St Phillips Island - Turner House Expedition (Beaufort County, South Carolina)

 I'm spending a couple of days with the Coastal Expeditions crew at the house built by Ted Turner on St. Phillips Island, which is now part of South Carolina's Hunting Island State Park. I've been on two previous trips with this organization and while they have been incredibly professional and the trips were both great, some incontrollable event on each required drastic changes to the plan. Hopefully, that won't be the case this weekend. 

I drove down from the Atlanta area last night and stayed at a nearby hotel. After checking out the nearby Fort Fremont, I headed over to the meeting place. Once I checked in and took my gear out to the boat, I met several of the other participants and we began chatting. It's a cold, wet morning and while it isn't actually raining, the dense fog has left condensation on nearly everything. Once the last participant arrives, we walk back out to the boat and our captain begins to ferry us to the island. 

The boat ride over is wet and cold, but we have all brought layers and stay warm enough. Along the way, we would normally be treated to views of the salt marshes and perhaps some wildlife, but today the fog is too thick. Luckily, our captain knows the route very well and we have no problems, though he is surprised to encounter a barge with some heavy construction equipment being pushed through the fog by a small tug boat. We easily avoid the other craft. After about 45-minutes, we shoot inland on a small creek and shortly thereafter arrive at the dock.

Once we move our gear from the boat to the truck, we step aboard a open-air people mover that will be towed by the truck and we're soon being ferried through the undeveloped island towards the Turner House. As with all of these barrier islands, there is a lot beauty here. Various types of palmettos rise from the ground under a canopy of live oaks and magnolia trees adorned with dangling Spanish moss. Numerous bird varieties dart to-and-fro above our heads while filling the air with their chirps and songs. 

After about 25-minutes, we arrive at the house. While it's a large structure, it's not overly gaudy and looks like it will suit us quite well. As we meet the rest of the crew that will be with us this weekend, we are lead into the kitchen and dining room where a lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup has been thoughtfully prepared for us. During lunch, we are given our room assignments. Most of the clients on this trip are elderly couples. Only myself and one other elderly lady are alone. The crew asks if I would mind staying in the caretaker's house just across the yard. I would have the entire dwelling to myself and it's accommodations are similar to the main house. I gladly accept and after finishing my sandwich carry my gear over to my room.

Having given us a little time to settle into our weekend quarters, we reconvene for a hike along the beach a bit into the island's interior. It's an especially low tide today and we are able to walk way out onto areas that would normally be under water. As we walk and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean roll several yards from us, our guides tell us of the history of the island and point out various wildlife species that we encounter. They are all very knowledgeable and it's a great experience. 

The hike was about 4.5 miles and included some of the inland trails, but before too long, we're back at the house. The crew prepares some appetizers for us while they begin to fix dinner. The rest of us sit in the living room or on the expansive deck and just get to know each other a bit. Everyone here seems very nice and it's interesting to discuss our collective travels.

With dinner prepared, we head into the dining room to enjoy some pulled pork barbeque ,mac 'n cheese, collard greens, and other fixin's. It's all quite delicious. During our meal, our captain, explains the agenda for tomorrow, which will begin with an optional sunrise viewing and then campfire coffee. The fog is supposed to clear tomorrow and he has a plan to take us back out on the boat and circumnavigate the small island.

After dinner, we head out to the fire for a bit before turning in. I make my short walk over to the other house and decide to try and sleep in my sleeping bag on the large hammock on the deck. It's comfortable enough and I think I would really have to work at it to fall out, but every time I toss and turn, I get the sensation of falling and it wakes me from my half-conscious state. About an hour of that is all I can take, I give up and head inside to the bed.

Waking early, I dress and head out to see the sunrise. It's cool this morning, but the fog has left us and it should be beautiful way to start the day. A short dock stretches out into the water about halfway between the caretaker's house and the main house, and seems a great spot to welcome the sun. The color scheme is fantastic as the glowing orange star slowly rises above the horizon and I feel renewed.

For breakfast, we are offered biscuits and gravy (though more sausage than gravy), pimento cheese grits, pancakes, fresh fruit, and a few other items. It's all very good and we fill up. After breakfast, we're offered a few minutes to freshen up and then we reconvene near the house and are transported back to the dock via six-seat golf carts. We walk back onto the boat and are soon making our way around the island.

The weather is much better today and we're offered expansive views of this coastal environment. Along the way, we see a large group of white pelicans sunning themselves on a sandbar in the distance. I use the zoom of my phone's camera to get the best picture I can, but it's still not great. 

Further along, we encounter a number of dolphins. Some of them even want to surf the wake of the boat as we race south around the island. The captain obliges them and three or four of them follow us a good distance leaping through the waves created by the boat. These animals are so fast in the water. It's amazing!

The captain takes around the southern tip of neighboring Bay Point Island and then north into the salt marshes to complete our trip around the island. At one point, we encountered a large pod of dolphins in a shallow bay. We cut the engines and just watched them for a few minutes. Such beautiful creatures.

Back at the dock, we are treated to an oyster roast and chili. These guys take really good care of us. I'm not the biggest fan of roasted oysters, as I don't think they have much flavor, but even I enjoy a few of them. Some of the others in the group, who are from the region, think of this as a feast and tear through one cluster after the next. Good times are had by all.

After our feast, we start hiking back towards the house on the Long Pond Trail. While this is the longest hiking trail on the island, it still only visits a small percentage of the overall environment. We are treated to an education by the captain, who also serves as a naturalist, as we make our way back. I've been a little disappointed to not see any alligators on this trip so far and no sooner had that thought entered my head, do we see our one and only example the whole weekend. Along the trail and sitting alongside a murky puddle, a gator maybe four-feet long is out sunning himself. I'm sure he's nervous with all of these people so near him, but he shows no sign of flinching. We take our pictures and make our way back to the house. Total distance was about 2.9 miles for this hike.

Prior to dinner, we head out to enjoy the sunset, which turns the sky and wispy clouds to the southwest into a fire in the sky, complete with the silhouette of palm trees. Dinner tonight consists of a low country boil, which we enjoy out on the deck. Everyone seems to be having a great time and we discuss the day's sitings and events. It's been a great day.

After dinner and enjoying the firepit for a while, I head back to the caretakers house and turn in. It's hard to believe that our weekend is almost over, but tomorrow, we will be heading back to the mainland and reality. 

I decide to sleep in a bit today and don't head over to the main house until it's nearly time for breakfast. I did go ahead and strip my bed though and pack my bags to prepare for our departure. Breakfast is similar to yesterday and we all discuss how much we've enjoyed the trip. 

We load our bags into the truck and then enjoy one last hike on the Half-way Trail. Unfortunately, I have to be on a conference call related to a big trip I'm doing later this year during the hike and miss most of the education and comradery. The hike is beautiful though and we snuck in another 3 miles.

With our expedition complete, we load back into the people mover and are transported back to the dock and boat, before launching and making. Along the way, we are treated to a dish called 'chicken bog' for lunch. It's pretty good and almost requires a hot sauce to be dashed over the top of it. It's actually pretty good. Arriving back at our original departure point, we say our goodbyes and thank Coastal Expeditions for a fantastic weekend. It really was great and I hop to do something like this again at some point.

Fort Fremont (Beaufort County, South Carolina)

 

I'm near Beaufort, SC this weekend to spend some time on one of the barrier islands. As I'm not meeting with my group until a little later this morning, I decided to drive to nearby Fort Fremont. This remnant of the Spanish-American War era was built in 1899 and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

It's only a twenty or so minute drive from my hotel to the fort and once I arrived, I parked the car and explored the ground around the fort on foot. A nice footpath has been installed that offers nice views of what remains of the facility. It's essentially a series of concrete bunkers with gun batteries sitting on top of them. The guns have long since been removed, but it's obvious where they once rested. Climbing to the top of the fortification, one can look out onto Port Royal Sound, which had been a important strategic inlet.

As time for me to leave approaches, I start to head back to the car. I always find it fascinating to visit these historic locations and while the fort was never involved in any significant battle, it's still a interesting to think of the men that were stationed here and their dedication to defending our nation.

Harbins Park (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

 

We've had a couple of rare winter storm events come through the area over the last couple of weeks and it's prevented me from getting out on the trails too much, but I really need to get back to it. I have a lot of training to do for some big upcoming trips. I decided to join the Meetup today to hike around nearby Harbins Park, which is only twenty or so minutes from my house. I've hiked here before and wasn't really a fan, but today, it's more about the exercise than the site-seeing.

After pulling into the parking lot, I quickly found the group. We did our traditional round of introductions and quickly hit the trail, stopping soon after to examine the overgrown Shady Grove Cemetery. I really know nothing about the cemetery, but it's not well maintained and only has a few headstones rising from the ground. After a few minutes, we move on. 

The trails here are about as I remember them and much like many other parks in Georgia - trails cut just for the sake of cutting trails. I really prefer trails that lead to something: a lake, a summit, a waterfall, etc. That is my only real complaint about this place. That said, they are well maintained and we're able to hold a good pace. I enjoy numerous conversations as we make our way through the woods.

As we make our way through woods along this winding path, we encounter quite a few mountain bikers, but all are friendly and cautious as they pass our large group. Eventually, we reach a long spanning bridge built over some marshlands. Today's leader mentions that the bridge is only a couple of years old and that the trail connects to the local Tribble Mill Park. We won't be going that far today, but it's good to know.

We take a couple of minutes on the bridge for snacks and pictures and then turn around and head back into the woods. A short time later, someone spots an armadillo. I personally didn't see it, but I know they are around. Soon, we begin making our way back towards the parking and spot a number of whitetail deer grazing. It's always refreshing to see these beautiful and timid animals. 

Finally reaching the cars, many of us agree to meet up at a nearby bar & grill. We say goodbye to those that won't be joining. It was a pleasant hike with great weather and great company. I managed to get in about 8.3 miles, but I really need to start doing more. It's a start though.

Len Foote Hike Inn Loop (Dawson County, Georgia)

 

In an effort to keep the momentum going, I decided to hike to and stay at the famous Len Foote Hike Inn for this first weekend of the new year. Unlike last year though, I posted this as an event on the Meetup I occasionally lead hikes for, explaining that attendees would need to secure lodging on their own at the inn if they wished to participate. I've always wanted to stay at the inn when there is snow on the ground, but I've never timed it correctly and based on the forecast, I don't think this year will fair any better. We're expecting cold temperatures, but no precipitation until later tomorrow afternoon.

Planning to depart our meeting place at the top of Amicalola Falls promptly at 1:00 PM, I arrived at the park and checked in with the Inn well before that. When I reached the parking area at the top of the falls, I was greeted by a friend from the hiking group that had signed up, as well as one other woman. This other woman was introduced to me and we began chatting. She was planning to do the hike, but due to other obligations would not be spending the night at the inn and would return on her own. Fine by me. While we waited for the appointed start time, we walked part of the way down the steps and took a slightly different view of the waterfall, which is the tallest in Georgia. 

Getting close to our departure time, we walked back to the parking area and were joined by another gentleman who had signed and whom I've hiked with before. As we had all had a chance to learn each other's names in these few minutes leading up to the start time and as no no one else had shown up, started our hike right on time, as I always like to do. 

The four of us began making our way up the hillside along the Len Foot Hike Inn Trail. This forms the eastern side of the full loop we will be making. After spending the night at the inn, we'll return on the other part of the loop, known as the AT Approach Trail, as it leads from Amicalola Falls to the official southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

We made great time and arrived at the inn around 3:00pm. Our fourth member had turned back just before the final push as she didn't want to be hiking in the dark. The remaining three members of our party each checked in and agreed to meet for the tour at 5:00pm. Leading up to that time, I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate in the dining area and then took a quick shower. One of the charms of this inn is the ability to take a hot (well, warm) shower in the middle of the woods. I'm an avid backpacker and perfectly fine with going a few days without one if necessary, but if a shower is a available, I'm going to take full advantage of it.

Meeting in the toasty warm lobby just before 5:00pm along with many other guests of the inn, our host took us on a short tour of the facility. I've done this tour each time I've stayed at the inn, but I've always enjoyed it. The inn is owned by the state of Georgia, but managed by a non-profit. They have gained much notoriety and even some awards over the years for their environmentally friendly practices. 

After the tour, we head to the main dining hall, where we are joined by all guests. A bell rings out to signal dinner time and we sit down to enjoy a warm meal. On the menu tonight is turkey breast, mixed vegetables, and wild rice with a blueberry cobbler for desert. It's a hearty meal and quite delicious. Our group begins chatting with other folks sitting nearby during our meal and we all comment about how magical this place is. The Len Foot Hike Inn is truly one of my favorite places in the state.

As dinner concludes, some of us head down to the sun room and enjoy conversation around the wood burning stove while some groups play board games, assemble puzzles, or just read a book. It's a pleasant way to spend an evening among like-minded adventurers. Around 8:30pm though, I decided to head back to my room and listen to an audio book I had started on the drive up. Walking between the buildings on a cold night like this can be chilly, but with a warm room and blankets to crawl under awaiting me, it shouldn't alter my great mood.

Listening to the audio book for only a short time, I decided to cut the lights and try to fall asleep before too long and did with no effort. Though unusual for me, I had to use the restroom a couple of times during the night. Unlike at home, this requires me to get dressed and walk back outside to the bathhouse and the cold air hitting my face was an unpleasant reminder of the time of night. It must have been that cup of coffee I had with dinner. I almost never drink coffee.

I got up just before sunrise, got fully dressed and walked out to the Star Lounge to watch the magnificent dawning of a new day. Many others were already here and we all snapped photos while sipping our morning coffee as our mother star broke through an array of orange an pink clouds to bring light to our part of the world once more. Truly magnificent.

After a hearty break fast of bacon, eggs, and grits, I head back to my room, strip my sheets, and finish packing my bag. I met up with my hiking mates in the lobby and began our hike back around 9:30am. It's a bit colder this morning and I hiked with my gloves on for a bit, before the activity warmed me enough to not notice the frigid air. There is weather on the way and the cloudy skies confirm this, but hopefully, we can get back before it hits. 

We make great time and deal with few light drizzly periods on our way back, but nothing significant. The AT Approach Trail is just slightly longer and more challenging than it's counterpart on the other side of the loop, but that's okay, I wanted a good workout this morning. My friends seem to be managing well and in what seems like no time at all, we've made it back to our cars. We say our goodbyes and drive off into a new day. Total distance hiked over the two days was 9.9 glorious miles.

First Day Hike: Falls to Farm (White County, Georgia)

 

It's the dawn of a new year and I want to start it out right with some good trail miles. Many of the Georgia State Parks offer "first day hikes", but I decided to repeat one I did two years ago and hike from "Falls to Farm". This 11ish mile supported hike will take me from Anna Ruby Falls through the streets of Helen, GA and all the way to Hardman Farm. It was a great experience when I did it in 2023 and hopefully, the 2025 edition will be the same.

I woke early and drove mostly in the dark to the check-in at Hardman Farm. The roads were barren, as most people were probably up celebrating into the wee hours. Arriving at the parking area, I easily found a spot and walked down the stairs to the visitor center, where volunteers checked me in and explained the itinerary of the morning.

The shuttles would take all hikers from here to Anna Ruby Falls visitor's center around 8:15 and from there we would begin our hike. Support stations would be available at Unicoi State Park and just outside the Bierhalle in Helen. Upon finishing the hike back here at the Hardman Farm, we would be greeted by a warm bowl of chili with all the fixins. Sounds like a wonderful plan to me. 

The ride to the falls was uneventful and a young college student sat next to me. We chatted about the hike. Once we arrived, I striped off my puffy jacket and stood for a group picture. It's cold this morning, but I know I would be burning up if I kept that jacket on. The 'be bold; start cold' has served me well in the past. As I started up the paved path to the water fall, the young man held my pace and we continued our conversation along the way. Reaching the falls, I stopped for a couple of pictures and then made the turn and my way up to the Smith Creek Trail, which would lead down to Unicoi State Park. 

As usual, I kept a good pace and passed a few hikers along the way. It's great to be out here this morning. The air is brisk, but renewing. And though, I was a bit cold when I started out, I soon feel good about my decision to pack the jacket into my backpack. 

This section of the trail is pretty uneventful, though it is gorgeous with just a touch of morning frost. The path crosses a couple of small streams that empty into Smith Creek below. The first of these requires a little bit of rock hopping, but nothing terribly difficult and everyone seems to make it without any wet shoes or worse. 

At one point, I miss a switchback and continue further down the trail, which has been worn pretty well. I suspect others have made that same mistake, but before long, I realize my mistake and turn back. Either way would have gotten me to the park, but I had might as well stick with the planned route. 

Arriving at Unicoi, we're greeted by more volunteers who offer us water and granola bars. I seem to remember this stop having breakfast sandwiches two years ago, but that could be just a wishful memory. I gratefully take a bar and a sip of water. The young man that had been hiking with me seems to have been taxed by my pace and wants to stay here and rest for a few minutes. I wish him well and continue the hike, having only stopped for a minute or two.

Continuing through the park along some of the roads, we soon hit the start of the Unicoi to Helen trail, which will take us through the woods and into the streets of Helen, GA, which is a quaint little Bavarian-inspired hamlet famous for it's Oktoberfest celebration. The trails through here are very easy and I make pretty quick work of the miles involved. 

Before long, I've reached Helen and the path continues through the streets. As I pass the Bierhalle, I ask the volunteers manning this second support station if there is a restroom nearby. The point me to a public park just ahead and once I reach it, I take a moment to relieve myself. From here, it will be a road and paved path walk the rest of the way to Hardman Farm. There are a few people out on the streets this morning breathing the fresh air of a near year. It's encouraging to see this much activity.

Arriving at the farm, I'm greeted by even more volunteers and congratulated on my speed. I was among the first five to complete the 10.8 mile hike and did so in about three-and-a-half hours. I wasn't trying to race anyone, but I did want to get a pretty good workout from the event. 

As I enjoy my bowl of chili, I begin a conversation with a nice woman about the hike and other similar events. The chili is delicious and most welcomed after a good hike. The volunteers explain that we are a welcome to join a guided tour of the main house of the farm, but as it will be take nearly an hour, neither I nor my new friend want to commit to that much time and instead decide just to walk over and view the house from the outside on our own. We chat along the way and compare notes from the hike before saying our goodbyes and returning to the parking area. 

Just as last time, this was a wonderful event and I'm glad I started the new year off this way. The weather was a bit chilly, but overall great for something like this. Now, as I begin my journey into a new year, I can only hope for good health and great adventure. I wish the same for you.