B DOUBLE E
DOUBLE R U N
Last weekend, Christy and I returned to Panthertown Valley for our annual backpacking trip there. This year, we brought her sister, Megan, our nephew, Nathan, and Megan’s boyfriend, Forest. This was the first time they have ever been backpacking. Since our typical Panthertown backpack involves setting up a basecamp after a short hike, we thought it would be the ideal trip for them to start with. Plus, the forecast was for perfect weather, meaning that we probably wouldn’t have a repeat of last year’s flash flood fiasco.
Everyone
met at our house on Friday afternoon.
We managed to get everyone in Christy’s Xterra, after strapping two
packs to the roof rack. After a long,
tedious drive on highway 11, we passed Lake Jocassee and started up the
mountain. Dark clouds began to build,
and before long, rain was falling. I
wasn’t too concerned, as the storm looked isolated, until I remembered the
packs on the roof! There wasn’t
anywhere to put them inside. Luckily,
the storm passed quickly. Hopefully
they wouldn’t be soaked when we reached the trailhead.
We
drove up through Cashiers and on to the Salt Rock Gap trailhead on the valley’s
west side. The last ¼ mile of the road
is badly rutted since the fall hurricanes, and Forest developed a bad case of
car sickness. It took him some time to
recover before we got on the trail.
Despite
those setbacks, we were packed and ready to go by 6:45. We weren’t exactly traveling light, as our
load included beer, wine, charcoal, a grill, and an absurd amount of food. Fortunately, we weren’t going far. We hiked down the old road, passing a fine
overlook at Salt Rock. We passed
another group of backpackers, and turned onto a side trail towards our favorite
campsite. Soon we were hiking through a
dense forest of white pine. Forest had
gotten ahead of me, and at one point I lost sight of him in the woods. I guess you could say I couldn’t see Forest
for the trees. Sorry, but I couldn’t
resist getting that one in.
We
reached our campsite at 7:30, leaving us plenty of time to set up camp, gather
firewood, and stash the beer and wine in the creek. Christy and I enjoyed grilled steaks and potatoes that night, as
well as the previously mentioned beverages.
Dry wood was plentiful, and we enjoyed a campfire until after midnight.
I
rolled out of bed at 8:30 and beat everyone else. After a breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns and some lengthy
preparation, we were finally ready to hike at 11. I led everyone on a short hike to some of the highlights of the
valley. The walk started with an ascent
of a washed-out section of the Hogback Mountain Trail. From there, we climbed steeply to the open
granite summit of Little Green Mountain.
From the top, we enjoyed fine views west and north across the
valley. We also spotted dozens of Dwarf
Iris, as well as some unusual moss and lichen.
From
the top, we descended rapidly through rhododendron, finally arriving at the
base of Schoolhouse Falls. We hung out
on the beach for a while, and hiked behind the falls before heading back to
camp.
We
returned by a different route, following Greenland Creek downstream to its
confluence with Panthertown Creek. We
headed upstream on Panthertown Creek, past the Sandbar Pool, which we had all
to ourselves. In fact, we didn’t see
anyone at Schoolhouse Falls or Little Green Mountain either. This was surprising, considering that those
areas are some of the most popular in the area, and the weather was
perfect. Beyond Sandbar Pool, we continued
upstream to a ford. Forest managed a
tricky rock hop, while the rest of us waded the stream barefoot. From there, we enjoyed a pleasant walk
through a White Pine forest before returning to camp for a late lunch.
After
lunch, Forest, Megan, and Nathan joined me for a short walk to Granny Burrell
Falls. Christy is in Triathlon
training, and was doing a mountain biking and running workout on her own. We searched for wildflowers on the way. We found many Painted Trillium, but were
disappointed that the Ladyslippers weren’t blooming yet.
We
hiked back to Panthertown Creek, and went upstream to the falls. Granny Burrell is more of a long slide than
a waterfall, but it is a scenic area.
It features a pebbly beach, smooth rocks for lounging, and a pleasant
swimming hole. It was still too cold
for swimming, but I did wade over to the beach. We relaxed in the sun for a while, and everyone else decided to
return to camp. I still had some
energy, and decided to extend the hike.
I
continued upstream before entering a broad, flat valley. I passed a shelter, some campsites, and lots
of Painted Trillium. I also saw dozens
of ribbons and flagging from a group that is working on the trail. In fact, we saw signs of planned trail
maintenance throughout the valley.
I
crossed a small stream and began to climb along it towards a gap on Big Green
Mountain. I reached the ridge some time
later. Initially, I went east, and then
south, on a very faint path along a side ridge. I eventually reached the end of the ridge, but found no view for
my efforts. I returned, and headed west
out Big Green Mountain.
There
are several side trails leading from the summit to viewpoints. The first one leads to a cliff with a nice
view of the valley I had just hiked through.
The second offered a similar, though probably even better, vista. It was getting late, so I skipped the last
couple of side trails. Instead, I
headed directly down a steep, primitive path through dense rhododendron. Before long, I was on the main trail heading
back towards camp. All I could think of
was how nice it would be to relax in the hammock for a while.
I
returned to camp, only to find out that Christy had wrecked badly on her
mountain bike. She was ok, but she hadn’t
completed the third portion of her workout.
The plan had been for her to return to the car to get more beer, as well
as the chicken, cheese, and tortillas we’d need for dinner. I knew what this meant. I was the only other person who knew the way
back to the car. Sigh.
It
was already 7:15, so I decided to make it a quick beer run. I promised everyone I’d be back in an hour,
and hurried up the trail. I reached the
car after 29 minutes and loaded my pack.
I returned in exactly 60 minutes.
That night’s burritos and beer were all the better for the effort that
went into them. The most unusual aspect
of the meal was the Smores. Forest had
bought the groceries, and had misunderstood the significance of “chocolate
bars” on the grocery list. Marshmallows
and graham crackers were also on the list, but he didn’t put the three things
together. He bought Snickers. Surprisingly, Smores made with Snickers
turned out to be pretty good.
We
got up late again on Sunday. Making
pancakes was a lengthy process, and it was 11 before Christy and I were ready
to begin our hike. Megan, Nathan, and
Forest decided to return to Granny Burrell Falls.
Christy
and I hiked over to Greenland Creek. We
found a better crossing upstream from the ford, where we were able to rock hop
and keep our feet dry. On the far side,
we followed a faint path upstream to the base of Greeland Creek Falls. This is one of the taller waterfalls in the
valley, and is worth a visit if you’re in the area. We relaxed in the sun at the base of the falls for a while before
returning to camp.
On
the return, we passed two people on horseback, and a group of dayhikers near
our campsite. After lunch, I finally
got to relax in the hammock with the last beer. It was a highlight of the weekend, enjoying a light breeze and
the sunlight filtering through the dense canopy of pine trees. It wasn’t long though before Megan, Nathan,
and Forest returned. Then there was nothing
left to do but pack up and hike out.
The climb out of the valley was rough, as it was hot and sunny climbing
up past Salt Rock. Despite that final
mile, Megan, Forest, and Nathan seemed to enjoy their first backpack. Next time, we’ll cut back on the pack weight
a little and make them hike a little farther.
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