FURTHER JOCASSEE ADVENTURES
Christy and I had our usual difficulty deciding where to go last weekend. For the third time in the past year, we had permits for Linville Gorge. And for the third time, the forecast was for rain. I'm thinking about quitting my job and going to work for the state. For reasonable compensation, I'd be willing to backpack at Linville Gorge once a week or so. The resulting rain should be enough to end the current drought after only a few months. Now if I can just get the Guv'na to put the lottery aside for a minute and give it some thought, we might get somewhere.
So anyway, the idea of crawling through mud and over wet rocks for 3 days was loosing its appeal by Friday. So, I scrambled for a backup plan. My first move was to skip Saturday. Saturday looked especially wet, so we stayed home and watched the rain fall. That afternoon I realized that it had been a full year since we'd been to Jocassee. We got our packs together, and planned for an early departure.
We got out of Charlotte by 7, and made record time through Shelby, Hendersonville, and Brevard. We reached the Frozen Creek Trailhead well before 10, and found only 2 other cars there. It was a cloudy morning, but the skies didn't look too threatening.
We had barely left the parking lot when we had our first wildlife encounter. There was a fair sized black snake wrapped around a tree limb. This got things off to an exciting start, and later we passed a dead snake in the trail. In keeping with this theme, we came across numerous millipedes, spiders, and snails. We saw lots of frogs, including several huge ones along the creek. The highlight though was two turtles. Both were bigger than my hand, and neither were shy. Both kept their heads out despite our presence, even when Saucony barked at them.
The hike down to the lake was otherwise quiet and uneventful. I would never describe the Canebrake Trail as beautiful, but it certainly leads to a nice place. We reached the Foothills Trail where the Toxaway River and Toxaway Creek enter Lake Jocassee. Except that this year, the lake seemed to have disappeared. With the ongoing drought, the water was so low that the river extended far beyond the normal lake boundary. We hiked over to our favorite campsite on Toxaway Creek. We were pleased to find it unoccupied, and surprised to find that the state park had put in picnic tables and a fire ring. We settled in, and had a relaxed lunch.
We had seen two dayhikers on the way down, and found another group camped over the hill closer to the "lake". Two more backpackers passed through while we were eating lunch. This was by far the most people I've ever seen in the area, but still hardly a crowd by Labor Day weekend standards. Our neighbors had canoed all the way across from Devil's Fork State Park, SC. I was impressed. They said the paddle only took 4 hours. It's a trip we'll have to try sometime.
After lunch it was time for the afternoon adventure. I had been wanting to explore up the Toxaway River Gorge for years, and I figured this was my chance. The water was very low from the drought, and not too cold. We hiked under the Foothills Trail bridge and continued up the bank. We were still in sight of the bridge when we were forced to cross. Even at low water this was interesting. The water was still mid-thigh deep, but the current wasn't too bad. We made it across and found a decent fisherman's trail on the far side. It continued for a ways before disappearing. After that, it was a matter of bushwhacking through the thick undergrowth or rock hopping and wading upstream. For the most part we stayed in the river, which was kind of fun, but hard work. After an hour, we stopped at a large flat rock for a well-deserved break.
I was taking my pack off when, somehow, my camera fell in the river. I'm not sure how it happened. All I know is that at one moment there was a splash, followed by a much larger splash as I jumped in after it. This was sort of rash, but I didn't really stop to think about it. Besides, I'd been wading in the river all afternoon. Luckily I landed well, and chased it downstream. It was still in its case, so it was floating. I caught it after only a few seconds, but the damage was done. The film had rewound, but otherwise, it wasn't doing a thing. I opened it up to let it drain and hoped for the best.
Christy had seen enough of the Toxaway River Gorge, but I wanted to explore a little farther. Allegedly there are waterfalls between the lake and the Auger Hole Road crossing, and I was hoping to find one. I continued upstream, and passed an island with numerous Cardinal Flowers in bloom. The terrain was starting to get interesting, with more ledges and rapids, when I reached my turnaround time. Reluctantly I headed back. I was just beginning my return when I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. Yellowjackets! The normal course of action when being attacked by yellowjackets is to swat like a fool and run like crazy. Well, running along an overgrown riverbank at the bottom of a remote gorge isn't going to happen, and swatting wasn't very effective. So I jumped in the river again. This was beginning to become a habit. Once again though, it worked quite well. The yellowjackets didn't follow, and the cool water numbed the pain, a little. I guess if there's a lesson to be learned in this whole adventure, it's this: when things aren't going well, and life's got you down, jump in the river. At the very least it'll change your perspective.
We headed back, which would have been tricky without the dog. I couldn't have begun to tell you where we crossed, where we followed the bank, or where we waded. However, she followed the exact route without missing a beat. We got back to the bridge, and stopped for an illegal swim (no swimming allowed in park waters). Well, Christy had a swim. I didn't feel like jumping in the river. Afterwards, we returned to camp and enjoyed an illegal beer. Oh yeah, and the dog wasn't on a leash, either.
Later that afternoon I went for a short walk in search of the lake. I reached the final campsite before the big climb over the ridge leading to Rock Creek. From the camp I could finally look out over the lake. I was just starting back, when two dayhikers startled me. As it turned out, it was a former neighbor of mine and her husband. It was an amazing coincidence running into them. They had hiked in from "The Wilds" off Frozen Creek Road. "The Wilds" is a Christian conference center that owns a large piece of property along Toxaway Creek adjacent to the park. Their property includes the Great Falls of Toxaway Creek, which I estimate at 500' high. It could well be the highest waterfall in the eastern U.S. I had called "The Wilds" and requested permission to hike their property a couple of years ago. Request denied. So I was very interested in how they got access. It turns out they asked in the lobby and were given a pass. Either there's been a change in policy, or it's just a matter of asking the right person. So we'll have to try the direct approach next time.
I returned to camp, and we had a nice dinner of crab cakes and pasta. Afterwards, we enjoyed a pleasant fire and another beer or two before retiring for the evening.
Monday morning's adventure was similar to Sunday's, except I didn't jump into the river or drop the camera in anything (it stayed in the tent). For an encore, we decided to try hiking upstream on Toxaway Creek. I had tried this previously, and had gotten a distant glimpse of Great Falls for my efforts. Each time though, further progress had required crossing the creek, and deep water had discouraged this. This year though, I was determined.
We hiked upstream along an old roadbed, which ended rather quickly in a mess of rhododendron. We descended to the creek and waded across. Once on the far side we were able to make some progress. Once again we passed lots of Cardinal flowers in bloom. Soon though the walls of the gorge closed in and we were wading upstream. At one point we hiked on the bank, but Christy was pricked by some sort of plant, and her leg swelled up instantly. Eventually she was able to continue, and we hiked on.
This gorge was similar to the river, but different. The river had been open and sunny and pleasant. This one was dark, wet, and spooky. The rocks towered around us, and every surface was treacherous. Finally we reached a small waterfall (possibly High Falls of Toxaway Creek?) and our path was blocked. The walls of the gorge were very steep, and composed of slick rocks and guarded by thick rhododendron. Below the falls was a deep, dark pool. I tried to wade into it, and nearly lost my tevas in the thick silt. It was hard to turn back, but we had lost the will to continue. The foreboding nature of the gorge, combined with the presence of giant mutant frogs, was enough to keep us from swimming that dank pool. Beyond the top of the falls, the base of Great Falls was barely visible. This was tantalizing, but it will have to wait for another day.
We returned to camp and had lunch. Afterwards, it was time to pack up and head home. I found this even more depressing than usual, but there was still dinner to look forward to. The hike out was hot, muggy, and rather unpleasant. We walked through a spider web approximately every 10 seconds. We were still within earshot of the creek and I felt like I needed a bath. Still, we were back to the car in 2 1/2 hours, and on our way to dinner in Hendersonville. We hadn't seen anybody all day Sunday, and we had had quite an adventure. Plus, the story ends well. After three days of drying, I finally dared to try my camera this evening. I loaded the battery, and it did nothing. I reloaded it, I opened and closed the door, and still nothing. Finally, after I had finally given up hope, it made a faint whine. Then, like a miracle, it came on like it normally would. I loaded film, and went and took a picture of Christy. Remember, when in doubt, jump in the river - but don't take your camera with you.
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