Hidden Away
Good hike for wildflowers and fungi, but the falls weren’t the best I’ve seen because of low water.
In early September, I took this trip to view Hidden Falls, in Oconee State Park in upstate SC. The trail starts from the Foothills trailhead. Round trip, this hike is about 5.5 miles, but it’s a relatively easy hike. It’s only as one approaches the falls that the elevation changes significantly. Approaching the falls, the trail dips downward into a small valley, and of course, that means one has to climb back up later.
The falls were a little disappointing, I suppose, because the water level was rather low. I’d classify it as a tiered waterfall, and I bet it’s spectacular in high water times. There were three other hikers who arrived just about the same time I did to the falls, and they were less than impressed, and even seemed to feel the hike was a waste of time just for this.
I still liked the area, and when the hikers left, I sat down on one of the rocks and did a little reading. Seemed like a good idea, and it was, until later.
But, before I got back, I saw some really interesting flowers, of which I’ve posted one of the shots I took. These somewhat magenta flowers had berries that looked almost like they were hanging from the petals. Other neat features, as you’ll see, are more fungal in nature, with odd shapes and colors. And, best of all, a few of the leaves were starting to turn. A few more weeks and the colors on my hikes will be amazing, as they always are in the Appalachian foothills.
Overall, a nice day hike, and I’d like to try it again when the water rises, if it ever does. The only sour note was that after reading, I had hung my glasses from my shirt, and apparently, they fell off, or were flung off when I unslung my camera bag and backpack. I’m wearing my new ones, now, and luckily, I only really need them for reading.
