2019 - AT Year 10 Prep Hike - Foothills Trail Section 2 - Bad Creek to Sassafras Mountain

AT Hike Year 10 Prep Hike - Foothills Trail - Bad Creek to Sassafras Mountain

Ready to go at the Bad Creek Foothills Trail Access

I had previously done 32 miles of the Foothills Trail following my abbreviated AT year five. The Foothills Trail is a 77 mile long designated National Scenic Trail traversing wilderness areas of Northwestern South Carolina and Southern North Carolina. Much of the trail transects Jocassee gorges region, crossing the many scenic rivers and stream corridors that feed into Lake Jocassee.  My original intention was to hike from the Bad Creek access area, where I finished before, and going to the eastern terminus in Table Rock State Park, SC, a distance of about 44 miles.  I knew it would be a difficult trip to do in the minimal time I had available.

The terrain on this hike was a bit more strenuous than anticipated, and the weather was extremely rainy. Both of these factors slowed down my progress considerably, with the result in that decided to end my hike at Sassafras Mountain,  about ten miles short of my original goal at Table Rock. Plus I really didn't want to get home so late on Saturday, having to get up early on Sunday, so it worked out well.  Besides, the intent of these shorter hikes is not so much to cover distance, as to test out equipment, food, physical condition, and to illuminate any deficiencies in my plan for big trip.  I try to go with the same pack weight and contents I plan to carry my first day on the AT.  I believe this hike accomplished these objective, if perhaps in a 'humbling' way.

Day 1 - Thursday, June 6, 2019 - Bad Creek Access to Toxaway River Campground 16.8 miles
I prepared everything the evening before, and left home a little after 6 a.m. for the drive to the trailhead. I wanted to be hiking early, since I knew I needed long hiking days if I were to reach my destination by Saturday. The drive up was very pleasant, mostly on State Highway 11, which is known as the 'Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway'.  I had little problem finding the trailhead, which is in the Bad Creek Hydro plant area, managed by Duke Energy.  I was in a hurry when I arrived about 9:00 a.m., so I threw on my gear, and took little very time to even consult my map. There was a day hiking couple there who kindly snapped my picture. The access trail intersects a spur trail close to the trail head, and the direction was a little confusing, but I ended up going the right way.

Footbridge Over the Whitewater River

The Whitewater River

I crossed the foot bridge over the Whitewater River, and arrived at signage for the FH trail, along with directions to the Lower Whitewater Falls. There were packs and gear of a large group strewn around the area. I assumed they had gone down to look at the falls, since there was not a soul in sight. I silently hoped they were not hiking in my direction.

Arriving at the Intersection of the Foothills Trail

My Distance Goal of Table Rock

I was excited to be back on the trail, and I felt good early in the day, but gradually tired as the day went on. As in my first experience with the Foothills Trail, it felt as though I had the entire trail to myself. It rained a little early in the day, so I put my pack cover on. It was mainly just a drizzle, so I decided to forego putting on my rain jacket for the time being.

Some Nice Flowering Plants

A Rainy and Slippery Footbridge

There were many stair assisted descents build into the hillsides, and I crossed a few streams and bridges before stopping for lunch around noon at the Bear Creek campsite. I sat on a log and ate a lunch bar while contemplating my guidebook.  The trail included some good climbs, but also long stretches on old logging roads.

Stair Assisted Climb 

A Nice Open Stretch of Trail

Stream Crossing

Lunching Log at Bear Creek Campsite

I soon passed the cutoff trail to Hilliard Falls, but since was a long day, I decided to keep going. 

The condition of the trail was very good and obviously well maintained. I was amazed at one point to cross paths with a trail maintenance work crew, one of whom was working a mini-excavator. It was difficult to imagine how they managed to get this piece of heavy equipment on the trail, but here it was. I thanked them for their work as I passed by. Folks who maintain the trail are generally volunteers, and their work is crucial to all of us looking for a good hiking experience.

Blue Blazed Trail to Hilliard Falls

There were no views along the way, but MANY scenic little streams and bridge crossings. This was a longer hiking day than I would've naturally preferred, but I knew I needed to put in the miles in order to get to Table Rock by a decent time on Saturday. I also wanted to build up stamina. Around 5 p.m. I began thinking about finding campsite, but I crossed into the Gorges State Park of North Carolina, and camping was restricted to designated sites.

Rocky Overhang

Bridge over the Horse Pasture River

Horse Pasture River

I only encountered two hikers the entire day - a father/son duo who were working on a long section of a planned 4 or 5 day thru-hiker. They were doing 23 miles this day, which sounded a bit crazy to me. My trail guide book indicated good campsites just beyond the bridge over the Toxaway River, which I thought might be a good goal. They told me that the campsites were completely empty, which made this destination even more appealing.    

Long Stair Assisted Descent

A Box Turtle Laying Eggs on the Trail

The descent to Lake Jocassee was very nice, and I had good glimpses of the lake on the way down. This is an interesting area, in that there is a big elevation change on the northern side of the lake, with MANY feeder streams and rivers connect with it. Because of the terrain, there are also many scenic areas and waterfalls on the feeder streams, some of which are accessible from the lake itself. 

I was approaching the Toxaway River, where my guidebook indicated a suspension bridge crossing. My campground destination was just on the other side of this river crossing. 

My First Glimpse of Lake Jocassee

Trail Sign Along the Toxaway River

Suspension Bridge Over the Toxaway River

It was later than I normally like to hike, and a bit of a trek along the river.  I kept imagining that I saw the bridge before me, but it was only a mirage.  I finally caught glimpse of it, but the trail suddenly ascended before a steep descent to the bridge crossing.

Bridge Crossing

The Toxaway River

Just across the bridge was a side access trail, and as the Foothills trail continues to the right, it passes through a designated campsite, with many scattered tent pads.  No other campers were evident, so I had my pick of sites.  Each campsite is equipped with a fire pit, picnic table, and poles to hang gear. After some deliberation I decided on a more open site,  mainly because of proximity to the water source, but as it turned out, this was not the best decision. 

My Chosen Campsite along the Toxaway River

River Access

I set up camp, and ate a hardy supper of Beef Stew, with Swiss Miss hot chocolate to drink.   It was beginning to get dark. There were no really good trees around to hang up my bear bag, so I made the decision to hang it on one of the nearby poles instead. These were obviously not constructed for this purpose, but I just hoped no interested bears would stop by.  It had been a full day of hiking, which I could feel it in my body.  I generally prefer easing into more mileage when I first hit the trail, but I was feeling the need to push a bit in order to get to Table Rock. I noticed one bit of equipment repair was my inflatable pillow, which had sprung a leak.

Day 2 - Friday, June 7, 2019 - Toxaway River Campsite to Hwy 178 access parking. 13.2 miles
Well, it was an interesting evening in my tent, and interesting morning breaking camp.  The 'interesting' part was the falling most of the night and into the morning. This would not normally be such a big deal, except that the particular tent pad I had chosen held water like a swimming pool. The result is that my tent, sleeping bag, and my body were soaked. I had gotten up in the night and put my clothes into the vestibule of the tent, but these also became rather waterlogged.

Packing Up the Waterlogged Tent

My Tent Pad Swimming Pool

I knew I needed to get up and get going in the morning. I packed everything as best I could in a pouring rain. and went down to the river for water. My water filter was running slow and needed cleaning. I had back flushed it at home, but apparently not enough to thoroughly clean it. I decided to apply the 'gravity' method of filtration by making use of one of the campsite poles -  like a water IV.   I had no desire to try to boil water for breakfast, and wanted to get going, so I just went with cold cereal and coffee.       

Gravity Water Filtration
(Tent Pad Lake (minus my tent) in the Background)

I finally hit the trail around 8:30 a.m., probably carrying 3 or 4 pounds of extra water in my soaked stuff. I saw from my guide book that 'Heart Break Ridge' was to be my first challenge of the day. It was listed as possibly the most difficult climb on the entire Foothills Trail. It was still raining fairly hard, so I needed to exercise caution on the climb. Fortunately, the trail designers have placed wooden steps nearly everywhere. This doesn't necessarily make it easier or less strenuous, but it may make it a little safer, especially in less than ideal conditions.

Steep Climb Up Heartbreak Ridfe

Boundary Sign for Gorges State Park. 

It was a difficult and steep climb over 'Heartbreak Ridge', but once again, I am thinking this is good preparation for my upcoming AT adventure.  I reached the boundary of Gorges State Park, and passed through a few campsites beyond the ridge. I visited with two hiking couples camped there: the first couple was a pair of young women on a short section hike, and the other a married couple working on a thru-hike of the entire trail. None of them had done long-distance backpacking before, and were feeling various levels of discouragement. I commiserated, but encouraged them to work through it, and they would ultimately feel good about their accomplishment.  

A Nice Stretch Beyond the Campsites

How Far I've Come

I missed a trail turn on the next ascent, and needed to back track, but managed to relocate the path. The trail follows an old gravel road for a time before descending to Laurel Falls. Just before Laurel Falls I ran into the thru-hiking couple I had met earlier, and asked if they would take my pic next to a trail sign. There is a nice viewing location just before the falls, so I stopped for a pic. The male half of the hiking couple informed me that the falls were also accessible by boat from Lake Jocassee, which I thought was neat.

Laurel Falls

There was a cut-off trail down to the falls, but I decided not to stop since I was wanting to put in mileage today. Warnings were posted on the sign to take care in the falls area as people had died there - yikes!  I stopped briefly for lunch just past Laurel Falls. The trail follows Laurel Creek for some distance, criss-crossing at various locations along the way. This section was scenic, but not as well-maintained as most of what I had seen so far. The bridges were in various states of repair, and the trail somewhat overgrown with vegetation.

Crossing Laurel Creek on a New Bridge

Another Crossing

A Quickly Repaired Bridge

 I had been leap-frogging the thru-hiking couple along the creek corridor until almost reaching the Virginia Hawkins Falls. A temporary sign near the falls indicated a trail detour around the area, since the bridge there was deemed unsafe to cross.  I chose to follow the detour which,  to my chagrin, was uphill for a considerable distance before turning and finally recrossing the creek at the third bridge north.

Interesting Little Flowering Plant along the Trail
(Anyone know what this is?)

I was determined to get as far as possible before stopping for the evening, but it appeared from my trail guide that the camping choices ahead were limited. In addition, there were no abundant water choices beyond Laurel Creek. I made the decision to stop as close to 5 p.m. as possible, and began looking for any suitable site along the trail. I passed one possible site on a ridge, but with no water close be, I decided to keep going. There was a parking lot and water indicated at Hwy 178, so I though this would be a good goal.

Sign In the Parking Lot Near Hwy 178

I arrived at the parking lot around 5:00. A talkative man waiting in a camper van in the parking lot asked me if I had seen any hikers. It turns out he was planning to meet the thru-hiking couple. I told him they were behind me, but I couldn't say how far. I asked about camping in the area, and he pointed out a level site right next to the lot. Even though I was running low on water, I thought I could manage for the evening, and get water first thing in the morning,  I decided to stay, since I really wanted a little daylight time to dry out all my wet things. After pitching my tent, I strung up a line, hung up all my wet gear and clothing, and made a dinner of Spaghetti and meatballs.

My Campsite and Drying Things Out

Trying to Dry Out A Very Wet Tent

 There were thunderstorms in the night, and I put my gear under the vestibule, even though it was still fairly wet. This has been a very watery trip so far.

Day 3 - Laurel Valley Access Parking Near Hwy 178 to Sassafras Mt.  4.7 miles
I woke up around 6 a.m. with the intent of hiking the remaining 14 miles to Table Rock State Park. More storms had blown through the area over night, but had cleared by the morning. Most of my gear and clothing was still fairly wet, so I had no hope of getting completely dry. I used up all my remaining water for breakfast, but I thought I might be able to refill at the stream below Hwy 178.

Approaching Chimney Top Gap

I hit the trail about 8 a.m., and headed down the hill. I was disappointed not to be able find an access to the creek from from the trail. There may have been a way down, but I could not locate it right away. I decided to head on and hope for a water source within a reasonable distance. I began the long, slow slog up to Chimney Top and Sassafras Mt. beyond that.  I came to a prepared campsite before Chimney Top Gap and found a nice little spring where I could rehydrate.

Chimney Top Gap Crossing

I began the long, hard ascent up Sassafras Mountain. It was deceptive and a bit discouraging that I kept thinking I had reached the summit, but then the trail continued to climb.  I was reminded of the climb up Three Ridges in The Priest Wilderness on the AT in Virginia.  There were some level and attractive areas of pine groves on the way up. I passed a sign indicating an area of reforestation.

Area of Reforestation

Smooth Hiking

A Green Tunnel

I arrived at the summit of Sassafras Mountain around 11 a.m., and went to the top the new observation tower to have a look around. This is the highest Point in the state of South Carolina, and I tried to think of how many states I have been to the highest points.  I know I did at least two on my AT hike last year. It was a foggy day, so there wasn't much of a view to be had.  I sat down on a bench on the ramp to the top to try and place a call to Ginny. I was a little surprised that there was no service with my trac phone.

Atop the Observation Tower On Sassafras Mountain

A Foggy Day - Not Much to See

I struck up a conversation with local couple who were there visiting with their granddaughter. We chatted about my hike, how far I had come, and my upcoming AT adventure. They offhandedly offered me a ride, and then I thought it might be good if I finished early, especially since I knew I needed to get up early in the morning.   I asked them if might be willing to drop me off at the camp store at Table Rock State Park, and they said they were going that direction anyway. I was happy to accept their gracious offer. Their phone had service, so I was able to place a call to Ginny.

Conclusion of My Hike on Sassafras Mountain

I was happy to visit with them on the ride to Table Rock. Their names were Diddy and Rolfe Huges, who were visiting with their granddaughter, Kate, from Charlotte. Diddy was originally from Greenville, but had graduated from Winthrop University, and was familiar with my church. I said I was sure there were people in my choir who knew her. They were super nice folks, and I was glad they happened to be at Sassafras Mountain the same time as me.

We made the short trip to Table Rock, and they kindly dropped me off at the camp store. We made sure to get a pic and exchanged contact info. before they left.  I am most grateful for their kindness, and hope our paths may cross again. Ginny was going to be a while, so I sat down on a rocker outside  the store and read my book until she came.

Diddy and Rolfe Hughes and Kate

Summary: Every hike is a good hike, but I this was a tough little hike. From my limited experience, I had gone into it thinking the Foothills Trail was 'easy'. I couldn't have been more wrong. The trail was mostly well-maintained, but there were some very challenging sections, which I thought was good preparation for what I will experience on the AT in Vermont and New Hampshire. I pushed myself hard the first day on the trail, and very quickly felt the physical strain. This may have not been as difficult had it not been for the wet weather. I have hiked in wet conditions before, but it is not something I enjoy or look forward to. Most of my gear, clothes,  and equipment became saturated and never completely dried out.

I learned a great deal from this adventure. I was trying out some new gear, including new boots, which may be the single most important piece of equipment for anyone.  These boots - Saloman X-Ultra 3s - were un upgrade of the previous model I had used and loved for three seasons. These particular boots were little tight in toe box, and since feet generally swell as we hike, it impacted the small toes on both feet. That, plus the fact that the boots became completely water logged, rubbed both feet raw by the end of the trip. I returned the boots to REI in exchange for wider variation of the same model. I was also trying out cedar oil as a natural insect repellent, which seemed to have mixed results. I smelled good (like a tree), and I don't think I was bitten quite so much, but it also needed to be applied more frequently.  This is not something that is very convenient to do during the day on the trail. Thirdly, I had prepared and vacuum sealed breakfasts of granola and powdered milk in the hope that I could just pour in cold water and save fuel. This worked, but I discovered that I had put way too much granola into each bag. This might not be a problem, though, once my calorie burn is elevated. I discovered other little things like my inflatable pillow having sprung a leak.

My final impression is that this was an unusual trip in some ways, mostly because of the rainy weather. I did gain a new appreciation for the variety of terrain and landscapes available for hiking in South Carolina. The Jocassee Gorges region through which I hiked is unique. Water sources are abundant, with many streams and rivers flowing downhill into Lake Jocassee. The change in elevation creates many waterfalls of various sizes.   This is a wonderful trail IMO, and good preparation for anyone interested in tackling part of the AT.  I don't know if I am totally prepared for what I know will be a very strenuous hike on the AT in a few weeks, but it definitely helped.