Overlooking the Countryside
A summer return to Glassy Mountain shows an unexpectedly lovely view of the South Carolina countryside.
It has been much harder than I might have expected to go hiking during the summer. My weekends have been filled up with other activities and distractions, but I started jonesing for the outdoors, so I made some time for a quick trip into the mountains. Due to time constraints, I decided to go to a place I’ve been before, Glassy Mountain, a short hike just north of Pickens, SC.
This time, however, there were a few differences in the trip. For one, this trip was in the summer, as opposed to the end of 2012, as winter was setting in. Thus, the trail was thick with lush greenery, as opposed to the stark barrenness of the last trip. Because of this, I expected not to be able to see as much of the surrounding countryside from the trail as last time. But another difference was that I opted to go the opposite direction on the loop as last time, and ended up seeing a spur trail that led down to a rocky outcropping that provided a grand view of the rural country below.
I ended up staying there for some time, enjoying the cool breezes and the vistas of farmland and distant mountains. Even though the hike is not far outside of a small city like Pickens, it was very quiet and peaceful up there. After a few photographs, I read for a while, and then just relaxed. I was treated to two lizards crawling over the rocks, very close to where I was sitting. I was apparently quiet enough not to be perceived as a threat. Enjoying their proximity, I did not reach for my camera, which would probably have frightened them away. They wandered around a bit and then chased each other into the underbrush.
After that, I finished up the hike and headed down the road to the car. But, I did stop to take some images of the gorgeous red trumpet creepers alongside the road. And then, as the temperature and humidity started to rise, I got back in the car and drove back down the mountain.
