NO POOR PEOPLE ALLOWED
Bob, Andy, and I were up
early the next morning, as we had a big day planned. We were meeting Jack at 9am at the Iron Bridge to do a couple of
short waterfall hikes. After that, we
planned drive up to the High Hampton Inn, near Cashiers, and hike the trails to
Rock Mountain and Chimneytops Mountain.
We ate breakfast, and I
broke camp. Bob rode with Saucony and
I, while Andy decided to stay back at camp.
He had enjoyed our hike the previous day, but he wasn’t ready for another
one.
We met Jack at the bridge,
and he followed us up Bullpen Road towards highway 107. We were following the directions to the
waterfall on Scottsman Creek, as described in Kevin Adams’ waterfall guide. We pulled off the road onto the shoulder a
short distance before we would’ve crossed over Scottsman Creek. There was a waterfall visible through the
trees below us, but that wasn’t the one we were looking for. Instead, we walked back down the road a
short distance, before finding an area where the terrain wasn’t quite as
steep. From here, we plunged towards
the creek, following our instincts and the path of least resistance. It was a steep descent, and tree branches
and Rhododendron made the bushwhacking hairy, but the going wasn’t too
bad. A few minutes later we emerged
right at the base of an impressive 50’ waterfall.
I’ve driven Bullpen Road a
number of times over the years, but I never realized how close I was to this
beautiful waterfall. It’s a hidden gem,
but it’s only a hundred yards or so from the road. It’s a lovely waterfall, and it’s one that very few people have
seen.
I’d read that there are
additional waterfalls both upstream and down.
However, getting to the lower falls requires wading in the creek. Since this was February, I decided to save
that adventure for warmer weather. The
falls upstream are the ones we parked next to.
Once we returned to the cars, we debated hiking down to them. The descent there is even steeper
though. Once we were back at the cars,
our enthusiasm for bushwhacking had waned.
Perhaps I’ll check that one out another time, too.
From there, we drove out to
highway 107 and headed towards Cashiers.
After a couple of miles, we stopped at the trailhead for Silver Run
Falls. Oddly, I’ve passed this trail many
times over the years, but I’d never hiked to it. It’s a short hike, so we decided to check it out before
continuing on to the High Hampton Inn.
I’d left Saucony in the car
at Scottsman Creek, but this hike is much more tame, so I leashed her for the walk
to the falls. After a couple of
minutes, we crossed a new bridge over the Whitewater River. A minute later, we reached the base of the
falls. Silver Run is another beauty,
featuring a deep swimming hole at its base.
We arrived just minutes before the sun climbed above the trees, allowing
for some good photographic opportunities.
From there, we decided to
scramble upstream. The new edition of
Kevin Adams’ book mentions another waterfall above the main one. Getting there requires a bit of scrambling,
so I unleashed Saucony. I needed my
hands free, so I left her leash on a tree stump, and scrambled up after Jack,
Bob, and the dog.
The climb wasn’t too bad,
and the short hike beyond was easy. A
couple of minutes later, we reached the base of the upper cascades. This is a pretty spot too, although it
doesn’t really compare with the main falls below. The sun was shining on part of the falls, which ruined any chance
of a decent photo. We couldn’t complain
though, as we’d had better luck at the main falls and at Scottsman Creek.
We lingered for a couple of
minutes, before heading back down. When
we reached the base of rock face, I discovered that Saucony’s leash had
disappeared. What the hell? We hadn’t seen anyone all morning, and there
was nobody nearby. All three of us
searched the entire area, but the leash didn’t materialize. Apparently somebody had hiked in to the
falls behind us, and had taken the leash while we were at the upper falls. Well, either that, or Saucony hid it when I
wasn’t looking. Saucony never liked
that leash.
From there, we drove up to
the High Hampton Inn. We entered the
property, and were heading towards the hotel lobby, where I planned to request
permission to hike there. We had done
this several years ago, prior to hiking Chimneytops Mountain, without any
problem. In fact, the Inn has always
allowed public access to their trails.
As we were driving in, we passed a small sign next to the road. It was blowing in the wind, but I
immediately noticed to words. One was
“hikers”, and the other was “closed”. I
got out of the car to get a better look.
The sign said something like this:
“Attention hikers, the trails on the property of the High Hampton Inn
are closed to the public. For a hike
nearby, we recommend Whitesides Mountain.”
I was disappointed, as I’d
been looking forward to hiking to Chimneytops Mountain again. Bob uttered a few discouraging words. Jack suggested inquiring in the lobby
anyway, but I thought the sign was pretty clear. No filthy hikers allowed.
That night, I emailed the
High Hampton Inn for more information.
Following is the response I received:
“That is correct the trails on the High Hampton Inn are no longer available to the public. I am sorry that our trails are not available. Currently the trails are not of safe standards due to weather condition and fallen trees & branches. We also will eventually be a private club. The grounds will only be available for our club members and guest.”
If you want to hike Rock
Mountain or Chimneytops, your options limited.
You can stay at the Inn, which would allow you access to the
property. However, I believe there is a
3-night minimum, and it ain’t cheap. No
poor people allowed! In the future,
this may not even be an option, if it does become a private club. If you’re inclined to do this, you might
want to do it soon.
Fortunately, I had a backup
plan in mind. After a brief discussion,
we drove to Highlands, and down highway 28 towards Georgia. Just before the state line, we turned onto
the road leading to the Blue Valley.
After a short distance, it becomes a dirt forest road. We passed through a quiet, secluded forest,
before reaching a fork, and a signboard.
Here there is a primitive campground, which was deserted, and quite
attractive. We stayed left at the fork,
and continued to the end of the road, where we found a small parking area and
two trailheads.
It was getting late, so we
had a quick lunch there in the sunny parking area near the rushing waters of
Overflow Creek. While we ate, we
planned out our hike. I suggested we
follow the West Fork Trail up to the Bartram Trail. From there, we would take the Bartram Trail to highway 106 at the
Osage Mountain overlook. We’d cross the
road, and follow the Bartram Trail up to the summit of Scaly Mountain. We’d return the same way, except we’d follow
the Bartram Trail farther, before descending to the parking area along Hurrah
Ridge.
We headed up the West Fork
Trail, which stays close to one of the branches of Overflow Creek. One large blowdown presented quite an
obstacle, but we found our way through.
Beyond, we climbed, sometimes steeply, to a marked junction with the
Bartram Trail. There we turned right,
and resumed the climb. A few minutes
later, we passed a spur trail to the right.
This trail provides an alternate route to the Osage Mountain
Overlook. We decided to hike it on the
return.
We found a decent view at
the Osage Mountain Overlook, but didn’t linger long. I borrowed a bungee cord from Jack, which I used as a makeshift
leash for the made dash across the busy road.
Once on the other side, we resumed climbing towards the open cliffs
above.
We worked our way up to a
high ridge, where we found a number of mansions and trophy homes. This was an immediate reminder of just how
close we were to Highlands. That entire
area is practically overrun with an infestation of second homes. It’s unfortunate that more of the natural
beauty surrounding Highlands wasn’t protected from development. Bob argues, and I agree, that this area
would’ve been an ideal candidate for a National Park, a hundred years ago. Imagine a park that would’ve included the
Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness areas, the Balsam Mountains, the
Davidson River area, Panthertown Valley, Bonas Defeat, Little Canada, the
Jocassee Gorges, Whitesides Mountain, the Cullasaja Gorge, and the Chattooga
River. Great Smoky Mountains National
Park is a fantastic place, but it would’ve been overshadowed by this one.
I put those fantasies out of
my mind as we continued climbing, now on an old road. A few limited views teased us, before we spotted a side
path. We explored it, and followed it
out to an open cliff. The cliff
provided us with a grand view to the south, over the Blue Valley to Rabun Bald,
Georgia’s second-highest peak.
From there, we resumed the
climb to a junction with the side trail to the summit of Scaly Mountain. There is a sign here, and it indicates that
the Bartram Trail continues ahead towards Hickory Knut Road. We had a chuckle over that, but I guess the
sign is rather appropriate. After all,
William Bartram was a world-renowned naturalist, but a lousy speller. Actually, this isn’t the worst trail sign
I’ve seen. In Tennessee, near Watauga
Dam, there is a sign near the AT for the Appalachain Trail.
One final, easy climb
brought us to the broad summit. The top
of the mountain features heath thickets and open rock faces. The cliffs provided us with more great views
to the south and west. Meanwhile, the
shrubs offered a little protection from the brutal winds sweeping across the
peak. During the heaviest gusts,
conversation was impossible. The winds
shortened our visit to the summit, as lounging up there in the sunshine was out
of the question. Later I found out that
those same winds were responsible for numerous wildfires and power outages
across the state.
The hike down went
quickly. From the Osage Mountain
overlook, we followed the alternate trail down through a minor cove. The alternate trail was actually nicer, as
it took us by some large trees, including an impressive White Pine. We also passed a small waterfall. The falls weren’t much really, as they are
on a tiny stream. Still, the splashing
water and mossy rocks in that dark cove added some enjoyment to the hike.
We rejoined the Bartram
Trail, and followed it beyond the West Fork Trail junction. We crossed several footbridges over the
Overflow Creek headwaters. This was a
particularly pretty area, and more fine scenery continued on our descent of
Hurrah Ridge. This trail passes through
a mature forest, which provided a pleasant ending to a nice hike.
We rock hopped Overflow
Creek and returned to the cars. Jack
headed out, as we were running late due to our last-minute change of
plans. Bob and I headed back to the
campground, so Bob could pick up Andy and the camper. Before we left, I took a look at the map, and noticed what looked
like a substantial shortcut. From
highway 28, we turned off onto Rich Gap Road.
Although part of this road is unpaved, it took us around Highlands and
directly to Horse Cove. We were only on
it for a few minutes, and before long, we were back at the campground. By taking it, we avoided having to go all
the way up the mountain to Highlands, and then back down. Is there anything better than a really great
shortcut?
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