Sunday, January 12, 2014 Table Rock State Park, Carrick Creek

Today there is sunshine so I pack up Boofa, water, Nekot cookies and an extra pair of shoes and socks and head for the mountains.

To get to Table Rock, go West towards Asheville on I-26 and turn towards Campobello on Hwy 11 at exit 5. I go past Skunk Hollow on the right and then past "The Junction", a local much frequented "all you can eat" restaurant on the left.   Between Campobello and Gowansville, there are peach orchards with their deep red bare branches reaching heavenward.

The shining rock face of Glassy Mountain fronts the escarpment next.  There is an elite neighborhood on the top with a golf course. Legend tells it that two generations ago, teenagers drove up Glassy Mountain to park
close up under the moon.

There is a Gary Player golf course at the base of the mountains after a few miles.
From I-26 you are driving on Hwy 11, the Cherokee Foothills Trail.  From this highway you travel the land at the base of the mountains so beautiful in its natural bounty without all of the junk of civilization.
There is now and then a tourist attraction such as the pumpkin colored "Pumpkintown Mtn Cafe" open today with pumpkin spiced lattes, sandwiches and salads.

On the right is a pulloff and sign for Wildcat Wilderness Area and a cascading waterfall.  Apple cheeked bearded men are setting up a tent stand for "Boiled P-nuts" in the pulloff.

Now passing the side roads of Heaven Hill, Back Pack, Hiawatha, and Red Bird Hill, leaving Spartanburg County, then Greenville County and finally Pickens county with Aunt Sue's Ice Cream and Cafe on the right.

Directions from the SC Parks and Recreation will tell you that Table Rock is a 45 minute drive from I-26 and will be on your left at Ellison Rd.  I realize that the mountain is on the right, but it turns out that the Headquarters Building is on the left beside a mountain lake. They are closed on Sunday. The park is up a very snaking winding road to the right.

The Lodge built in 1938 is on the left.  There is a Mountain Bluegrass Jam monthly on the 2nd Saturday there from 2 to 6.

Now there is parking above a lake for swimming (it has a diving platform) and boating. There is another fishing lake.  To hike on one of the trails, go to the Nature Center and Restrooms.  There are the following trails:
Carrick Creek, 1.9 miles, Mill Creek Pass .7 miles, Pinnacle Mtn 4.1 miles and Table Rock NRT 3.6 miles.
The Foothills Trail goes 76 miles to Oconee State Park and 96 miles to Sassafras Mountain.

I decide, it turns out unwisely, to take the Carrick Creek trail as the booming, crashing creek passes there in all it's glory  over great gray boulders at the Nature Center.  This deep, powerful rushing water is coming from the heavy rains and snow during the last weeks higher up in the mountains.

Soon I meet people returning from that direction who tell me that the trail is almost impassible, but I go on to see what they are talking about and find that the creek is splashing deeply over its rocks which must usually be a dry crossing. Nearby, a father is patiently waiting for his 8 year old son to walk back over a fallen log from the other side.  "We are going back", he says.

 I decide to cross the creek.  Boofa does not think it is a good idea, but comes along and we get wet.  The trail continues down the far side of the creek until I come to another place where it again crosses the water to continue the Foothills Trail and here it is very deep. I think my trail may come up again on this side  so I  go off trail up the side of the mountain to see if I can regain the trail from up there.   This is not a good idea.  We are slipping and sliding on the wet leaves, tangling in the twisting arms of the rhododendron and mountain laurel until I fall and Boofa gets tangled in the branches and we descend the slippery mountain back to the stream.  This crossing, we get even wetter.  It actually feels pretty good to cool the feet, but only momentarily.  Soon we are sloshing back to the parking lot.

Fortunately I brought the socks and shoes and put them on for the drive home.

I should have taken the Table Rock Trail and I will do that next time.  Still it was a beautiful day.

On the way out, I check out cabins 15 and 16 just below the rock face of the mountain.  They have adirondack chairs around fire pits on patios.  A lovely place to sit out on a chilly night and watch the stars over the mountains.