leader "Bill" was very allergic to bee strings...and was stung by 6 of the nasty varmint's. Bill had to return to base in case additional medical treatment was necessary. Most of us continued on....still several others had been stung, but not allergic to there venom.



Pam crossing the cable bridge













Moonshine Falls



What's left of the moonshine still

Thristy or needing a shower!

Confusion Falls