8/17/2010 Silver Run Falls – Lower Whitewater Falls – NC/SC

HIKERS – Phil Brownrigg, Dave Hinson, Bill Hunt, Jack Jacobi, Dick Metzgar, Bruce O’Connor, Jeanne O’Connor, Don Preece, Donna Presley, Tony Presley, Vic Robson, Dan Ross, Lynne Saporito and Carole Wintle.

TRAIL INFO. – The Silver Run Trail is south of Cashiers, NC off of Hwy. 107. It is a short trail that leads to beautiful Silver Run Falls. Our second trail is an old favorite from the Bad Creek Project trail access over to the Foothills Trail and on to magnificent 400+ ft. Lower Whitewater Falls. The trails were in excellent shape and considered moderate difficulty due to lots of elevation change on the Lower Whitewater Falls portion.

Total hiking distance today – 4.6 mi. with lots of elevation change on the Lower Whitewater Falls portion.

Directions: From Walhalla, SC, drive SC 11 east past Tamassee, SC to Salem, SC at the intersection of SC 11 and SC 130. Look for signs directing you to Whitewater Falls. From that intersection, turn left and drive 10 miles up SC 130 to the Duke Power Bad Creek Project. Turn right, drive up to the gate and wait for it to open. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the gate should open automatically to let folks in. (Hikers can get out at anytime, but folks can only get in during daylight hours.) Drive another two miles down to the Foothills Trail trailhead parking lot. Silver Run Falls is on Hwy 107 about 4 miles south of Cashiers, NC. Parking is on the side of the highway.

Another great day for a hike! Partly Cloudy to cloudy with a brief shower. temperatures ranging from 69 to 81 degrees F.

FLOWERS IN BLOOM: Lobelia, Heal All, Yellow Wood Sorrell, Giant Sunflower, Joe Pye Weed, Spotted Jewelweed, St. Andrew’s Cross, Tall Goldenrod, Partridge Pea, Begger’s Lice, Potato Vine, Elephant’s foot, Northern Agrimony, Yellow Star Grass, False Foxglove, Flowering Spurge, Whorled Coreopsis, Southern Harebells, Woodland Sunflower, Rosinweed, Daisy Fleabane, Philadepphia Fleabane, Cat Briars, Evening Primrose and Mountain Mint.

BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Crow, Junco, Carolina Wren, Chipping Sparow, Raven, Pileated Woodpecker, Hummingbird.