On an unusually hot spring day we departed northward from Greenville, S.C. heading out for a day of hiking at Ceasar's Head State Park. About 15 miles out of G'ville, there it stood. The area of the state known as "The Blue Wall." This unique area gets it's name from the fact that the Appalachians rise suddenly from seemingly flat ground rising to about 3800 feet. They may not be tall as some mtns. go, but it is rather awesome to see the giant rocks that look as though someone just set them there. The road steepened tremendously, switchback after switchback, making the ole 4Runner moan like a dying mule. These roads are very steep and there were a few times when I thought I was tailgating myself around some of the tighest turns.
Finally, there it was, the Raven Cliff Falls parking area, and the hiking part of the adventure began. The overall loop was a very strenuous 8 miles. The Blue Wall is very rugged and steep. Hence the wall reference. After about 3.5 miles we came out on the suspension bridge perched directly over the falls. Up to that point we had been teased by the sounds of rushing water crashing over boulders. Blooming Mtn. Laurel and Rhodadendron abounded, and several butterflies took advantage. The bridge had a nice sway to it which unnerved my companion a bit. We proceeded further, which was a very steep descent for about a mile to the creek. Found some Yellow Jackets along the way. That felt nice. As if we weren't tired and sore enough already. Good thing I had the benadryl tablets. Anyway, we crossed the creek on a cable bridge which was a first for me. Chalked that up as a cool new experience. Then came the big climb back out. The connector trail back to the parking area was appropriately named the Dismal Trail. The name is actually derived from the dense shady old growth forest it runs through. However, the name fit the situation for other reasons. Steep could never describe this trail. Talk about climbing the wall. There were a few times I thought we might have actually been hanging upside down it was so steep. Somehow we managed to conquer the entire loop, and the experience was difficult, yet fantastic. I might even do it again some day. You can find out more about this area at sctrails.net.
