August 19, 2014
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This week’s hike was on the Yellow Branch Falls Trail followed by the Stumphouse Tunnel hike. The trails are near Walhalla, SC. Total hike today around 4 miles. HIKERS – Bill Hunt, Martha Hunt, Cup Gales, Stephen Gales and Joe Raguckas. TRAIL INFO. – Our first tail today was the Yellow Branch Falls Trail. This is a 3+ mile hike through a beautiful hardwood forest with a beautiful waterfall. There is lots of water on this trail with several creek crossings. The trail is very well-maintained. Next, we visited nearby Stumphouse Tunnel and hiked into the tunnel up to the locked gate at the old Clemson University cheese aging area. This railroad tunnel is the result of an abandoned plan to build a railroad from Charleston, SC to the midwestern U.S. back in the mid 1800’s. This Tunnel was planned to cut through Stumphouse Mountain (one mile) but the project was abandoned after 1600 feet were completed. Total hiking distance today – 4 miles with some hills. We rate it moderately easy. Directions: Take Highway 28 northward from Walhalla, SC for almost 6 miles and look for the Yellow Branch Falls sign. Turn left into the park. The Stumphouse Tunnel Park is just beyond the turn-off to Yellow Branch and you turn right onto the Stumphouse Park Rd. Another great day for a hike! Partly cloudy and very warm with temperatures ranging from 71 to 83 degress F. FLOWERS IN BLOOM: Woodland Sunflower, Beggar Lice, Coreopsis, Fly Poison, Joe Pye Weed, Snakeroot, Wood Aster. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: MOURNING DOVE, PILEATED WOODPECKER, CAROLINA WREN, CHIPPING SPARROW, DARK EYED JUNCO, WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLER.
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