I've been itching to get out and go hang ever since I moved back to NC a month ago, so I rounded up my dad and my oldest son for a short overnight on the Foothills Trail in Oconee County, SC. This was their first ever hang in the woods and my son's first backpacking trip.
Getting There
I knew from my previous hike on the FHT that there is a parking lot at the end of Nicholson Ford Rd, but I wasn't too sure if I could get my van there as its literally off the map as far as Google was concerned. We took Highway 107 to Village Creek Road, all of which were paved, then turned off onto Nicholson Ford Rd which was wide, recently graveled, and well maintained for the first couple miles. Once you reach Lake Front Homes Pond the road splits left towards some private homes and continues right towards the parking lot. It becomes pretty rutted and uneven at this point, and there are a couple water crossings a few inches deep. The van made it, but I wouldn't do that again in a vehicle without more clearance than the Toyota Sienna. There were more than a few heartstopping crunches. You will lose cell service on 107 about 5 miles before the turn onto Village Creek Road, so make sure you have the map downloaded for offline use in your GPS, and forget having any cell service once you're on the trail.
Getting In
The hike from the Nicholson Ford Rd access to Simms Field is about 4 miles. I would rate the trail as moderate. It is well-maintained and well-blazed but there are a few parts in the Chattooga Gorge where a carelessly placed foot would ruin your day. I measured about 640' of descent and 450' of ascent on the way in. There are switchbacks and none of the grades are particularly steep. Roots, wet rocks, and mud made the trail somewhat technical. I was very glad to have my trekking poles. There was a large tree down at about mile 3 that we had to scramble under on hands and knees.
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The Spot
There isn't much information available online about Simms Field, or even many pictures so I was unsure if we would know when we got there. For future trekkers please set aside such fears, it is quite obvious once you get there. There were at least three large, separate camping areas with rock pits for a fire right next to the river. Finding spots to hang the hammocks was no challenge at all, there are plenty of perfect-sized trees 15-20 feet apart at each of the sites. We choose the middle site for no particular reason other than the feng shui.
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There is quite a bit of evidence of human activity in this area. We found fishing line, an old cast iron pan, iron grill grates, snack wrappers, bear bag ropes, spilled oatmeal, tin can lids, and much else besides. Next time I go I'll bring a whole trash bag with me and leave with it full I have no doubt. That being said, it didn't spoil the site too much because the river and the woods are absolutely beautiful here. The third spot even has a view of some falls upriver.
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The Weather
The Chatooga Gorge and this region of the country in general is known for some interesting weather. We knew there was a good chance of rain when we planned this trip but my father and I have never had a camping trip in 37 years where it didn't pour on us at least some of the time. This trip was no different. The rain gods had mercy enough to let us hike in dry, but as soon as we began to put up our hammocks they began to spit on us. Some of you are surely adept at putting tarps up in a hurry, but have you ever put up three tarps in a hurry? I had an old wally world blue poly tarp that weighs about 2lbs and my dad and son each had a cheap REI blue poly tarp, but we got them up just in time for it to start coming down in absolute buckets. This was an acid test of my tarp pitching skills to say the least. We all stayed high and dry and had a nice nap listening to the rain and watching the river roll by.
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A word of warning if you bring your ground-dwelling friends here: I wandered around to all three sites during the rain and every flat spot that a tenter would find ideal for pitching on had at least 2" of water on it. That would be a miserable experience indeed. The rain finally cleared up after dinner in time for us to have a nice fire. We tucked in around midnight and even though the Etrol hammock is a bit small for me at 9', I still slept like a daggum baby.
Conclusion
This is a fantastic spot for green and experienced backpackers alike. I couldn't imagine a more perfect experience for my son's first time in the harness. I do believe this spot is rather popular with the locals, so on a weekend where it wasn't supposed to storm you might find yourself elbow to elbow in here. We saw only three other humans on the first day, but on our way out there were gobs and gobs of backpackers and day-hikers on the trail. Wear good shoes, bring your trekking poles, and practice your storm pitches.
The Gear
- Hammock: Etrol "The Bat" 9' Gathered End
- Tarp: 9'x10' Blue Poly with Paracord CRL
- Suspension: Daisy Straps and great big ol' 1lb carabiners
- Insulation: Kelty Tuck 35 Mummy Bag
- Cookset: Trangia 27 w/ 4qt Stew Pot
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