April 3, 2012
| Today’s hike was on the Chattooga River Trail in SC from the Highway 28 “Russell Bridge” to Lick Log Creek Falls and Pigpen Falls. Total hike – 8 miles – easy terrain mostly along the river.
HIKERS – John Bellamy, Karen Brown, Phil Brownrigg, Dan Euliss, Pam Euliss, Sami Fiore, Bill Hunt, Bob Magee, Dick Metzgar, Jeanne O’Connor, Donna Presley, Tony Presley, Vic Robson, Dan Ross, Lynne Saporito, Pom Sinnock, Summer Sinnock, and Carole Wintle. TRAIL INFO. – A beautiful hike along the Federally designated “Wild and Scenic Chattooga River”. Starting on the SC side of the Highway 28 bridge between Walhalla, SC and Highlands, NC. Directions: Take Warwoman Road out of Clayton, GA and continue until it dead ends into Highway 28. Turn right onto 28 and continue a couple of miles or so to the SC side of the 28 bridge and turn left into the parking lot. Another great day for a hike! Fair and mild with temperatures ranging from 62 to 78 degrees F. Distance hiked – 8 miles. Rated moderately easy mostly along the river. FLOWERS IN BLOOM: Purple Violets, Halberd-leaf Violet, Sweet White Violet, Lobed Violet, Dogwood, Silverbell, Foam Flower, Sweet Cicily, Hooked Buttercup, Cutleaf Toothwort, Toothwort, Yellowroot, Catesby’s Trillium, Wood Anemone, Rue Anemone, Robin’s Plantain, Spicebush, Phlox, Cinquefoil, Dwarf Iris Verna, Crested Dwarf Iris, Wild Ginger, Wild Geranium, Bluet and Trailing Arbutus. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: CROW, PILEATED WOODPECKER, RED BELLIED WOODPECKER, WHITE BRESTED NUT HATCH, CARDINAL, CHICKADEE,TUFTED TITMOUSE, BLUE JAY, PINE WARBLER, OVEN BIRD, JUNCO, EASTERN TOWHEE OTHER FAUNA: 2 Copperhead snakes and Trout |
 Start of our hike from the SC side of the Highway 28 bridge. |
 Beautiful views of the Chattooga River all along the trail. |
 Trees with lots of character. |
 Dog Hobble was in full bloom. |
 Another great day for a hike! |
 A great day for wildflowers. Here we have Iris Verna. |
 Snakes are out! Here we see two Copperheads possibly mating! Yikes! |
 We reach our lunchtime destination, Pigpen Falls . |
 Pigpen Falls |
 Lick Log Falls |
 Catesby’s Trillium were abundant today. |
 A special trout fishing regulated section of the river. |
 A nice patch of Bluets! |
 The OFHC gang for today’s hike! (l-r) Sami Fiore, Summer Sinnock, Vic Robson, Pom Sinnock, Bob Magee, Lynne Saporito and “Angus”, Jeanne O’Connor, Dan Ross, Bill Hunt, Karen Brown, Donna Presley, Dick Metzgar, Carole Wintle, John Bellamy, Pam Euliss, Dan Euliss, Phil Brownrigg and Tony Presley. |