On reading, hiking and bread-baking my way through the new year

We’ve always been an ‘outdoors’ family, but in the past year – new schools, new responsibilities – I noticed the car was racking up increased mileage, while I was becoming more sedentary. Carlines to get kids picked up, shopping trips to feed three hungry boys, time at the computer to manage the mundane chores of a mother’s life.

Blogging has long been a release for me, but in recent years has taken on a life of its own: a tribute to the outdoor spaces in the Upstate and a diary of one family’s travels in the Southeast, but also a huge commitment of time and energy. Upon our return from France I felt I had reached a crossroads – what would become of Femme au Foyer? While the transition from expat abroad to Yankee hiker in SC happened without much thought, with the recent arrival at what feels like another fork in the road, I feel that I have to be a bit more deliberate with my time – there is just less of it. While writing about these natural places gives me great pleasure, I enjoy the exploration of them even more, and while I will not be abandoning the blog entirely, I will be shifting focus, and blogging less often.

With the New Year, I set about with new priorities for personal growth: hiking, reading and baking. My goal is to hike 365 miles this year, read 10 books a month, and bake bread once a month. Inspiration was drawn from cookbook club, my cousin Kaiva's Instagram feed, and the dozens of trails within an hour's drive still unexplored, even after some 15 years in the Upstate. Instead of writing about places I will be out in them, all that time spent in the carline will be put to good use, and the taste/smell of home-baked bread will hopefully be more common in our hectic kitchen. With March drawing to an end, I can announce that it has so far been a successful endeavor; I’ve logged 97 miles of trail, baked four different breads (baguettes, rupjmaize, cornbread and scones), and read 32 books – and there are a few days left in the month!

While I’m proud of each mile that I’ve charted, I’m feeling especially accomplished looking at my reading list. While my usual fare tends towards mysteries (extra points if it’s a game warden solving a murder!), I’ve ventured outside the boundaries of suspense into everything from social commentary and poetry to short stories and nonfiction – here they are, in the order that I read them (and I've added amazon links that have reviews and more complete descriptions for those interested): 

1. Where the River Ends – Charles Martin
2. A Delicate Touch – Stuart Woods

3. Squirm – Carl Hiaasen

          Hiaasen’s book for young readers are just as lively and entertaining as his adult fiction!

4. The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century – Kirk Wallace Johnson

          Exotic bird trafficking, fly fishing, and the 2009 heist of 299 rare bird skins from a British natural history museum… a surprisingly fascinating read…

5. The New Iberia Blues – James Lee Burke

          James Lee Burke is one of my all-time faves, and although maybe not the most striking, the newest Dave Robicheaux novel was no different from his usual.

6. The Witch Elm – Tana French

7. Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century – Jessica Bruder

          Longing to pack it all up and go… Completely not my usual read, however intriguing look at the growing community of nomads traversing the U.S. between seasonal jobs.

8. The Story of Land and Sea: A Novel – Katy Simpson Smith

9. Birds of America – Lorrie Moore

          A book of short stories that has it all: the funny, the sad, the banal and the grace.

10. Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger – Rebecca Traister

          Struck so many chords with me that I went and bought it after returning the library’s copy. This book vocalizes so many thoughts, feelings and emotions that I’ve heard from friends, family and my own heart over the last 5 years.

11. Bearskin: A Novel – James A. McLaughlin

          “James McLaughlin expertly brings the beauty and danger of Appalachia to life. The result is an elemental, slow burn of a novel—one that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.”

12. Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country – Pam Houston

13. The River of Kings: A Novel – Taylor Brown

          I’ve been fascinated with the The Altamaha River (Georgia’s “Little Amazon”) since I read Janisse Ray’s “Drifting into Darien: A Personal and Natural History of the Altamaha River” while living in the middle of nowhere, Georgia. This novel has a good balance of the natural world to mystery to the human heart.

14. The Girl Who Was Taken – Charlie Donlea

15. Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love – Dani Shapiro

16. The Mountain Between Us – Charles Martin

17. Fates and Furies: A Novel – Lauren Groff

18. Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman – Anne Petersen

19. Crimson Lake – Candice Fox

20. The Library Book – Susan Orlean

          A story of a fire – a big one, mind you – woven into the larger tapestry of the role of libraries in the modern world.

21. The Winter of the Witch – Katherine Arden

          The third book in the Winternight Trilogy, a Russian fairytale that was spellbinding – possibly my favorite of the year so far!

22. The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi

23. The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild – Craig Childs

24. Bad Optics: A Woods Cop Mystery – Joseph Heywood

25. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt & the Fire That Saved America – Timothy Egan

          The wildland firefighter in me could smell the smoke in this novel, but was also astonished that I hadn’t read it until now.

26. Upstream: Selected Essays – Mary Oliver

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Sad to say I only discovered Mary Oliver after her passing this January, however am making up for lost time by working through her books, one by one, morsel by morsel. Yesterday I stuck 'Upstream' in my pack, and it came in handy when the boys found a spot in the creek they wanted to explore - usually I'm too impatient for an hour spent perched on a rock when the trail awaits. • • • • "For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple." - Mary Oliver, from 'Upstream' #maryoliver #upstatesc #leefalls

A post shared by Liene | Femme au Foyer (@femmefoyer) on Mar 3, 2019 at 9:28am PST

27. Alternate Side: A Novel – Anna Quindlen

28. The Victory Garden: A Novel – Rhys Bowen
29. Becoming – Michelle Obama

          Chicago was my home for a quarter of a century, and I enjoyed seeing it from the author’s perspective. DC is about as far from home as it gets, and I enjoyed seeing it from a woman’s perspective. And with today’s political climate, there was insight into the racial divide as well…

30. Bridge of Clay – Markus Zusak

31. Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens

          “Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.”

32. Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel – Paul Howarth

          An epic tale set in the 1880s ‘Wild West’ Australian frontier: brutal, cruel and tragic. Despite the harsh imagery, no regrets – a raw, no-holds-barred, coming-of-age story that I couldn’t put down.

What’s next? Returning to a few mystery series that I’ve not yet finished, new books by favorite authors coming out in the next months, and a half-dozen books on hold from rabbit-hole wanderings on social media. Tell me – have you read any of the titles on this list? If you’ve got suggestions for me of novels in the same vein as these, I’m all ears – I’ve got 88 books to read this year!

Glendale Shoals Preserve

The story of the small town of Glendale is similar to that of Greenville. The textile industry thrived in the Upstate, mill towns flourishing on the banks of rivers such as the Reedy and Lawson’s Fork Creek, until cheaper labor overseas, technology and automation, and international trade agreements led to its demise. Today, the former milltown boasts an Upstate hidden gem – Glendale Shoals Preserve.

Located just six miles east of Spartanburg, Glendale owes its presence to Dr. James Bivings who arrived in the area around 1830 and started a cotton manufacturing company. Bivingsville Mill was profitable until the late 1840s, when Bivings sold his share and left the area. After the partners declared bankruptcy the mill was auctioned off, and one of the businessmen involved in the purchase later bought out his partners and took over mill operations. In 1878 Dexter Converse (founder of D.R. Converse Co. as well as Converse College) renamed the town & mill Glendale, and the mill prospered until the collapse of the textile industry in SC.

The mill shut down in 1961, and then in 2004 there was a fire (see the Glendale website for photographs); today only ruins remain. The site has been incorporated into the Glendale Shoals Preserve, a 13-acre park that includes a pedestrian bridge, the dam, the shoals, a canoe/kayak launch and nature trails.

Glendale Shoals, as seen from north bank of Lawsons Fork Creek

Parking is located behind the Glendale Post Office, adjacent to the Goodall Environmental Studies Center. Part of Wofford College, the center includes a garden, vineyard, laboratory, classroom/conference center (the restored former mill office), and an amphitheater. When starting your explorations here don’t overlook the “Poet’s Garden” with its hidden view of the dam and ‘take a poem, leave a poem” mailbox.

The garden, vineyard, and former mill office

Glendale Shoals Trail on the north side of Lawsons Fork Creek is about ½ of a mile long. It leads through the mill ruins, past a Labyrinth (built by the Philosophy in Action Living-Learning Community at Wofford College), and through a segment of woods to the border with private property. At this end there is a small seating area, as well as a sandy bank on a section of river that is sometimes used as a swimming hole. There are no trespassing signs indicating the end of the preserve. A connector to the Glendale Greenway can be used for a loop hike that totals about 1 mile from the parking area.

The labyrinth, with a mill tower in the background

Once back at the parking area, head across the Glendale Bridge to reach the trails on the south bank of the creek. The Pratt truss-style bridge was originally built in 1928 to replace an old one-lane bridge, and featured a new pedestrian lane in addition to the two lanes for automobile traffic. In 1977 a 250-foot reinforced concrete bridge was built to replace the structure, rerouting traffic on a more direct route to the west.  The 1928 bridge was recently reopened to pedestrians in 2018 after a full restoration, and has a scenic view of the shoals and to the pond on the opposite side.

In additional to textiles, the iron industry also predominantly features in the history of Glendale. The iron ore along the banks of the creek, limestone bedrock and available timber were all contributing factors to the establishment of iron works on the banks of Lawsons Fork Creek, just west of the park. The iron works were served by one of the earliest roads in the Upstate, "Georgia Road,” an important route during the colonial and Revolutionary War eras. As the iron works were on the opposite shore from the town of Glendale, a bridge was necessary to allow workers to cross the creek, necessitating the 1800s precursor to Glendale Bridge.

Having crossed Lawsons Fork, there is a staircase descending to the creek and the trail that runs just under ½ mile along the south bank. After heavy rains portions of the trail may be inaccessible/dangerous, however the views of the shoals and dam waterfall are better from this side of the river. There are two points of access from Emma Cudd Road; keep in mind parking on this side is more of the gravel pull-off than parking lot variety.

During the summer the exposed rock is a beautiful place for a picnic, while the sandy area off Glendale Shoals Trail is great for building sand castles. (Side note: one thing to remember is that debris and trash frequently get deposited in these flood zones during high water events; glass and other hazards could pose a hazard to children at play.) Progress is being made on the invasive exotics along the creek, and the garden is well tended and interesting for kids to explore.  At just under an hour’s drive from Greenville, Glendale Shoals is well worth a stop while in the Spartanburg area.

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Tall Pines Lake island

 

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on Friday announced that 1,757 acres in northern Greenville County are now open to the public as Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area (WMA). $3 million of the total of $4 million needed to preserve the site came from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, with the remainder covered by the SC DNR Heritage Land Trust Fund and timber management funds.

The parking area for Tall Pines WMA is located some 8 miles north of Travelers Rest at 552 Moody Bridge Road, and the gravel lot looks out over Tall Pines Lake, one of the ponds on the property. Braided footpaths along the shoreline are evidence that this is a popular spot for angling; fishing website hookandbullet reports perch, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, crappie and bullhead. In the center of the lake is a small island with a block structure; the small tower is certainly unique, though my research didn’t reveal a purpose other than aesthetic.

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area parking

For a short ¾ mile loop hike, follow the old road behind the red gate from the corner of the parking area. It climbs a little in elevation, with a view of Table Rock to the west. Once you reach a second red gate at Moody Bridge Road, make a sharp turn and follow the old road south. You’ll hear the frogs before you see the lake, the north end being quite marshy. The road brings you to the point where two lakes connect, and from here it’s just a matter of following the narrow footpaths along the shoreline to return to the parking lot.

View of Table Rock from Tall Pines WMA

In addition to the lakes, Tall Pines also has wetlands, about 600ft of elevation change to the top of Little Mountain, and a mile of frontage on the South Saluda River. From the parking area, cross Moody Bridge Road and follow the old road west to access the river. You’ll see the ruins of a structure down on the creek, and the woods have quite a bit of evidence of past agricultural activity: wire fencing rolls, old machinery, miscellaneous debris. The road emerges to one of several meadows before taking a turn south to follow a second creek upstream. On our recent visit this area was completely flooded (and evidence of beavers abounded) – plan on getting your feet wet if you are going to hike the system of old roads that crisscross the western half of Tall Pines. Or, you can skirt the edge of the field to reach the Saluda.

South Saluda river frontage on Tall Pines WMA

The South Saluda runs parallel to Scenic Highway 11 for some 3 miles, then turns south to tumble through the Class III-IV/V rapids at Blythe Shoals. There is a Naturaland Trust River Access and Parking Area at 25 S. Blythe Shoals Road that serves this stretch of the river, although after passing through the shoals and under Talley Bridge Road the waters calm considerably. The one mile of South Saluda fronting Tall Pines runs quick and clear, high banks complicating access. In addition to the trout lilies and other native species there are plenty of privet, multiflora rose and other invasives, further tangling the banks. The tributary from Tall Pines Lakes empties into the river between the two fields, and the waters continue south, eventually passing west of Greenville and through Piedmont on their way to Lake Murray.

Looking down from Moody Bridge Rd. to creek connecting Tall Pines Lakes and South Saluda

The SC DNR has expressed hope that Twin Pines will become a destination for anglers and paddlers, as well as offering hiking, birdwatching and hunting opportunities; the WMA provides habitat for fish, deer, turkey, quail and small game. There is no formal boat launch at Twin Pines, but the road allows for easy access with canoe and kayak. And while there is no official trail system as of now, the acreage can be explored utilizing the pre-existing system of old roads. Download a map of Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area here: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/2019/feb/TallPinesWMAmap2019.pdf.

Finding gold in the Carolinas

All three boys have rock collections. At first, it was piles from pockets turned inside-out after a hike, later secret stashes in their rooms discovered during spring cleaning. Recently we purchased several compartmentalized fishing lure containers, and the boys have taken to labeling their finds; if they can’t identify the stone, we’ll at least add other information such as where it was found.

Our area is rich in mica, the glossy sheets often found in combination with quartz crystals, as good as treasure when found on a hike. What started as research into rocks, minerals and the geology of the region has evolved into more; in addition to the rock collections, the boys also enjoy ‘panning for gold’. First, a book we found at the local library (How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush: An Adventurer's Guide to the Fabulous Riches Discovered in 1848), later, a gold panning kit that allowed Lauris to become a pyrite prospector. However interesting working with a kit can be, the boys prefer to ‘pan’ creekbeds, looking for gold but more realistically mica, quartz and other treasure. They’ve even traded fossils at the Minneapolis Science Museum, and get just as excited about cracking geodes as trading sports cards with their friends.

A friend of mine out in Colorado has started a YouTube channel chronicling his adventures in the mountains. The episodes play out like a list of ‘most exciting adventures ever’ for the boys: Colorado River gold dredging, arrowhead hunting, old mine exploring, and finding gold in a frozen river (see below). If your kids enjoy rocks & minerals, they will love watching these videos! And while the kids delight in the adventure and the thrills, I appreciate the spectacular backdrop of the Colorado Rockies. Let me know what you think...

Recently things kicked up a notch when Santa sent Lauris a bag of Leadville paydirt for Christmas. (Paydirt is literally sand/rocks that can be panned to reveal gold flakes.) We quickly discovered that panning for gold is much easier when there is real gold in the mix; mica and quartz don’t exhibit the same tendencies to separate out during the panning process. I watched open-mouthed as Lauris picked out gold flakes from his pan and proudly placed them in a display case, now one of the most prized pieces of his collection. Colorado-gold-camp on eBay offers two different sizes of paydirt, a smaller one that is perfect for kids, and a larger option that gives everyone a turn panning. And if you're on Instagram, you can follow their adventures there: Colorado Gold Camp.

Panning an Upstate creek

This gold fever has prompted me to dig around a bit to learn more about the gold mines and prospecting and panning areas of South Carolina. There is a gold belt that extends from Central Alabama to Northern Virginia, and there is a cluster of gold mines and prospecting & panning sites near Rock Hill, York and Gaffney. The famous Haile Gold Mine is near Kershaw in Lancaster County, and Reed Gold Mine in NC is the site of the first documented gold find in the US. One source said that South Carolina's largest gold producing counties include Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union, and in recent decades, South Carolina has been a major producer among the Appalachian states. You can bet we’ll be doing some more research on finding and panning for gold, and that come warmer temperatures the boys will have their prospecting equipment with on hikes!

Beech Bottom Falls (aka Pinnacle Falls)

Not only has the SC DNR rerouted the trail to Pinnacle Falls, they’ve renamed the waterfall Beech Bottom Falls! An improved parking lot awaits hikers on F Van Clayton Memorial Highway, located 1.5 miles north from the intersection of 178 (Moorefield Memorial Highway) and F Van Clayton in Rocky Bottom SC. The Chimneytop Gap trailhead also offers access to the Foothills Trail; it is 2.1 miles east to Sassafras Mountain and 2.1 miles to Laurel Valley. The Beech Bottom Trail heads west on the old roadbed 400 ft north from the parking lot; if you miss the little shortcut trail, you just go north to the gravel road with the red gate and head west.

After ½ mile, the old roadbed crosses Abner Creek. Hikers cross on a beautiful new footbridge, then immediately turn left onto another old roadbed – follow the signs to Beech Bottom Falls. You’ll recross Abner Creek on a second footbridge (a twin to the first), then start descending to the observation deck. The view of the falls is partially obscured by trees; I can imagine that in the summer the foliage blocks most of the falls. The view north across the mountains is also a testament to the destruction caused by the hemlock wooly adelgid; the tops of towering snags are eye level with the platform, with only a few hemlocks remaining to testify to their past dominance of the forest canopy. (Sure didn’t see any beech trees!) From your perch on the southern cliffs of Abner Creek you can see a second observation deck, lower on the cliff; it is accessed from Pinnacle Falls Trail / Moorefield Memorial Highway; do not leave trail or platform in this area, it is dangerous as well as damaging to sensitive plant communities.

A third route to Beech Bottom Falls (a.k.a. Pinnacle Falls) offers closer views of the falls. From the first footbridge crossing Abner Creek, stay on old Abner Creek Road. After rock hopping across Dogwood Creek, an old logging road heads southwest from the log deck. The road/trail is overgrown with brambles, but is pretty easy to follow as it descends along the ridge north of Abner Creek. After ascending a small knob, a trail drops off the side, endless switchbacks dropping almost 300 feet in elevation to the base of the waterfall. The NCwaterfalls.com page offers a great description of this trail.

View from base of falls via Pinnacle Falls on Abner creek trail

Not only is this variant much steeper than Beech Bottom Falls trail, but it is also in worse shape. Carefully constructed stairs and trail (even handrails in places) have been compromised by downed trees, and in multiple places the trail can be difficult to follow. As I mentioned previously, the old road is being reclaimed by blackberries, red maple, ferns and grasses, and lack of signage and blazes could make a visit in the growing season a little more complicated. However, the view of the waterfall from the viewing areas at the base of the falls are much better than from the southern viewing platforms, and if one is willing to make an effort, it is a rewarding hike in the Jocassee Gorges area.

View of falls from Beech Bottom Falls trail viewing platform

The hike to the viewing platform on Beech Bottom Falls Trail, plus circling around to the base of the falls from the north brings the hike total to 3.2 miles and 715ft elevation gain. Beech Bottom Falls Trail is less than 2 miles long, with somewhere around 250ft elevation gain. Both trails could be treacherous in wet conditions, and the rocks at the base of the waterfall should be approached with caution. From the Chimneytop Gap area to the Sassafras Mountain parking lot is an additional 3.2 miles and is definitely worth the drive. The visitor center/observation deck at the summit will be finished this year, and will feature 360˚ views from the highest point in South Carolina!

Map of combined route hiking both trails