December 15, 2009
Yellow Branch and Stumphouse- SC
This week's hike was in South Carolina 6 miles north of Walhalla, SC. We did a combination of short hikes including Yellow Branch Falls Trail, Stumphouse Tunnel, Issaqueena Falls Trail and the Blueridge Historic Railroad Trail. Total hike - 7 miles
Directions
Take Highway 28 northward from Walhalla, SC for almost 6 miles and look for the Yellow Branch Falls sign. Turn left into the park. The Stumphouse Tunnel Park is just beyond the turn-off to Yellow Branch. Another great day for a hike! Cloudy to Partly Cloudy with morning fog and temperatures ranging from 53 to 65 degrees F
Conditions
Cloudy to Partly Cloudy with morning fog and temperatures ranging from 53 to 65 degrees F.
Hikers (10)
- Phil Brownrigg
- Pam Euliss
- Bill Hunt
- Dick Metzgar
- Bruce O'Connor
- Jeanne O'Connor
- Tony Presley
- Joe Raguckas
- Vic Robson
- Pom Sinnock
Flowers in bloom
Hepatica and Bird's Foot Violet!
Birds identified
Towhee, Pileated Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Nuthatch and Junco
Photos (15)
Trail sign at the start. A beautiful morning with the sun trying to burn through the fog. An absolutely beautiful woodland trail. Yellow Branch falls was magnificent! We were very surprised to see any wildflowers. (l-r) Hepatica and Bird's Foot Violet Our next stop is Stumphouse Tunnel. We read the history board for Stumphouse. Walking into the dark tunnel with flashlights. The brick wall and gate are additions by Clemson University in the 1950s for creating an area to conduct experiments with aging cheese. The viewing platform at Issaqueena Falls. Beautiful Issaqueena Falls! Our nice lunch spot for the day! The sign at the middle tunnel This trail follows the old railroad bed! The OFHC gang for today's hike (l-r) Tony Presley, Joe Raguckas, Bruce O'Connor, Jeanne O'Connor, Pom Sinnock, Vic Robson, Pam Euliss, Bill Hunt, Dick Metzgar and Phil Brownrigg.