It’s a Jungle Out There
Hot and humid, but that’s not unusual in South Carolina in the summer. However, I went to Tamassee Knob all the same.
The first time I went on the Tamassee Knob trail in Oconee State Park was a rather icy morning, not long after a winter storm. The 2.1 mile trail to the peak was inundated with mud, ice, and a chill wind. I still enjoyed it, though, with the bare trees offering a grand view as the trail wound upwards.
This time, however, I went during the height of late summer. The trail could not have been more different. Even the parking lot had changed. The last time I was there, the parking lot had been blocked off, and I had been forced to park some ways away. This time, they had clearly turned the gravelly parking area into a much cleaner and well-kept parking lot. Not really sure it was an improvement, though; gravel and dirt seemed much more in keeping with the natural setting than asphalt.
But it was the weather that was the major difference. The day was hot and humid, making the trail seem like a jungle. It was far more overgrown than in the winter, the foliage crowding around on all sides. Because of the oppressive heat, I didn’t bother taking my camera out much on the trip up to the top. I was too focused on perservering along the trail, as my hiking gear became drenched in sweat. Sounds great, eh? Well, I was going to make it to the top, anyway.
And I did, eventually. I made it to the peak, where there is a large boulder that makes a great resting area to look out over the foothills. This time, as I sat there, the wind was starting to pick up, and I could see the clouds in the near distance letting loose a shower on the valley. And the wind was blowing in this direction. It gave me time to take a few pictures of the oncoming rain, and then pack up the camera and get my rain gear out.
I got my poncho over my head and my camera bag and tripod beneath it when the first drops started to fall. It was a pleasantly gentle rain, and it brought a luscious coolness with it. The humidity broke and the breezes blew through, and after the excessive temperatures, the feeling was glorious.
I stayed there, watching the rain, experiencing the sound of the rain, for a brief while, and then the rain faded off behind me. I could see some darker clouds threatening around the peak, so I took the opportunity to pack up and head back down. The trip down was much more pleasant, my footsteps accompanied by the sound of the thunderstorm that stayed off to my left most of the way back. I returned to my car without getting drenched (not by rain, anyway), and headed back home.
