Well! Lookie Here!!!

Like this sign located at roadside trail head!

          What have we found? The question I asked Gracie on two different occasions as we aimlessly drove through the mountains this week. Traveling up Hwy. 276 towards Caesar's Head a road drops off to the right and heads back down the mountain. It is a twisty turnie gravel road with no purpose in life other than to be driven on. [  turnie   is now an official word ] We travel along and a big green sign appears out of nowhere stating - Eva Russell Chandler Heritage Preserve - never heard of the place, but it sounds like someplace I would like to know more about. We stop and meander along a forest road heading into the woods, there are some steps on the left and Gracie starts to go that way, I see a trail so I follow along.

Trail head

Chimney in the woods!

          First thing we come to is an old chimney. This one can't be too old because of the cement blocks and bricks, but it is old enough for the house  to no longer be here! Always do I wonder about the history of these chimneys I find in  the middle of the woods. We go just a little further and I exclaim " Well lookie here!" A creek is flowing over a rock! Wondrous, is how I explain this sight. You want to see a picture? Ha Ha! I don't have my camera!!!  Really no camera with me, not true I have it but the battery is dead. I stand and look at this sight, knowing I will be back with a ready to go camera. 

          Next day right after work, without Gracie, I return to this wondrous place to get good pictures of the creek. A small car is in the parking area, first thought- what is he doing here on a Monday afternoon at 5:00? A local High School parking permit is hanging from the mirror. Teenagers-What are they up to?  I follow the same trail and as I get closer to the creek I see a hammock hanging between two trees right next to the trail. It starts making unhammock like moves- "Oh my! Don't tell me that's what I think it is!" I stop and consider my options, I turn around and go back to enter the trail from the other direction. Trail is only .05 miles, just goes to creek, to road, up to parking area.I enter from other direction kicking leaves and talking out loud to myself. They are preoccupied and still don't hear me headed toward them. I'm here to take pictures- they are going to have to get caught with their pants down, so to speak! When I say I want to see wildlife that's not what I have in mind! So, I holler,"Hello", a head pops up over the side of said hammock and looks around. He doesn't see me! I say, "Excuse me, I just am passing by to see the creek." NOW the hammock does make unhammock like moves as a pair of feet stick up in the air and pants are pulled on and then another pair of smaller feet are covered by much smaller panties! Time for me to go- I walk by hoping they are embarrassed,  acres and acres of forest and he hangs the hammock next to the trail!
No one ever said teenagers have good common sense!  Be sure your sins will find you out! An hour later when I return- they are long gone!

          This creek, Slickum Creek, flows an hundred feet or more down the rock face, I scramble all the way down to the bottom to get pictures. I'll share a few, but they will not do justice to the area.

This is where the water leaves the creek bed and starts on the rock. Ripples

Water heading to drop off.

Part way down-looking up.

Flowing

Flowing

Flowing

Almost there

Back to creek bed!

          The land on both sides of creek is also steep, I had an adventure just trying not to fall or  trip as I climbed down and up. Look at this old barrel stay-I think that's what it's called- how long has it been laying in the woods?

Tree grown through metal ring.

Sight from the top of the rock creek flows over.

          This is another beautiful day in the Upstate of SC. I'm going to take a hike!



          In woods, on water!

          Turtle