Palmetto Trail: Swamp Fox Passage - Day 3

Palmetto Trail: Swamp Fox Passage – Day 3 – Eccles Church Road
to Halfway Creek Road & Steed Creek Road
1/30/21 – 14.1 Miles

Hardy hikers woke to a heavy frost coating our tents and the grass of our little churchyard. We left the tents up to dry out in the sunshine while we hike to Halfway Creek, and we’ll drive back in the afternoon to fetch everything. Layered up again, this time including long underwear (I ignored my rule of thumb that legs warm up fastest). We shivered at the thought of another cold breakfast sitting in the car, so Carol turned on the heat long enough to spoil us. But get going we must.

Morning light

From the campsite, we walked half a mile down the forest road to the trail’s right turn into the woods (eastbound today). In a few short minutes we were met by a backpacker! She’s an avid thru-hiker: the AT, the MST, who knows what else, and now the Palmetto Trail. She talked a blue streak, with detailed descriptions of soft feet and blisters and bubble baths, then on to the next topic that came to mind. I realized that she was not asking any questions of us other than how far we were going – did she mention that she was thru-hiking? I grew impatient to move along because it was so cold. We took photos for posterity and said goodbye. Carol commented that perhaps she was lonely. I felt remorseful and replied that I was carrying a big ol’ sack of judgment with me.

Overall, fewer wet sections today than yesterday and the trail got drier as we headed east, but whenever I grew accustomed to the dry stretches, a bog appeared around the next bend.

Near Mile 18 we passed the Turkey Creek campsite built by another Boy Scout. Our thru-hiker friend stayed there the previous night. I still think I would only camp in super cold weather to avoid the critters.

Oops, almost lost my bandana

Reflections

Hooded pitcher plants (until today we’d only seen decaying husks)

The day warmed up to the point where I removed my first three layers, considered taking off layer #4, and while we stopped for a break I took off my long underwear, hoping no one would come along. Felt MUCH better!

We walked through an extensive burned area today, very recent, no new growth rejuvenation yet. Fire is essential to the health of a forest. We speculated on whether it was a controlled burn or the result of a lightning strike or human carelessness. Sobering.

Dog Swamp was a large area labeled on our maps – whatcha got?  Nothing compared to what we’ve been through! The underbrush obscured the water that was surely there and we passed through without much comment.

The most beautiful spot today (IMO) was near Quimby Creek/Bennett Branch, a swamp filled with cypress trees standing like sentries (without knees) in clear reflecting waters. The still air, the glowing green moss, the tannic brown water was breathtaking. At the water’s edge I tried to get good photos, knowing that the essence could not be captured. 

As Carol and I were scouting for a lunch spot, we passed a Boy Scout troop clearing a space for an improved campsite. We walked half a mile past them to claim a space off the trail, within sight but not in the path of the guys walking back to their trucks for lunch.

[See what I did there…scouting…Pause to remind everyone that Carol and I first met as Girl Scout leaders taking outdoor skills training…more than a few years ago. I’ll always be grateful for what Scouting did for my kids and how it opened doors for me as an adult in the program.]

We crossed Halfway Creek Road at a parking area (not ours) where moms and friends were buzzing around preparing lunch for the Boy Scout troop. One nice young woman gave us Moon Pies – sweet! Swamp Fox trail magic!

Carol is checking the map – are we there yet?

The last mile-and-a-half to the end of our hike at Halfway Creek & Steed Creek Road was looonnngg and we were ready to be done. We encountered more and more people and asked a few if they knew tomorrow’s weather forecast. Each person confirmed that rain was coming.

We made our decision to head home at the end of today’s hike. We’ll camp at Halfway Creek when we meet again on a dry day in a few weeks to finish the last leg (6 miles of Swamp Fox Passage and 7 miles of Awendaw Passage.) For now, we returned to Eccles Church to pack up our dry gear and go our separate ways.

Carol and I are well matched in many ways as hiking partners, and a key aspect is that we set an understanding of flexibility from the start, so that neither of us gets frustrated with the other’s decisions [and Carol has an extra dose of tolerance.] Questions to talk about with someone you’re thinking of doing multi-day hikes with: Is this do-or-die? What kind of trail conditions/weather are a deal-breaker? What are the bailout options that won’t make anyone mad? What’s more important, the hike or the friendship? Hint: the trail will be there another day.

If you’re thinking of hiking the Swamp Fox Passage:

Learn some human history before you go

Learn some flora & fauna and/or use a flower ID app

Watch the light and appreciate the environment if it’s new to you

Plan for water supply – I’ve read that filters can get clogged easily so chemical purifiers are recommended. Although I have consumed water in the mountains using chemical purifiers, I wouldn’t want to drink the murky, potentially brackish water on the Swamp Fox Passage. Since we were car camping, we carried water each day from gallon jugs that we kept in our vehicles.

There’s more than one way to hike the Swamp Fox Trail. A great writeup is here.

"God never made an ugly landscape.
All that the sun shines on is beautiful,
so long as it is wild." 
~John Muir