Paris Mountain State Park: New Year's Day 2023

Paris Mountain State Park: New Year’s Day Hike - 1/1/23 – 8.5 Miles

“First Day Hikes” at state parks on New Year’s Day are a tradition that has taken hold across the U.S.  January 1 can be a day of resolutions, reflections, regrets and/or resets, and for me it’s another good reason to get out in nature. If you don’t know where to go or who to go with, check the website of any state park for First Day guided hikes. Grab your coat and a water bottle and go on a hike (and maybe jump in the lake too)!

Hiking on New Year’s Day isn’t confined to groups, guides and state parks, of course. The important thing is getting outside. This year Jim and I crossed the border into South Carolina to visit new-to-us Paris Mountain State Park. [Note: if you’re going, remember to bring your wallet, especially if you’re used to NC’s free state parks. SC’s parks charge admission fees.]

Paris Mountain SP was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930’s as part of the New Deal Program by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and several buildings are still in use. There are several lakes and a campsite area to enjoy. Read more here about the park’s history, education programs, and tours and look here for a map of trails in the park.

A big ol’ shout-out to SC’s amazingly informative and user-friendly state parks websites. NC should take lessons! Or maybe that’s what an admission fee helps pay for…

On my GAIA GPS app, I worked out a loop hike with options for shortening or lengthening the route as time permitted. We skipped the Visitor Center (note to check it out on our next visit) and went straight to the Sulphur Springs Trail parking area.

The morning was damp with a wispy fog drifting through the dense forest. The white rectangle blaze looked familiar (but the Appalachian Trail doesn’t pass through SC). Sulphur Springs Trail crosses Mountain Creek several times on footbridges.

Upstream is the pump house and dam at Mountain Lake – more than 125 years old

Fog hanging heavy over the lake, making an eerily beautiful reflection

Past the lake, we started climbing, crossing Mountain Creek a few more times. No more bridges. What is the criteria for a bridge versus no bridge? Seems like the further away from the parking lot, the more likely a hiker is to encounter unbridged crossings.

Trail steps alongside an unnamed water slide on Mountain Creek

At about 1.75 miles, we turned left from Sulphur Springs Trail onto Firetower Trail and hiked about .3 miles out to the site of a former fire tower (of course).  We saw remnants of a residence, a partial chimney and a bit of stone foundation. 

Beyond this were ground level stone slabs, all that remains of the tower. This is the high point of the park, but no views other than the backyards of homes very close through the trees.

An unmaintained but obvious trail closely paralleled Firetower Trail, and we followed it to where it intersected Kanuga Trail. 

We followed Kanuga Trail to North Lake Trail. Do we have enough time to walk around the outer edge of the lake? Glad we did! We saw primitive campsites scattered amongst the trees. The light and leaves were lovely.

Leaves settled on the bottom of the still lake

Continuing in our loop from North Lake Trail, you know I had to hike a trail named Pipsissewa,
 one of my favorite flower names!

Another decision point at the intersection of Brissy Ridge Trail: right or left? It’s a loop trail, so either way is about the same distance, so we opted left to get onto the hiker-only portion. This section of Brissy Ridge was 1.5 miles, a steep downhill and then a bigger climb back up.

For the whole route, the only flat parts were on Firetower Trail and around North Lake – otherwise, ups and downs – not a “walk in the park.”

At the Brissy Ridge parking area, it took a couple of minutes to determine where to pick up the Sulphur Springs Trail to complete our big loop. Once we got oriented, Sulphur Springs Trail crossed the park road and stayed within sight/sound of it on its steep downhill trend back to our car.

For those out there like me who are better with pictures than with words, a screenshot of my GAIA track may be helpful. We started in the bottom right-hand corner and hiked clockwise, 8.5 miles and 1,338 miles of ascent. Grateful for another beautiful “first day” in the woods!

“In the new year, never forget to thank
 your past years because they enabled you
 to reach today!”
 ~Mehmet Murat Ildan

Jones Gap State Park Loop

Jones Gap State Park: Pinnacle Pass/John Sloan/Rim of the Gap Loop – 2/9/19 - 7.4 Miles

For someone who thinks she is “good at” geography, I do not have a firm mental map of the relationships of state parks and other public lands that touch each other at the mountainous NC/SC border. I can wave my hand in the general direction of Jones Gap State Park, but I can’t drive you there without consulting Google maps. Hmmm...is it really just south of Dupont State Forest? And what about Holmes Educational State Forest - NC or SC? I thru-hiked the Foothills Trail from Oconee State Park to Caesars Head State Park, but the details are fuzzy. And Mountain Bridge Wilderness – what’s that all about? I must do better.

Still working on my “60 Hikes” self-challenge, my wintertime options were determined by algorithms of good weather, reasonable drive time, daylight hours, and road openings. On this day, Jones Gap State Park fit the parameters, so off I went. And of course I was surprised (again) by how easy the drive is from Charlotte.

NOTE #1: Unlike NC state parks (free), the SC state parks charge a small fee, usually cash in an envelope at the parking area (small bills, no change for your $20). Also, the mountain area state parks do not have trash receptacles, so plan to carry your sandwich wrappers and Big Gulp cups home.

NOTE #2: Trail signage is a Forrest Gump practice in Jones Gap SP. Hikers, know your trail names, numbers and blaze colors. You never know what you’re gonna see!

A bright February day, temperature in the low 40’s, a nice clockwise loop of Pinnacle Pass Trail to John Sloan Trail to Rim of the Gap Trail and back to the visitor center, looks good on paper. I’m hiking on a Saturday and expect to see lot of peeps (surprise – not a soul on my entire route. Wake up, South Carolina!)

At 10:00 a.m. I crossed the Middle Saluda River on a wide bridge and started from the 
Jones Gap Trailhead. 

A trail closure – does that affect my plan?  A quick check of my trail map says nope.

About the length of a football field, a left turn onto the Rim of the Gap Trail (#6 yellow blaze); a few minutes more, another left turn onto Pinnacle Pass Trail (#20 white blaze), and we get serious. Pinnacle Pass is steep, a bit technical, many boulders. Very dry conditions today - I can imagine what it’s like after a rain or a freeze. I’m a little (lot) nervous at the thought of an injury on a very cold solo day, making yet another pledge with myself to get a personal locator beacon.

I don’t know the name of the creek that creates this slippery slope.  This is one place to be extra super-duper careful as the trail passes close alongside.

There was a short respite as the trail goes over the shoulder of the mountain, then another very steep climb on narrow track to what I hope is the summit. A side trail to the right with a chain link handrail took me to a rock outcropping and a firstclass view to the rock cliffs on the far side of the gap and beyond.

Near the center of the ridgeline in the photo is a small white horizontal line that is Pretty Place Chapel and YMCA Camp Greenville. I once attended a lovely wedding of two hiker friends there.

I stopped for lunch at an innocuous spot along the ridgeline trail, just me and my cheese and crackers in the stillness of the day. 

When you’re sitting near the ground you see things in a different way

White blazes were abundant on Pinnacle Pass Trail, never out of sight. I was the only sound, boots kicking up rustling leaves, no breeze.

The trail passed over a second bump (maybe that was Little Pinnacle?) and a third bump, then through a few hundred yards of mountain laurel tunnel before opening to a wide road bed.

What’s this all over the ground?

Some critter ripped big holes in the tree 20 feet high

I paused at the 6-20 Connector Trail (#22 purple blaze), interesting that the sign is chained to the tree (to prevent it from becoming a souvenir?).  I considered shortcutting over to Rim of the Gap Trail here, but continued on, fingers crossed that the next intersection would be as easy to identify (it wasn’t.)

                                                                                                                                                      

P1 campsite, looks like bring-your-own-water

I arrived at a wide clear space that looked like a trail Junction, but no signage.  I puzzled for a moment, turned 360 degrees and saw a small pink blaze on a tree on my right.  About 40 feet past it was a tiny trail sign for the John Sloan Trail connector (#21 pink blaze).  I could not have seen it from the intersection.  

No need to be annoyed – the John Sloan Trail was a beauty, 1.2 miles of easy-peasy. At the next junction, a right turn put me on the ROTG Trail that parallels Pinnacle Pass Trail at lower elevation and I hiked 2.5 miles back to the VC to complete my loop. I was quite surprised to see the poor condition of this trail, until I considered that winter always takes its toll and maintenance cannot happen everywhere at once.

Altogether the loop took me 4.5 hours, longer than normal but factoring in the rock scrambling and valley viewpoint and lunch and plain ol’ lollygagging on a solitary day.  I will visit again in another season (not summer) to compare.

Another great report of this loop hike here.

“As you sit on the hillside, or lie prone under the trees of the forest, or sprawl wet-legged by a mountain stream, the great door, that does not look like a door, opens.”  ~Stephen Graham

Starting the New Year Right: South Carolina Waterfalls

Greenville SC & Waterfall Hikes – 1/2/16 & 1/3/16 – 5 Miles

New Year’s Day is one of my favorite holidays.  I spread out my calendars, some hiking guidebooks and outdoor challenge lists, and look briefly back at the past and then eagerly forward to the possibilities ahead.  What did I do last year?  What did I miss?  Where do I want to go this year?  I don’t spend time regretting unrealized resolutions – after all, I had many opportunities that were never on a list.  Instead, I feel energized at the wide open yet-to-be.

So an early start, no waiting! Jim and I practiced our nearly-perfected overnight getaway strategy and headed for Greenville, SC, a town we have managed to miss as its popularity has recently exploded among the hip and happening. We wandered around the bustling downtown, checked out Pedal Chic, a women's bicycle shop, and ate a very healthy lunch at Green Lettuce Restaurant.

We road our hipster bikes out and back on the greenway Swamp Rabbit Trail from Swamp Rabbit Green to Hincapie Path.

Every town is better when a river runs through it

Falls Park on the Reedy

We raised a glass at Upstate Craft Brewpub, which opened earlier the same week. The young'uns sitting at our table were impressed that we have been married longer than they have been living.  We enjoyed a late supper of too much Belgian food and beer at The Trappe Door.  I kind of hated myself as I face-planted at the hotel, hoping I would be able to get up for an early start on our waterfall hunting day.

Working on the Carolina Mountain Club’s “Waterfalls 100 Challenge” has taken Jim and me down some very picturesque and remote country roads.  Today we explored three of South Carolina’s gems.  This website is my go-to resource for directions and maps to SC waterfalls.  Also, this website is excellent for hike descriptions and photos. 

Station Cove Falls is in Oconee State Park.  The 1.25-mile round trip easy hike leads to this 60-foot stepped waterfall that we had to ourselves.  We started our walk from a small parking pull-off but there is also access from the state park headquarters to make a longer hike.

This seems to be happening a lot lately: dog escorts on the trail.  This beautiful girl was the size of a small bear.  She knew the path well.

Our second waterfall was Lee Falls on Tamassee Creek, also in Oconee County. Descriptions of locating the trailhead and the 3-mile round trip hike itself made me cautious about going alone, thus I had waited for Jim to join me.  “Although once voted Oconee County’s most scenic waterfall, this 75-foot high falls has no official trail, but hikers have been making the difficult, 1.5-hour trip here for 170 years, surely making it easier to follow over time.” 

Well, there is a nice discernible trail through four long grassy fields

But numerous creek crossings were challenging.  Some were rock hops but others required creative solutions or wading. 

If you can look up from your feet for a moment, you might see something interesting.  A spring?  A root cellar?  Now a home for critters?

For the last half-mile the trail turns gnarly, climbing steeply and less discernibly over large boulders and fallen trees.  Are you sure this is still the trail?  Keep listening for the waterfall.  At last we were rewarded.

We passed at least a half dozen people as we backtracked from the waterfall, including a dad with his young son, and now I would feel very comfortable returning alone or leading others on this hike.  But don’t be complacent because it’s a short distance.  It would be all too easy to turn an ankle in that last stretch going up or down, and a rescue would not be quick. (The Waterfalls Hiker gives a great hike report of this destination, including his wrong turn.)

The third waterfall was on our drive back to NC, Twin Falls on Reedy Cove Creek in Pickens County.  The short .5-mile round trip doesn’t really qualify as a hike, but the waterfall certainly qualifies as a worthy visit.  (How often have people asked me, “Is the walk to the waterfall worth it?”  The answer is always “yes!”)  There is a large wooden platform built over what obviously used to be a rough trail, and it could be tempting to hop over the railing to get closer to the falls, but resist it.  The viewing station is in full view and safety concerns are what prompted its installation. 

Three waterfalls in one day – a great start to 2016!

"Life is like a waterfall; it is always moving and there is always an uneven flow to it." ~Unknown