Every Bit The Journey

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and this is mine.

Montana Mountains

Author: Every bit the journey Page 1 of 11

A traveler, adventurer, outdoors-man, International Time Traveler, and a guide to making it happen. Based in South Carolina, I am an experience camper and hiker with a love of the outdoors. I've been camping, hiking, and paddling here for over 20 years, teaching, training and learning as I go.

Sesquicentennial State Park Sign

Hiking South Carolina – Sesquicentennial State Park

By

On June 30, 2024

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, SC State Parks

I must come back here. My camping trip to the Sesquicentennial State Park was part of a volunteer group weekend campout. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to explore all this park has to offer. Sesquicentennial State Park is located in the midlands of South Carolina, on the East side of Columbia. This park is an oasis in an urban setting and offers a great retreat from city life back to nature. With over 1,400 acres, this park offers a variety of things to do. Home to a beautiful 30-acre lake, you can fish, kayak, and pedal boat. There are miles of trails for hiking or biking winding through the park’s forests. While I camped the weekend in a Group primitive site, there are both RV and tent sites with essential amenities. Our group planned to use Sesquicentennial State Park on my weekend at this park as a base camp. We planned to drive up Friday evening, visiting the SC State House and the nearby Riverbank Zoo on Saturday, then return home Sunday.

Sesquicentennial State Park Lake
Sesquicentennial State Park Lake

We arrive on Friday night just as rain storms pass through the area. We wait out the rain in our vehicles. It doesn’t take too long before the rain passes and we can get camp set up quickly. The group campsite we are staying in has drained and dried out surprisingly quickly. As we are the only ones using any of the primitive sites this weekend, we have the whole area to ourselves. Most of the younger campers in our group are excited and stay up late talking.

Saturday morning we are up with the sun, getting our breakfast done, and sack lunches made, and on the road for our outings by about 8:30. We arrive a little at the zoo early so we are in line for tickets just before the 9:00 opening. It’s been years since I’ve been to this zoo and it has grown a lot. We spend the morning walking the East Campus which is the zoo or where all the animals and zoo exhibits are. The West Campus is a newer botanical gardens section I haven’t been to before, and it’s not on today’s agenda. I may need to come back for a visit at a later time.

Riverbanks East Zoo Map
Riverbanks East Zoo Map

We complete our walk about the zoo around noon and break for lunch. The zoo has plenty of opportunities to spend lots of money on food and drink within the park. Packing a lunch is a great way to not spend a bunch of money yet for some of the younger, the elephant ears and dipping dots are too much to resist. Years ago there was a short trail along the banks of the Saluda River and picnic tables where you could lunch along and watch kayakers. All of that is gone with the zoo’s expansion now. We find a shady spot and a few benches outside the front gates to eat our sandwich lunch. We had adjusted our schedule to be in the capital building (air-conditioned) during the afternoon heat. Once everyone finishes lunch we load up and head from the zoo over to the capital.

SC State House
SC State House

The South Carolina State House building is over a hundred years old and still serves as the capitol seat of our state government. Once we are all inside, we join a tour group in progress. Park Rangers provide guided tours of the State House and provide an insight into the building’s long and impressive history. After our tour, we return to camp to relax and enjoy the afternoon at Sesquicentennial State Park.

Sunrise through the pines, Sesquicentennial State Park
Sunrise through the pines, Sesquicentennial State Park

For me, Sesquicentennial State Park was a pleasant surprise. With its forested natural beauty and family-friendly atmosphere, there are plenty of scenic picnic areas for family gatherings and outdoor meals, playgrounds, and even a splash pad. There is something for everyone to enjoy. It’s a great must-visit destination for anyone looking to unwind and connect with nature in the heart of South Carolina. Sunday morning we pack up and head home. I plan on keeping Sesquicentennial State Park on my list of places to return.

Favorite Time of year: I will have to go for the late Spring and early Fall.

Camping: Camping is available at Sesquicentennial State Park (reservations required).

Pet friendly: Must be kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet. This park also offers a large dog park but a permit is required.

Getting There: Sesquicentennial State Park is just East of Downtown Columbia, off the I-77 beltway, then Two Notch Road. Check the State Park directions link. It’s about a 2-hour drive from the Charleston area.

Along the trail to camp

Hiking The Swamp Fox Trail, Section 3

By

On May 11, 2024

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Palmetto Trail

The Palmetto Trail, Swamp Fox Passage, Section 3, almost 12 miles.

The weather was forecast to be raining most of the weekend, fortunately, the rain backed off some leaving us a great sunny hiking day. This is my volunteer group’s first backpacking trip this year. For some of the hikers, this is their first backpacking trip. I’m pleased with the group’s interest in this trip. It’s nice to get new people into the outdoors camping and backpacking. I think it greatly helps them build self-confidence and a better appreciation of the outdoors.

Our backpacking group this weekend consists of seven new backpackers and another five experienced hikers including myself (4 adults and 8 youth). I had done some trail scouting a month or so earlier, looking for a good drop-in location. Due to recent rain, the whole area was a little soggy, so I picked this section of the Palmetto trail to give us a ten-plus-mile hike to finish at our base camp on the shores of Lake Moultrie. Our drop-in point and campsite for the night is on the North side of the Cane Gully Branch crossing. The designated campsite on the South side of Cane Gully was officially closed and too wet to camp there anyway.

Swamp Fox Sec 3 map
Our Swamp Fox Trail section map

The entire Swamp Fox Passage is just over 47 miles. The Swamp Fox Passage is the longest section of the cross-state Palmetto Trail. Most of the Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto trail runs through Francis Marion National Forest and includes the swamps made famous as hideouts of the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion. The section we are hiking this weekend is the last leg of Section 3 from about mile 38 to the Lake Moultrie dike and then into our base camp at Boy Scout Camp Moultrie.

I selected a site to camp the first night off Callum Road just after the Cane Gully Branch Creek crossing. With the recent rains, this seemed like the best (dryest) option for us. Traveling from Summerville is about an hour’s drive up from Summerville through the Friday evening traffic. We arrive at our campsite just before dark, which is nice. This allows setting up our camp while there is still some daylight. Some of the kids are up late chatting with each other. One group even has fired up a backpacking stove and is making mac & cheese, at 9:00 pm. Just hungry I guess, and they can.

I’m up early-ish, about 6:30 am, just before most. Everyone starts getting up shortly after, and then the routine begins. Breaking down camp, making breakfast, and loading our packs. And not necessarily in that order for everyone. For me, breakfast was hot cafe mocha and oatmeal. For my Trail Cafe Mocha, I use an instant coffee packet mixed with a hot chocolate packet mix and hot water from my Jetboil. My morning oatmeal is a couple of packets from a variety oatmeal box. I mix hot water from my Jetboil in the oatmeal packet to get to the desired consistency and eat it directly from the oatmeal packet. This minimizes waste and cleanup.

Swamp Fox Trail Hike bridge 1
Swamp Fox Trail Hike Bridge over Cane Gulley Ceek

We are hiking on the trail by about 9:00 am. I consider this a reasonable time with this size group. But first, we take a short walk back to the bridge over the Cane Gully Creek. This was installed several years ago after one of the hurricanes and was part of the trail reconstruction. We then head northbound towards Lake Moultrie.

Swamp Fox Trail Hike trail 1
Swamp Fox Trail Hike Trail

The trail is a bit soggy from the recent rains. But a lot of this trail is soggy all year (hence the part “Swamp” of the name “Swamp Fox”). There are numerous places with elevated walkways to navigate around routinely flooded areas. Hiking along this trail is mostly shaded, the trail is well-defined and maintained, although soggy.

Swamp Fox Trail Hike elevated walk
Swamp Fox Trail Hike elevated walks

We enter the Wadboo Creek part of the trail about mid-morning. This section of the trail has elevated boardwalks through some of the swamp areas. History says this area is where Francis Marion was headquartered during the Revolutionary War. Later the area became rice fields for area plantations in the 1800’s. The elevated boardwalks take us past the canoe launch point. The launch point is for the Wadboo Creek Canoe Trail and is accessible from Highway 17.

Swamp Fox Trail Hike boardwalk 2
Swamp Fox Trail Hike Wadboo Creek Area
Swamp Fox Trail Hike boardwalk1
Swamp Fox Trail Hike Wadboo Creek Boardwalk

Once we are past the Wadboo Creek area, we find a shaded spot to break for lunch. We are about 5 miles from our destination now. With our group, you pack what you want for food. I abandoned group menus a long time ago. Today, some folks are doing simple lunches but one is doing a hot lunch involving boiling water to rehydrate their meal. For this trip, I went with a simple canned chicken spread and pita bread. I generally find tortillas pack better than most breads with pita being a close second.

Back to hiking after lunch. Some are getting tired. The day has been warming up and some of the young legs are simply wearing out. We have two more milestones of importance to make and then we are home for the evening. The first is the Trail Head (TH) at the Northern end of the Swampfox Trail, located at mile marker 47. The second is making the dike around Lake Moultrie. The TH has a nice little green grass field around it. I promise a break there to cool off and rest for more than just a few minutes. Years ago, the TH once had a parking lot and outhouse which were nice for hikes. Somewhere in the last ten/fifteen years, the parking area was closed off and abandoned. The TH was moved away from the parking area about a hundred yards.

We finally make the little green field of the TH and rest, share water, snacks, and discuss the remaining distance. Some are very close to their limit and we still have a couple miles to go. It’s important to me to try to provide a positive experience in the outdoors, and encouragement here is important.

The last mile from the TH to the dike is more of a continuation of the walk in the woods we’ve been hiking all day. Generally, the trees shade you but also limit your view to a few hundred feet.

But then we break out of the woods and see the dike ahead. The openness of the view as we break out of the woods and swamp and onto the dike of Lake Moultrie is refreshing.

Swamp Fox Trail Hike dike section
Swamp Fox Trail Hike dike section

The sky is clear and bright blue. When you climb to the top of the dike you are treated to a beautifully clear view across the lake. However, there are always compromises in life. With the openness of the dike, we’ve now lost the shade of the trees. The mid-afternoon sun bears down on us as we hump the last couple of miles along the open dike to camp. We drop off the dike and into some shade as we hit the lake shore town of Overton and make our final leg into the scout camp on the shores of Lake Moultrie. In camp (4 pm) at last!

We hiked 11.9 miles. A solid day trek and a challenging first hike. I was concerned I had broken some of the new hikers but the best part was learning the new hikers liked this hike and would do another. Here is my Relive video of the Swamp Fox Section 3 hike. If you go, expect wet feet. The trail is soggy. Despite good hiking footwear, I still ended up with several moisture-related blisters on my feet. Towards the end of the hike, I could feel hotspots developing. I should have changed socks at lunch of at the northern trailhead. Sometimes you just want to push that last little bit. Listen to your feet! Dry socks are our friend.

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My dike hike gap

Hiking The Dike – Part 2

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On December 26, 2023

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Palmetto Trail

It’s still September in my mind as I finish up part two (go here for part 1) of Hiking the Dike!

Day 1: (Monday) The drive to the trailhead is just over an hour from the house. Russellville Boat Landing parking lot is about as convenient to the trail as you could ask for. The parking lot is about a hundred feet from the trail and puts me just a couple of miles from the southern end of my gap in the Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail I’m trying to fill in. Unfortunately, it’s just radar and I so this will be an out-and-back hike.

The parking lot is almost full when we arrive so we find a spot out of the way and gear up for our gap-filling hike. From the parking lot to the trail is only about a hundred yards so access to the trail is easy and we make fairly quick time walking along the Rediversion Canal past a rail trestle to State Road 35 which will cross over the canal. With no one around Radar is off-leash now. He’s really good about staying close to me and seems to know how to follow the trail. In this first few miles, we’re walking along the gravel road along the canal. Going past the rail trestle, the trail reaches State Road 35, jumps over the canal using the road bridge, and then the trail drops off on the other side and follows the canal back to the levy and then continues along the levee north and west. These first couple of miles are all in the open and it’s a bright sunny day. It’s pretty warm being September still so we pause for a water break on the north side of the canal under a rail trestle. I am carrying water and lunch for both of us along with a collapsible bowl for Radar.

Heading to the shade under the rail trestle on the west side of the canal.
Heading to the shade under the rail trestle on the west side of the canal.
A long trail to go
A long trail to go

Once we get past the canal we get back on to the dike. The levee is almost all in the sun without shade. Radar is up and down the levee exploring, never more than 50 feet or so from me as we continue hiking. As he gets a little warm he jumps and splashes in the water to cool off on the lakeside of the levee and it looks like he’s having some fun.

A good place to cool off? Radar getting cool
A good place to cool off? Radar getting cool

As we continue further on along the levee, I feel like hiking here is a little strange now, maybe surreal. Looking off to the north side of the levee, the area is open, mostly maintained, mowed, traveled, etc., even buildings off in the distance. Looking to south, the lakeside of the levee (you can’t see the lake from this part of the levee), it’s more primordial, almost like stepping back in time. A shallow marsh buffer lays between the levee and woods beyond, with cypress and pine trees, birds chirping, and flowering water lilies. Oh and alligators.

There is an Alligator in this swamp.
There is an alligator in this swamp.

I know there are alligators in SC. I’ve known for a long time there were alligators in South Carolina. I know they are a possibility in the lakes and rivers and I’ve seen smaller ones in Lake Moultrie before. But on this day I wasn’t thinking about them when I started. Because of the heat, Radar would go down to the edge of the water, splash around a little to cool off, and then come bounding up the dike all wet and happy. Radar had just come up from a quick dip in the water as I saw the first alligator.

An alligator in the swamp.
An Alligator in the swamp.

Seeing him surprised me a bit. He is out in the open, in the middle of the muddy marsh, maybe 50 feet from the levee, just lying in the sun. He was a good 10-12 feet long, his skin oily black, and he lay motionless in the black thick muck of the marsh, ominously waiting patiently for the next prey to wander near. There was no cuteness about him. Swim-calls for Radar are suspended until we get clear of the marshes on the return portion of the hike. Once you see one the rest are pretty easy to spot. They are pretty much everywhere in the swamp now.

Hiking the shade along the dike.
Hiking the shade along the dike.

It’s warm but we’re almost to the spur trail leading to the campsite. Reaching the spur trail closes this part of the gap for me. We reach the spur trail and follow it to the campsite. It’s nice to sit for a few minutes and take a break in the shade of the pines for lunch and a drink. The last time I was here was in October of 2003. Our group camped here overnight. It was hot and there were plenty of mosquitos for everyone. It’s better today, still warm but very few bugs today.

Spur trail to the campsite.
Spur trail to the campsite.

After eating a light lunch we start retracing our path along the trail, heading back to the parking lot. On these solo out-and-back hikes, you usually have to travel twice the distance needed to cover a given piece of trail. So here we go. It’s afternoon to midafternoon on the return leg and it’s hotter. The sun is higher in the clear sky, and there is less shade now along the trail. I’m constantly watching for alligators and Radar is very obediently staying out of the water. We are burning through the last of the water I brought. Radar is panting pretty good, we steal what shade we can. We are nearing the end of the swamp finally and reach a spot where I think Radar can take a much-needed splash to cool off. I haven’t seen any alligators for a little while.

A good place to cool off? Except for the gator in the grass.
A good place to cool off? Except for the gator in the grass.

We start down the side of the levee cautiously. Radar is a little ahead of me. And then I see him. Laying in the tall grass is a 6-8 footer, waiting.

Mr. 'Gator in waiting
Mr. ‘Gator in waiting

I hastily call Radar back and we quickly climb back on top of the levee. It looks like no swim time after all. It turns out this inviting wet spot was also the last spot Radar took a cooling splash on our inbound hike. Now on the hike out, Mr. ‘gator was lying in wait. But somehow Radar understands the danger and returns to the top of the levee with me. After another quarter mile or so we finally are past the swamp and at the banks of the canal. Radar is all in for a cooling dip in the cool waters of the canal.

A shortcut across the canal.
A shortcut across the canal.

Once we’ve cooled off a bit we decide to cut a mile or two off the return trek by taking the rail trestle over the canal instead of hiking back to State Road 35. When we finally get back to the parking lot, both Radar and I are hot, tired, and out of water. I call it a day and decide to head home. We’ll pick up the last couple of miles another day. Here is my Relive video of the day 1 hike.

Day 2: (Saturday) I’m finishing the last few miles in my Lake Moultrie Passage gap. Driving back to the Russellville Boat Landing parking lot puts me at the beginning of the end of this passage. Again, it’s just radar and I so this will be another out-and-back hike.

Heading out on the trail.
Heading out on the trail.

This time it should be just a quick few miles out and back. The trail is again along the top of the level with minimal shade. But today it’s a little cooler, with scattered clouds, and not quite as hot as Day 1.

A view of Lake Moultrie from the levee.
A view of Lake Moultrie from the levee.

The hiking today is largely uneventful but seems more enjoyable. Maybe the scenery is better? This part of the trail has a much less swampy median and more water from the lake.

Radar and a turtle.
Radar and a turtle.

While I’m sure they are around, we don’t see any alligators today. The only reptile we saw today was a turtle. She looked like she is nesting on the low side of the levee. We make fairly good time along the trail covering almost three miles in just over an hour. Today is an easier hike. There was even a brief sprinkle of rain to help take a little heat off the day.

Back at the parking lot.

Reaching our turnaround point completes the entire Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail for me. I have a bunch of marked-up trail maps taped to a wall back at the house, now when I get home, there will be one less. Radar and I simply start heading back the few miles to the parking lot and then on to home. Here is my Relive video of the day 2 hike.

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Hiking the Dike – Part 1

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On October 17, 2023

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Palmetto Trail

As summer is beginning to wane, I felt the urge to get out on the trail again. I also discovered I need to work on filling in some missing gaps in my Palmetto Trail journey. A little bit of the backstory first. I probably started backpacking trails while in Florida and then Texas before moving to South Carolina. Hiking in South Carolina for me started back in the late 1990’s with the Buncombe Trail in the upstate and segments of the Palmetto Trail starting with a large part of the Swamp Fox Passage. Over time it seems I’ve jumped around on the Palmetto Trail a lot. I’ll blame this on the fact the Palmetto Trail is still a work in progress. Early on the Palmetto Trail was more incomplete than complete and today it still remains not fully connected. I did my first portion of the Lake Moultrie Passage back in October 2003 with a small group of new backpackers from our troop. We did most of what is now section 2 then. I had planned a +10 mile, two night weekend backpacking trip for my troop. We started at the Northern end of the section at the Diversion Canal trailhead. This portion of the trail has a short forest section before coming out onto the dike. By the time we got to the trail in the evening, it would be dark, so the first night I plan on just camping a few hundred yards from the trailhead. There is a small flat open grass spot where a group can stealth camp together near the edge of the woods. There was a designated camp on the trail with a well, maybe about a mile in from the trail head but I believe it’s all defunct now and it doesn’t show up on the current map. Once upon a time someone had set water wells along the trail, I think some were artesian wells and some may have been hand pumps. These were a great resource for drinkable water at the time. However, over the years the well heads have been removed and capped off. Probably because they were not “state-approved.” Anyway, the next day we would get up, break camp, and hike to the designated campsite near Sandy Beach. I remember the first time I did this hike it was hot, humid, and the mosquitos were still out. I had started tarp camping back then and instead of any kind of sleeping bag, I had brought a simple bed sheet to sleep under. Even just the sheet was almost too much to sleep with but it helped keep the mosquitoes at bay. It rained the next day and we backtracked to a road access to come off-trail and head home.  I’ve since backpacked this same piece a few times with other folks. Later, in September of 2014, I hiked the lower 10-mile portion of section 1 of this passage with a different troop. One of the youth members had planned a 20-mile day hike along the Lake Moultrie dike from the Southern trailhead as an out & back hike. The weather was great. The trail there mostly runs on the flat top of the dike and is easy hiking. One of the interesting parts of the trail is it takes you through the town of Bonneau. However the open exposed nature of the dike with no shade and the hard surface of the dike and paved roads through town can wear you out fast. The out-and-back concept made the return portion a little boring and a bit of a slog to get finished. We were all very happy to finally get back to camp that night. 

Recently I was looking over some trail maps highlighting portions of various trails I’ve done and looking at the gaps remaining. While some passages like the High Hills of Santee Passage I’ve hiked completely a dozen times, I had done only parts of other passages. I figured it was about time to get out and close up some of those gaps. So this will be my Lake Moultrie make-up hike to fill in about an 8-mile gap in my Lake Moultrie Passage.

(to be continued …)

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Behold the sun - sunrise at Awendaw SC

Behold The Sun, The Trail Is Calling

By

On August 30, 2023

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Life, Palmetto Trail

This morning is a calm morning, I guess it’s the truth behind “the calm before the storm.” As I write this Hurricane Idalia has smashed into the Gulf side of Northern Florida and will make her way across the state to the Atlantic side. The current forecast has the storm running just inland today along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina before sliding off into the sea. The schools and many businesses in our area are closed in preparation for the coming storm. We’re expecting winds, rain, and coastal flooding. There are two pieces of good news. First is, according to the internet, Jim Cantore is in Cedar Key Florida, and NOT in South Carolina. The second is the Colberg Cow is still up and in place, at least as of 6 a.m. this morning.

So today with the college closed, it’s a standby day for me, waiting really for the winds which may bring trees or branches down on the farm. Our ground is fairly high so flooding isn’t our big concern this far inland. By this afternoon the hurricane is expected to be a tropical storm again and by later this evening it will be well past us. The downtime is giving me a chance to catch up on some things (like writing).

The group I volunteer with just did our annual activity plan and we added several campout events with backpacking. I started updating my blog site with a new page for The Palmetto Trail and in doing so I realized, I have a lot of gaps in my Palmetto Trail journey. And I want to get back on the AT. And the more I think about it the more I just want to get out more. I’ve started planning to grab time as I can to fill in some of the gaps in my Palmetto Trail passages. I’ve hiked passages like the High Hills of Santee a dozen or more times, but I really need to start filling some of the gaps now. I know some will be day trips, and some will be overnighters. My big hurdle really is hiking with one vehicle. Every hike becomes twice as long or I can only go half as far. Maybe I can just go, and keep going? Almost, but not yet. Sigh. Anyway tomorrow after the storm, assuming no major homestead issues, I’m planning to take Radar for the day. I’ve a backpacking trip with some new hikers in January. I need to find a suitable overnight trail campsite around the Swampfox and Awendaw Passages. The rains have come now. The trail is calling and I must go.

The trail is calling
The trail is calling

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Devils Fork Entrance

Hiking South Carolina – Devils Fork State Park

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On June 13, 2023

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, SC State Parks, Travel

I was able to make an impromptu visit to the park with Radar and stayed with some family for a night. My son and his family are traveling from another park and we are meeting at Devils Fork. The drive up is uneventful and Radar naps most of the way. I stop for gas and a quick snack from the Lakeshop at the junction of SC-11 and the turn-off to Devils Fork. Surprise! Coincidently my son and his family are stopped there as well. I follow their van the remainder of the way into the state park.

Devils Fork Campsite
Devils Fork Campsite

Our tent site is a gorgeous walk-in tent site about 20 feet from the edge of the lake. We must leave our car in the parking lot and carry everything to the campsite. Our designated camp site is a couple hundred yards in. Most of the walk-in trail is paved but there are some unpaved portions between the trail and tent sights. The pad site is near the waters edge, sheltered a little by trees, yet still with a nice breeze off the lake. Really a gorgeous pick. All of the tent camp sites here are well established pad style tent sites. You must pitch your tent on the site tent pad. Most of the camping tent pads around us are pretty spacious and include a fire ring and lantern stand. With bears are in the area, we were advised to store food overnight in our vehicles at the parking lot.

Devils Fork Lakeshore. My son and his daughter at the waters edge.
Devils Fork Lakeshore. My son and his daughter at the waters edge.

This is Radar’s second over-night camping trip (you can catch Radar’s first overnight campout here). He seems concerned and watchful. I think he is still unsure about what the heck is going on. Maybe its the newness of the area, maybe the sounds of the lake, maybe the scent of bears in the wind. This night he sleeps lightly on his bed under my tarp and hammock. It’s around 3 am when Radar alerts to an intruder near our camp. I struggle to get my light and look under the tarp from the my hammock to catch a glimpses of what set him off with some warning barks. Whatever it was has moved moved on leaving us alone the rest of the night. Radar is ever watchful. The next morning is “moist” with light rain as we make breakfast and discuss the days plans. The forecast has a small window of clear weather then rain, rain, and some more rain.

Devils Fork, Radar in camp
Devils Fork, Radar in camp

The weather ends up cutting our trip short. But before heading home I took advantage of the break in the rain. I was able to take a quick walk along the park’s nature trail with Radar. We even found some of the rare Oconee Bell plant (See our hike video here, comment below to let me know what you think). Devils Folk has a fairly short 1.5 mile nature trail in the main park. The trailhead is off the large boat ramp parking lot near the visitor center. The Oconee Bell Nature Trail winds through a mostly hard wood forest down around a creek and small pond before returning you to the start. One really nice feature of this trail is the labeling of botanical specimens all along the trail.

Devils Fork hike3
Devils Fork hike3
Devils Fork hike2
Devils Fork hike2
Devils Fork hike waterfall
Devils Fork hike waterfall

There are dozens of sign posts and story boards along the trail, identifying the various trees and plants along the way. The Friends of Jocassee have a great online trail guide which takes you trough the trail’s plants as you hike. One of the biggest points-of-interest on the trail is the Onconee Bell plant itself. An endangered rare plant, it grows in only a few spots in the state. The weekend we visited the plant happened to be in bloom. A moist area ground cover plant, it was sporting the delicate, white and pink, bell shaped flower.

Devils Fork trail hike, the Oconee Bell flower
Devils Fork trail hike, the Oconee Bell flower
Devils Fork Lakeshore
Devils Fork Lakeshore

Located in the upstate of South Carolina, on the shores of the 7,565-acre Lake Jocassee, this park offers ready access to the lake, fishing, and camping. You can get a view of Lake Jocassee from the park webcam here. This 644 acre park park is about 10 miles North of Salem, South Carolina in Oconee County or about a 4 hour drive from the Charleston Area. Located in the Northwestern part of the state, Devils Fork State Park is one of South Carolinas newer state parks having been created in 1990. Anchored on the Sothern side of Lake Jocassee, the park has Villas, traditional RV/camping sites, and walk-in tent sites. The park does have some boat-in-only camping sites located on the Northern side of the lake. All sites need to reserved ahead of time.

Favorite Time of year: I will have to go with Spring to catch the Oconee Bell flower in bloom.

Things to Know: The breeze off the lake can be refreshing in the summer. However can bring a good wind chill factor in the winter. Oh and bears.

Camping: Camping is available at Devils Folk State Park (reservations required).

Pet friendly: Must be leashed at all times, including the forest, okay everywhere outdoors except cabin and lodging areas of the park.

Getting There: Devils Fork State Park is just West of Table Rock State Park off highway 11. Check the State Park directions link. It’s about a 4 hour drive from the Charleston. area.

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Sassafras Mountain East View

Peak Bagging in South Carolina

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On April 15, 2023

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Life, life events, SC State Parks, Travel

I just “happened” to be in the area and on a whim decided to detour over to Sassafras Mountain and bag this peak. Radar and I are returning from an overnight family camping trip at Devil’s Fork State Park in the North West part of the state. It’s Friday morning and we’re all heading home a day early. Our camping trip was cut a little short due to some rainy weather and the forecast for more of the same.

I realized South Carolina’s highest peak, Sassafras Mountain at 3,553 feet, is on the way home. Sort of. I check my map app and it looks like Sassafras Mtn is sort of almost on the way home. I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back up in this area. So a slight detour to the North and we are on our way.

Getting there requires a short drive into North Carolina. It’s strange but you can’t drive to South Carolinas highest peak from South Carolina. You must drive out of the state and into North Carolina in order to get to the peak. Sassafras mounting actually straddles the border of North and South Carolines.

Sassafras Mountain Tower approach
Sassafras Mountain Tower approach

I was here a few years ago (maybe in 2018) when the tower was still under construction. We were dropping some grateful hikers off at their car in the parking lot, It was late a night. I ran up to the peak but could see anything (being nighttime and all). So I’ve always wanted to come back.

Sassafras Mountain Plaque
Sassafras Mountain Plaque

We’re taking SC highway-11 home anyway so I detoured and take the winding roads to the mountain peak. It’s about 1:40 pm as we get to the Sassafrass Mountain parking lot. The weather has been off and on rain all day but it’s just a short walk up the trail to the observation tower. The rain lets up as we start up the trail. As we get to the top of the tower the sky is overcast but the rain has stopped, at least for now.

Sassafras Mountain East View
Sassafras Mountain East View

The view is good for the day I think. they say you can see for 50 miles on a good clear day. I imagine the view will be amazing. Maybe on my next visit.

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Morining on the farm

Mornings are for enjoying

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On March 4, 2023

In Life

A quick aside. It’s Saturday morning. The sun is out. The morning looks bright. Despite the insane pollen, I’ve decided to enjoy this morning. A hot cup of Cafe Mocha, a pancake breakfast, and some quality catch-up time. Later today, I’m planning to make some poles for my scout troop’s dining flys (replacements from our stolen trailer episode) and then take Radar for a long walk.

I’ve done a couple of campouts this year I still need to unpack including an awesome trip in to Florida last month for the Battle of Olustee Reenactment. I’ll try to get out more on those soon. but for now, I’m just going to enjoy the morning.

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Bear in the backyard

Scrolling through my news feed, I happened across these amazing images.

By

On January 8, 2023

In Life

It’s a peaceful Sunday on the farm, early morning still. Sitting, drinking a warm mocha, sifting through various news feeds, I came across this article I wanted to share.

Nature Photographer of the Year Reveals Riveting Winning Pictures From 20,000 Entries From Across the World

The article has some amazing images, one of my favorites is the “Bear in the backyard.” I imagine it would have been incredibly hard to pick one winner. Which is your favorite (comment below)?

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group of people in red jacket standing on brown rock formation

What happens when your plans end up Foxtrot Uniform?

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On December 2, 2022

In Skills

You’ve planned a weekend camping and hiking trip with friends. Overall, there is a 12-14 mile hike over two days with at least a gain of 2000 feet in elevation. Your group’s has mixed hiking experience, but you’ve done this trail at least a dozen times over the years. You travel hours to get to the trailhead. The first night’s campsite is a little bit of a tough hike but it’s only four miles in. One of the new hikers starts to struggle on this first leg, however, you make it to the first wilderness camp safely.

Maybe they are just getting used to their pack. Maybe they are just getting used to the strenuousness of the trail. Maybe they will be good to go in the morning after a hot meal and a good night’s sleep. Maybe. What if they are not? The next morning, you are looking at a steep uphill climb to regain the main trail. Now it’s clear one of your hikers just can not go on. For whatever reason, they can’t go any further. Now what?

What is your backup plan if someone falls, or is injured in the middle of your next adventure? What’s the exit plan in the event of an emergency? Is there one? I don’t think most people plan for the exits as they should. After all, who wants to plan for a disaster? We go outdoors for a good time, not to get hurt, end up in the hospital, or worse. It often seems accidents happen in remote locations where it’s hard to get help or get the injured out.

In recent news, a nineteen-year-old experienced hiker died doing a solo hike in a state park when something went completely bad. Another person fell to their death from a popular hiking trail in Zion National Park. Search the internet and you’ll find tons of hiker misadventures. While hiking accidents happen all the time, it’s the worst which makes the news.

I think there is a general misperception where people generally feel safer in state or national parks. Myself included, tend to consider organized parks as safe places with help always nearby. I can just call the rangers and they will come to get me. Right? Most likely, no. The idea “parks are safer” is a dangerous assumption. Most parks have minimal staffing levels at best. Large parks can have very isolated areas which are difficult to get in and out of. Even with popular destinations, help can be hours or days away.

Trip contingency planning simply means planning for problems, understanding what are your exit options, and how to get aid if something goes wrong. Planning for contingency events helps everyone enjoy a safe trip. Add these contingency topics to the planning for your next outing: training (both yours and the group’s), the forecasted weather, the essential items, a trip plan (for use by others), and an emergency plan (for use by you). Let’s take a quick look at these topics.

Training

First-Aid is one type of training I will always highly recommend. You should understand, most first-aid courses assume secondary aid, such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS), is less than 30 minutes away. If you are hiking in a remote section of the backcountry, secondary aid may be hours or days away. Take a simple, basic first-aid and CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) course to start with. As you find an interest you can take more advanced courses like a Wilderness First-Aid class. The American Red Cross has some good courses. You can even do some of the courses online to get started.

Rock outcrop
Rock outcrop

Weather

Based on most of the news articles I’ve read, many hikers lost or injured die of exposure to the elements. Regardless if injured or simply lost, they did not have adequate protection from the weather to survive until found. It’s important to both plan for the typical seasonal weather condition and to closely watch the area’s local forecasts for weather changes in the days leading up to the outing. I often find borderline weather conditions can shift significantly in a day or two, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. It’s good to be prepared for the bad.

View of Table Rock from Bald
View of Table Rock from Bald

Essential Items

These are the items every hiker should always carry in some form or fashion. These items could include things like matches, compasses, food, water, and even extra clothing. Based on the planned activity, you may need to modify what you carry. Follow my link for a deeper discussion on the essential items.

10 Essential Items
10 Essential Items

Hiking or Trip Plan

Like a boating float plan, you leave this plan behind with a responsible person in the event the hikers don’t return on time. The information in this plan will aid searchers and rescuers in locating and extracting those in need. A good hiking plan should include the following information:

  • The name, description, and information about the lead hiker/person in charge.
  • Any vehicle information, usually left at a trailhead, like the make/model of cars, color, tag numbers, etc.
  • Equipment the hikers have with them. Do they have first-aid kits, a way to make a fire or signal, cell phone numbers, etc?
  • Hiking trip details: departure date, return date, destination, proposed route, stops along the way, etc.
  • Name, and description of hikers in the group. This should include any important medical information.

Emergency Plan

This is the plan the hikers take with them for use in the event of an emergency. Sometimes your emergency plan is just a mental note of the nearest road crossing. But what happens when the one with the “mental notes” gets separated from the group, or is unconscious? This plan should include written emergency contact numbers for logistical support like shuttles or pick-ups at a trail crossing, local rescue phone numbers, the nearest hospitals along the way, and maybe even a route map. Do a short “safety briefing” at the beginning of the outing or the trailhead, just to review the route, and highlight any important safety information with the group.

So be sure to ramp up your next adventure planning with these contingency items. You’ll be better able to turn a possible disaster into a simple change of plans.

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What does Foxtrot Uniform mean? You may have guessed by now. Let’s just say it’s sort of related to FUBAR and SNAFU. This is when all your planning gets turned upside down and now you have to create a plan “C” on the fly ’cause your plan “B” isn’t going to work out anymore. Remember, in nature, there are no safeties.

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