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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rain Man's Avatar
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    Post Foothills Trail in SC/NC July 18-23, 2011

    Foothills Trail in SC/NC July 18-23, 2011

    Hike the Foothills Trail in South Carolina with us. We'll leave Nashville on Sunday afternoon and drive to SC. We will hike Monday-Friday (and part of Saturday, if/as needed). This will be a strenuous pace. Return to Nashville on Saturday night.

    The Foothills Trail is 77 miles, with lots of waterfalls, primitive camping, rivers, lakes, and (or course) mountains.

    http://www.foothillstrail.org/

    If you can not hike the entire week, but want to join us for a portion of the trail, there are road crossings where we could arrange that.

    If interested, post reply or contact me via email or PM.

    Also, if anyone has hints, suggestions, warnings, or helpful info, I'm all ears.

    Rain Man

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  2. #2
    Senior Member MedicineMan's Avatar
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    This time of year?
    Hint #1 hire a sherpa to carry an air conditioner.
    Hint #2 dont carry food the whole way, shuttlers can bring food in half-way via
    Lake Jocassee
    Hint #3 plan on using that extra time on Saturday-many places you will want to linger
    for a while

  3. #3
    swampfox's Avatar
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    Rain Man,

    Two places I recommend.
    Camp at the top of Laurel Fork Falls 8 miles west of the Laurel Valley Access.
    It's a short hike down to Lake Jocassee and you're going to love taking a dip in that cold, clear water. I was there 2 weeks ago and the lake is 3 feet below full pond and beautiful.

    Plan to spend a relaxing evening on the Chatooga River just north of Burrells Ford. It would be a shame to come all this way and not spend one night there. Since you're hiking mid-week, I'd expect you'll have your pick of the sites.

    Re-supply as MM suggested is a great idea. If you have a spare vehicle, you could park it at Bad Creek Access (A7a on the map) That's about as close as you'll get to mid-point.

    Which direction do you plan to hike?

    swampfox
    Last edited by swampfox; 07-09-2011 at 21:47.
    He is your friend, your companion, your defender... he is your dog. You are his life, his leader, and master. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of that devotion.

  4. #4
    BigRed77's Avatar
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    Foothills Trail

    Hey Rainman
    Did FT Oct last yr from Oconee to Table Rock. We did resupply at Bad Creek.
    We had alot of rain towards the end and Tornado warnings. We may do It again In Oct If we can't do AT In the Smokies. Since you are from around here you know about humidity and snake action. The week we did It It was the start of bear season. We had to walk right between a huge bear camp.
    Have fun and be safe.

    BigRed

  5. #5
    Senior Member ShellD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigRed77 View Post
    Hey Rainman
    Did FT Oct last yr from Oconee to Table Rock. We did resupply at Bad Creek.
    We had alot of rain towards the end and Tornado warnings. We may do It again In Oct If we can't do AT In the Smokies. Since you are from around here you know about humidity and snake action. The week we did It It was the start of bear season. We had to walk right between a huge bear camp.
    Have fun and be safe.

    BigRed
    Hey BigRed, I'm doing the Trail in Oct as well with my backpacking group. Perhaps we can meetup. At this time there is only two of us signed up for it.

  6. #6
    BigRed77's Avatar
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    FT

    Hey Sheldon
    I check In at meetup group from time to time. We have 4 of us that plan on doing a trip 3rd wk Oct.
    Ron

  7. #7
    Senior Member Rain Man's Avatar
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    Question

    Quote Originally Posted by swampfox View Post
    Camp at the top of Laurel Fork Falls 8 miles west of the Laurel Valley Access. It's a short hike down to Lake Jocassee and you're going to love taking a dip in that cold, clear water.
    Is it possible to camp along the Lake, then, being so close anyway? Or is that campsite at the Falls the place we'd prefer? Both sound good!

    Quote Originally Posted by swampfox View Post
    Plan to spend a relaxing evening on the Chatooga River just north of Burrells Ford. It would be a shame to come all this way and not spend one night there.
    Sounds good. I once tubed the Chatooga, while in college at Clemson. This was pre-"Deliverance" days, if I recall correctly. But didn't I read that the Chatooga is a "no camping" zone?

    Quote Originally Posted by swampfox View Post
    Which direction do you plan to hike?
    That's a question I've had, though I like the idea of getting that big climb over with the first day. What's your recommendation?

    Rain Man

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  8. #8
    BigRed77's Avatar
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    You can park at Bad Creek There Is a side trail above Lower Falls to parking
    lot. Should be plenty of water because we have been geting rain every week.
    Toxaway Is the only camping area by lake. Bearcamp Creek Is a nice camping area. My uncle and father owned alot of property In the Jocassee Valley before lake. Go Tigers.
    Ron

  9. #9
    Senior Member carolinasbackpacker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rain Man View Post
    Is it possible to camp along the Lake, then, being so close anyway? Or is that campsite at the Falls the place we'd prefer? Both sound good!
    I have never actually camped on the lake, nor do I know of anywhere to camp there (not saying there isn't). It's been years since I have been there, but there use to be a place to camp right at the top of the fall's. Beautiful views of the lake. There is a trail that leads down to the base of the falls too.

    Hope you have a great time and Stay hydrated.... It is absolutely blazing hot and humid down here right now!!

    Jeremy
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    The Carolinas Backpackpacker Chronicles

    I'm drawn to the open country. Its where the world makes the most sense. When I put myself out there I always return with something new.

  10. #10
    swampfox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rain Man View Post
    Is it possible to camp along the Lake, then, being so close anyway? Or is that campsite at the Falls the place we'd prefer? Both sound good!
    Here is a screenshot from my GPS. The pink line is the foothills Trail.
    The diagonal line going across is the SC/NC border. On the SC side, you can camp anywhere. NC is in designated sites only. All of those tents on the NC side are designated campsites. There is a very nice large site at the northern-most point of the lake near the Toxaway Bridge.


    I don't think the math will work for you to camp at the falls.
    It's 22 miles from Tablerock to the falls (A5 on the map). You could do that very difficult section in one day. Pinnacle Mountain, followed by Sassafras Mountain, followed by the Laurel Valley corridor with a lot of stairs.
    Or, you could do it in two days and that would leave 54 miles for the remaining 3 days. I believe I would try to make it to the falls by lunch on day2, enjoy a swim, and then continue 5.8 miles farther to Toxaway or Canebrake.

    As for camping on the Chatooga.
    The pink is the FHT and the black is the Chatooga River Trail.
    There are too many campsites on that trail to show them all.


    swampfox
    He is your friend, your companion, your defender... he is your dog. You are his life, his leader, and master. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of that devotion.

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