Summer Hike: Explore the nearby Foothills Trail
Carrie Henderson, Staff Writer
Who-cooks-for-you. Who-cooks-for-you.
The cry of two barred owls breaks through the other noises of the South Carolina night. Their call wakes the exhausted hikers huddled together in a tent trying to sleep despite all the sounds of a spring night on the Foothills Trail.
The next morning, the hikers face perhaps the hardest part of the hike: the infamous “Heartbreak Ridge,” a climb consisting of hundreds of wooden stairs up the trail.
This hike isn’t for those looking for an easy adventure in the woods. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable.
According to fitpacking.com, “[t]he wild and beautiful Foothills Trail is a little known gem of a trail tucked up in the northwest corner of South Carolina.”
Scoutmaster Bruce Cannon, who has led several hikes in various states and helps maintain a section of the Foothills Trail, according to fitpacking.com, says the trail was voted by readers of the Backpacker magazine as one of the top 10 long-distance trails in the country.
The 77-mile Foothills Trail connects Table Rock State Park to Oconee State park, according to the Foothills Trail Conference About page. The trail was completed in 1981.
On the trail, hikers can enjoy such views as an outlook from Sassafras, the highest mountain in South Carolina, several waterfalls, and many places where hikers can just pause and look at the mountains surrounding them, especially in the winter with no leaves on the trees.
On May 23, 1974, the Foothills Trail Conference was founded. According to their About page, “The Foothills Trail Conference was established . . . as a non-profit organization to promote and support the development of the Foothills Trail.”
If you hike the entire 77 miles and join the Foothills Trail Conference, they will award you with the Peregrine Award, started by Howard Douglas.
For someone wishing to hike the trail, whether with a through-hike or section hike, Cannon offers some advice.
He strongly recommends getting the guidebook and map offered by the Foothills Trail Conference.
Cannon said it is important to know the capabilities of the people in the group. For example, how long can each member hike before needing to rest? What is a comfortable pace every individual in the group?
Also, potential hikers should make a list of all of the gear they will need, considering what time of year they will be hiking. “The gear you may need for a winter hike is going to be at least somewhat different from the gear you might need for a spring or autumn hike and very different still from the gear you might need to hike it in the summer,” he said.
It is helpful to talk to people who have recently hiked the section of the trail you are planning on hiking for information such as water supply.
Cannon said, for example, he went on one hike on the trail during a drought, and said that he and his hiking partner could walk across the northern end of Lake Jocassee.
Knowing the location of the campsites is also crucial, he said.
“Depending on the size of the group, you may not be able to use one of the smaller campsites,” Cannon said.
Check your first-aid kit to make sure you have the supplies you will need, he said. Also, if you bring a stove make sure it is working properly and also try out your water filter to make sure it is functioning correctly.
During the hike, maintain a comfortable pace. He said he gages his pace based on if he can talk to his hiking partners while hiking.
If you will be cooking your own food, he said to try out at home what you are going to eat on the trail. While your friend may enjoy a certain recipe, you may find that you would much rather eat something else.
Something else that is important to check before hitting the trail is the weather forecast. You should prepare for the worst possible weather, Cannon said.
Joey Henderson, a Foothills Trail hiker, tells his own weather story.
After a three-day hike from Rocky Bottom to Bad Creek, Henderson and his two daughters who were hiking with him huddled under an information booth to wait for pick up. It was maybe 25 seconds before hard rain pummeled the earth.
While he had checked the weather beforehand and knew about the rain and had prepared accordingly, he said he was grateful God held the rain back until they reached the end of the trail and were safely under the information booth.
Cannon said it is also helpful to bring a tarp. Not only will it help keep you dry while sleeping, it can also provide a dry place when you stop and eat lunch.
With these tips, you can better enjoy a hike on the Foothills Trail, even with the barred owls.
