Never Grow Bored

Bushwhacking isn't for everyone, but when done knowledgeably it can lead to some of the biggest rewards.  This was the case with Crane Creek Falls & Yellow Jacket Falls on Crane Creek in Oconee County, South Carolina.  We had been planning this trip for weeks, but I was looking forward to it even longer.  I had seen several photos for both Crane Creek Falls & Yellow Jacket Falls a handful of times, but never any real video, and all the photos were a bit tough to tell the scale of the falls.  Our little group consisting of Leslie, Lindsay, Josh, David, and myself were met early on a Saturday morning with a HUGE cloud inversion in the Cheoee Valley.  This created a dense fog as we moved up the mountain on the dirt road to the GPS coordinates for the beginning of the hike.  As we parked the cars, the fog engulfed us and the tops of trees were not even visible but looked merely like shadows in a dimly lit vast forest.  We gathered our gear and proc...

Once and a while you come across a hidden gem in almost plain sight.  This is the case with the rarely visited Coyote Falls.  Located only a 1/4 down Hwy 107 from the very popular Silver Run Falls turnoff, Coyote Falls remains seldomly traveled.   I was making plans for a weekend of hiking one evening, and speaking to my friend and fellow explorer Leslie about some Cashiers/Glenville area hikes when she mentioned Coyote Falls.  I had never heard of this falls, so of course, like any other person these days in the age of technology, I googled it.  There was NOT much information available online, but I was able to find GPS coordinates for the trailhead, which is really all I needed.  There were a few photos, but nothing on AllTrails and a little on google.   This particular early Saturday morning, I had planned to hit up High Falls near Lake Glenville, then Silver Run Falls, and if time allowed, possibly Coyote Falls.  After a great visit ...

Hidden Gems lay all around us!  You never know what's around that corner or threw those trees until you make the turn or go look. I recently received a trail map from another member of a Carolina hiking group on social media after an inquiry.  I had been to Ceaser's Head State Park several times and hiked some of the most difficult trails the park has to offer.  Raven Cliff Falls by Dismal Trail Loop to name the most strenuous.  Also, the very popular sites of Bald Rock and the Ceaser's Head Lookout are almost always packed with tourists and "casual" explorers.  I wasn't sure what to make of this newly passed along map and I only saw one photo of the final falls which "seemed" to be a large and tall waterfall, but pictures can be most deceiving. Gus and I were game!  Having hiked most upstate trails in SC already and hitting some of our favorite spots this particular Spring, we were searching for a change anyways.  We charged up the camera gear, down...

The day started off as many hikes do with a bit of doubt, worry & small fear of the unknown.  Today I was driving further than I have previously for a hike since moving to the Carolinas. I have seen several photographs and trail reviews for the Linville Gorge Wilderness and was planning on visiting for a while. Today was the day! The weather was sunny with only a few clouds as Gus and I made our way for the 2hr 15min drive north past Asheville to Linville Gorge. We had a few hikes on our agenda which was ambitious, but doable.  Upon arriving in Linville Gorge we by happenstance ran into a Park Ranger. I asked several questions regarding the hikes since he had the most intimate knowledge of the area. I rattled off my shortlist and he advised me to maybe skip one due to the high amount of foot traffic from tourists and I would be likely disappointed. However, the first two hikes I mentioned he said were "must dos". The first hike was Table Rock Moun...

Do your legs get itchy for adventure?  Have you ever had a longing for a walk in the woods to settle your soul?  Same here! As Memorial Weekend was quickly approaching, my plans started to fall through and shift a bit.  I always want to make sure that there is no wasted time off, especially for a long weekend!  I began to ponder on which areas to go and camp for a night.  I quick hike with great views, water nearby and not too long of a distance were my basic criteria.  A few came to mind, but Opossum Creek Falls jumped to the top of the list quickly. This would be my second time visiting Opossum Creek Falls.  This great waterfall is very close to the Chattooga River which acts as the border for South Carolina and Georgia.  The Chattooga is a popular rafting and kayaking river as it offers several series of rapids and some decently faster whitewater, but also isn't terribly deep or too dangerous.  This would be a great spot to camp, h...

Recently I was fortunate enough to win a work incentive that allowed me to attend the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville.  Being that Nashville is one of my favorite cities to visit, I was excited for the opportunity and wanted to see how my favorite football team, the "Redskins", drafted new talent in this important event. I was going to drive to Nashville which was about a 5 hour trip from my hometown of Greenville, SC.  I have been following several other local hikers and waterfall enthusiasts on social media and knew there was some great sites along the way to swing by.  I quickly entered the world of planning while looking for places close to the I-40 highway as not to detour me for too long, but also places worth the stop.  I ended up on 3 different quick waterfall hikes;  Ozone Falls, Cummins Falls & Burgess Falls.  These would add about 2 hours or so on top of my travel time, but it seemed worth the efforts. Ozone Falls My first stop along t...