Foothills Trail (Chimney Gap/F. Van Clayton Hwy. to Table Rock State Park)

Foothills Trail (Chimney Gap/ F. Van Clayton Hwy. to Table Rock State Park)–12.2 miles

Ready to go on the last leg!

This weekend I celebrated my 44th revolution around the sun. Lucky me, my birthday wish came true–completing the Foothills Trail! Since it’s nearly impossible to coordinate the schedules of two different families with the same goal, this final hike was a long time in the making. I think the universe must have known what it was up to all along though, postponing it until now. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.

We set out mid afternoon, with only 3.6 miles to cover before we reached our campsite. Sounded easy to everyone until they realized it was predominantly uphill mileage, but they did great!

Movin’ right along!

We reached the highest point in South Carolina along the way, but it was a bit underwhelming at the summit. The state parks in South Carolina really shine, but I wish they would give a bit more attention to Sassafras Mountain!

The summit of Sassafras Mountain–a bit bizarre

Crazy summit photo on Sassafras Mountain

We reached our campsite and to our surprise there were already two groups camping there! Aside from camping on the shores of Lake Jocassee last summer, we had never seen so many campers on the trail, and it was especially surprising since it was the middle of winter. The other groups were welcoming though, so it all worked out just fine.

That night around the campfire, we rehashed all our trips, laughing at all our mishaps along the way. I’m so proud of these kids for their dedication, embracing the simplistic notion of carrying everything they need to survive on their backs, while having the courage to repeatedly face what the trail puts in front of them (including the highest number per mile of yellow jackets of any trail I’ve ever hiked!).

It was chilly that night, so we had varying degrees of success staying comfortably warm (how Teagan managed to wake up sweating is still beyond me!). The moon was nearly full and the night was crystal clear, so we had the added bonus of hardly needing our headlamps to see around camp after the sun set.

The next morning, we ate a hot breakfast and hit the trail. The kids were pumped about the mostly downhill 8.6 mile journey until about the sixth mile, when their legs were ready for a break from the constant pounding. They did great though, and before we knew it, we were at the 1-mile marker.

Only one mile left!

The last mile ticked by quickly and just like that, we were finished!

We piled in the car and quickly headed to none other than the Chinese buffet to celebrate! The best part of the day for me? Hearing them ask what trail we are going to tackle next!

Congratulations Ella, Aidan, Paige, Teagan, and Wogene (and Diana too)!

: Paige was excited that her self pedicure had not been marred by hiking!

: They did it!

: Clearly, I missed the memo that we were supposed to be intimidating “cats” with our mud paint

: Simple pleasures speak to all of us the most on a hike

Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world. ~Anonymous.

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Comments

andapaige

February 22, 2016 at 2:20 pm

Awesome and incredible! so much more than I can imagine in my wildest dreams
Look at Paige getting almost as tall as you!
XO's
aa
smoky scout

March 10, 2016 at 1:28 am

Congratulations on a goal accomplished (completing the FT) and a job well done (making lifelong memories for your children)

Foothills Trail (Chimney Gap/ F. Van Clayton Hwy. to Table Rock State Park)–12.2 miles

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