Like sands through the hourglass so are the days of our lives. More importantly, the airplane is running out of days until annual. I have flown more hours in October than any other month this year. With around 30 days left, it was time for one more trip.
CC and I liked the leaves in New Hampshire so we decided to check out their Carolina counterparts. The flight up was uneventful which is a word I like when describing my travels. We were cleared SAV direct GSP. Passing Brunswick, we got direct destination. We even had 3-6 knots tailwind..
The South East had an overcast at around 5000 and outbound we slid through the clouds which were just a few hundred feet thick. The clouds stayed with us most of the flight but we did have patches of clear. The arrival was easy with a visual approach to runway 22.
There is only one choice for FBOs at GSP and they charge a bit more than other like operations but they have great snacks. We bought 20 gallons of overpriced gas but scored some snacks, drinks and ice cream. I had a Drumstick, CC went for Haagen Dazs. The Marriot had our room ready early so we dumped our stuff and headed off to leaf peep.
I had planned a mix of old and new. Our first stop was Ashemore Heritage Preserve, which was new to us. We took a 1.5 mile hike around Lake Watacoo. I wrote Lake with a capital “L” but it is really more like lake with a small “l”. I looked to see what the difference is between a lake and a pond and there is no internationally recognized standard. So I guess they can call it a Lake.
The trail was advertised as gravel but it started as rocky and then became dirt. The dirt was easier on the feet. Overall the hike was easy. It was near 80 so a bit hot but generally nice. The colors on the trail and around the lake were quite nice.
Our next stop was just down the road, Wildcat Wayside. We had been before, it’s a 3 in one stop with three waterfalls and only 1.1 miles of hiking. There are 2 trails to the falls and we went out the hard one and in on the easy. The first two falls are just a short distance from the road. The last fall is the long walk.
After powering our way to the main falls we found out they were turned off for maintenance. Ok, maybe it’s just the end of the season and the water has run out. No water was a bummer but it was still a pretty walk with lots of color.
Our final stop was Bald Rock which was also a repeat and just a few miles up the road. As we ascended the mountains, the colors were getting better and Bald Rock did not disappoint. We sat out on the rock looking down to the valley. Colors looked near peak.
It was time to eat and I had read about a place along the way. We stopped at Burly Bills BBQ. The place is only open 3 days a week and Friday is one of them. It is basically a food truck but they have a luxury seating area, benches and a tent.
There is also a junk store adjacent. After ordering we wandered by the store and it was junkier in person than from a distance. Our food was soon ready which was good as I saw nothing that I wanted. CC had the pulled pork Sandwich. I had the brisket and rib platter. I was going to give the place an 8 but they apply the sauce and they were a bit skimpy so they get a 7.5.
It was a great day to sit outside and have BBQ, the breeze made it quite comfortable and kept away any flies. CC also had the sweet tea and that gets a 10, sweet but no overly so. After filling up on BBQ we drove back to take a rest.
We slept in on Saturday before heading off to peep more leaves. Lots of good foliage to see but very inconsistent. Greenville is still early in most places and higher elevations appeared past peak so we decided to head up North of Rutherfordton. It’s an area we have visited before but we went to some new stops.
The color was great but came and went seemingly randomly. You look one direction and it’s brilliant and the other brown. Our first stop was Tom’s Creek falls. When we showed up parking was at a premium, in addition to hikers the hunters were out with their dogs. We were a bit confused as to what they were hunting but didn’t give it much thought. The hike is pretty easy, about a half mile and the falls were quite nice. Again the lack of rain made it a low flow event but there was enough.
Our next stop was West towards Asheville. The kitsuma peak trail was billed as an easy 2 mile hike to a nice overlook. The trail started as a gentle rise along I-40 and then had a series of switchbacks to ascend the peak. The slope became much steeper yet we persevered and reached the peak. The view from the summit was marginal due to the many trees. Overall great exercise, some good color on the trail but a lot of effort for marginal views. There was an additional overlook just down from the summit which was nice but unless you want the workout, don’t bother.
Walking down, I encountered a lone hunter. They are very high tech with the dogs wearing GPS collars and an iPhone App to track the hunt. I asked what they were hunting, it was Black Bear. I am not sure what worried me more, a bunch of guys with guns trying to kill something on the hunting trail or the fact that there was a bear ion the adjacent property. I had read that bears were roaming the Ashville streets not long ago. Our next stop had less hunters but the smell was sure to attract bears...
We headed off for our next repeat visit. Keeping with the BBQ theme, we went back to Smokey and The Pig. It’s always a danger going back because the food might not be as good as you remembered. I can say, the brisket sandwich was still excellent. Not a fancy place and we sat watching the highway while eating.
Our last stop was Furman University. We used to rollerblade out there in the day and it’s a really pretty campus. We arrived and drove to Swan Lake which had no swans but did have geese. Some of the geese were fighting but overall it was peaceful with some nice colors. In the South you really have to plan around football. As we looked at the lake I checked the schedule and it was Furman’s Homecoming. At most universities this would have made the campus a madhouse.
Furman has only 2970 students so it is much lower key. We drove down the center of campus and right by the stadium. The game was in full swing yet we had no issue driving around. We were ready for a break so we headed back to the hotel to chill.
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