SWEETEST THING
“The Sweetest Thing”, by J.J. Grey & Mofro, featuring Toots Hibbert
I
joined another Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) hike last
weekend. I was pretty excited about this
one, as it offered the opportunity to view four waterfalls that are generally
off-limits to the public. The waterfalls
are on Carson Creek and Batson Creek near Brevard. The main waterfall, Connestee
Falls, is one of the most well-known waterfalls in the region. A small public park provides a view from the
top of the falls, but most of the waterfall itself is out of sight. Access to the base of the falls from that
point is strictly prohibited.
Fortunately the CMLC hike promised to provide a better view from the
opposite side of the gorge. The hike
would also pass three waterfalls on Batson Creek. The lower falls is partially visible from the
previously mentioned public overlook, but I was looking forward to seeing more
of it along with additional waterfalls upstream.
I
rode with Jack from Spartanburg to the Connestee
Falls Park south of Brevard. We met
Darrin there, along with our hike leader, Penny, and several other hikers. The group was surprisingly small, as the CMLC
had decided to separate the hikers into three smaller groups starting at
different times. This was a great idea,
as some past hikes with the CMLC had been a bit crowded.
We
actually started our hike inside the Connestee Falls
Resort Development. We started at a
lovely lake where Batson Creek begins.
The first part of the hike followed several of the trails in the
development. The development has about
12 miles of trail in total, but we only hiked a few of those miles. Initially we hiked through ferny forest,
crossing several small streams. We found
both Rosebay and Carolina Rhododendron blooming, along with a few other
wildflowers.
Eventually
we worked our way down the Cave Trail (named for an impressive overhanging
boulder) and stopped a bit above Carson Creek.
The trail currently ends here.
The development’s trail association is working on extending the trail
upstream towards Connestee Falls, where it will
connect with another trail to form a loop.
However, they’ve got their work cut out for them thanks to the rugged
terrain.
We
backtracked to another trail, which follows the old grade of the Blue Ridge
Railway. The Blue Ridge Railway is best
known for passing through the Stumphouse Tunnel near
Walhalla, SC. The Blue Ridge Railway was
originally designed to connect Anderson, SC with Knoxville, TN. It never made it that far though. Construction was interrupted by the civil
war, and the line was never completed, though the grading (which must’ve
included blasting) did reach at least as far as Carson Creek.
We
followed the railroad grade to a side trail.
We descended about a 100 steps along Batson Creek to an overlook of Connestee Falls.
This is what I’d come for, and I wasn’t disappointed. Connestee Falls is
a beauty, and you couldn’t ask for a better view of it. The viewpoint is actually right at the brink
of Lower Batson Falls, but the view of that particular cascade isn’t very
good. Connestee
Falls and Lower Batson Creek Falls actually merge near the bottom, at a feature
called the Silver Slip. You can’t see
much of the Silver Slip from above, and getting down from the overlook would’ve
been a major undertaking.
From
there we hiked upstream along Batson Creek.
Batson Creek is smaller than Carson Creek, but it is still a lovely
stream, particularly when the rhododendron are in
bloom. A short distance upstream we
arrived at the Middle Falls on Batson Creek.
The Middle Falls are small but pretty.
When we arrived the light was terrible, but a passing cloud did give us
the opportunity to take photos. From
there we continued to the upper falls, which is also a pleasant cascade. We had lunch there, and our patience was
rewarded when another passing cloud gave us another photo op.
From
there it was just a short hike back out to the cars. Jack, Darrin, and I parted ways with our
fellow hikers, but not before having a chat with Penny. In passing, she mentioned a route that we
could follow that would get us a better look at the Silver Slip. The route crosses private property, so I won’t
post details, but it doesn’t pass any “no trespassing” signs or homes. I will say that we returned to the public
park where we’d met that morning to start our afternoon adventure.
We
eventually found our way down to Carson Creek, downstream from Connestee Falls. We
followed the creek upstream, frequently climbing horizontal rock ledges
bordering the creek. Before long we
reached a deep pool just downstream from the Silver Slip. It turns out that the Silver Slip is a narrow
chasm where Lower Batson Creek Falls and Connestee
Falls come together. We spent the next
hour exploring it, and Darrin took things a step further by swimming in the
turbulent pool deep in its crevice. Of
course we all attempted photos. Marginal
light thwarted most of our attempts, but some passing clouds provided
conditions that made for decent pictures.
We
also explored a path that leads up from the Silver Slip along Connestee Falls.
This path continues all the way to the public overlook, but hiking the
full length of it is off-limits.
Instead, we hiked part of the way up, where we were treated with an
ideal view of the Lower Falls on Batson Creek, as well as a side view of Connestee Falls and a bird’s eye view of the Silver Slip.
Afterwards
we decided to explore downstream. Beyond
the point where we’d first descended to the creek we were mostly wading in the
stream. We passed a number of lovely
cascades along the way. The cascades
weren’t as dramatic as the Silver Slip, but in many ways they were just as
pretty (and probably more photogenic).
Along the way we did pass a large group of young girls heading upstream
to the falls from a summer camp. Several
of them were completely covered in mud, but they didn’t seem to be the least
bit fazed by it.
Shortly
after passing them we reached a large cascade that is directly below where we’d
been earlier that morning. We knew that
continuing much farther would mean trespassing on camp property, so we decided
to turn back.
We
returned by the same route and found ourselves back at the cars around
4:30. When we returned we discovered
that Jack’s truck had a flat tire.
Actually it wasn’t really a discovery – we’d kind of noticed it earlier,
but decided to deal with it after we were finished playing in the creek. Jack and Darrin did a good job changing the
tire, while I did a marginal job of documenting the event and / or staying out
of the way.
It
was getting late, but we decided to make one final stop on the way. Earlier Darrin had mentioned a waterfall on Slickum Creek, near Cleveland, SC, named Sweet Thing. The waterfall is near Wildcat Falls off
highway 11, but neither Jack nor I had ever heard of it. It’s a very short hike, so we decided to
check it out on our way home.
We
followed Darrin, and pulled off the highway a couple hundred yards west of
Wildcat Falls. The pulloff
isn’t marked, and isn’t really a pulloff. In fact, we parked in the weeds adjacent to
some blackberry bushes that were just getting ripe. The trail starts on the north side of the
highway. It isn’t marked either, but the
path is obvious all the way to the falls.
We
followed it for a few minutes to a nice cascade on Slickum
Creek. After a few photos we headed
upstream for the main event. The hike
was easy, with the only obstacles being a few fallen trees. We arrived at Sweet Thing a few minutes
later.
To
say that Sweet Thing exceeded my expectations would be a considerable understatement. Sweet Thing is about a 20’ free fall into a
punchbowl shaped grotto. The stream is
small, but due to the shape of the falls, the lack of volume isn’t a bad
thing. In fact, according to Darrin, the
waterfall is even more beautiful when water levels are low. That’s actually a little hard to believe,
because it was lovely when we were there.
The pool was surrounded by blooming rhododendron, which added to the
beauty.
We
spent quite a bit of time taking photos before heading out. A few minutes later we stopped at the Corn
Hole for cheeseburgers and fries, and I even picked up a 6-pack of Sweetwater
420 to enjoy that evening (no, I didn’t open it in Jack’s truck – I’d never do
that on a paved road).
Darrin
deserves a big thanks for showing us a waterfall that
we’ve driven past hundreds of times, completely unaware. It’s enough to make you wonder what else
might be right under our noses…
Later
we found out that Sweet Thing was named by Bernie, the esteemed waterfall
guru. There are several other waterfalls
upstream, too, so we’ll have to check them out sometime.
It
was great hiking with the CMLC again. I’m
looking forward to their next hike – a visit to Tumbling Fun Falls on Mill
Creek, which is a tributary of the Thompson River. That one has been on my to-do list for many
years. The only easy access to the falls
crosses private property. The CMLC has
permission to take that route for this hike.
For more information on the CMLC, go to:
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