Carrick Creek in Black and White
A hike to end 2013 led me to another hike in Table Rock State Park, the Carrick Creek Trail, in South Carolina.
In the middle of December, as things were winding down for the holidays, I took a quick hike over at Table Rock State Park. I had taken the Carrick Creek Loop Trail a few times before, because it is a good overall hike, especially if time is limited. It is about 2 miles (1.8 miles according to guide books) and for the most part it is easy to moderate, with a few stretches of elevation change that ensure that one gets a workout. The recent rains allowed the many cascades and rapids to shine and I decided to render the images in black and white, to emphasize the textures of the subjects.
There were more folks on the trail than I would have expected at the cusp of winter, but it wasn’t crowded by any means. Considering the number of people I have seen at Table Rock at times (it is a very popular spot), it was downright deserted. Those who were there were friendly and all seemed to be enjoying the day.
It wasn’t the most eventful hike, which is certainly fine by me. They don’t always have to have a grand story around them, or anything. I did have some entertainment trying to find a good vantage for some of the rapids with the tripod and telephoto, ending up with only a few shots for my trouble. It was still worth a try, though, regardless of the cold mud that ended up decorating my jeans and boots.
Later on, I was pleased that no one walked by as I straddled a log and went through multiple contortions and interesting tripod arrangements to try to capture a fascinating tree knot. I didn’t want to explain that I was going through all that just because I wanted to take a picture of this knot. I am glad I did it, but I was just as happy not to have company.
