Twisted Laurel

 

Rocky island in Lake Jocassee

Ruthie and I left my home October 25 in the rain and it stayed with us the entire drive to Devil's Fork State Park in South Carolina. We returned in heavy rain from Hurricane Zeta October 29, soaked through from packing up despite our raincoats. The day after we got back, the hurricane remnants blew so hard, the trailer was knocked off the plastic plates I set under the front supports in my driveway. However, the two full days we were at Lake Jocassee, the weather was absolutely lovely. (Please remember, you can click on any picture to enlarge it.)

Lake Jocassee was created in the 1970s by Duke Power in a deep gorge at the confluence of four rivers that fall clear and cold from the Appalachian Mountains. The lake has 90 miles of coastline but has only 38 private residences on it. The rest of the lake is Devil's Fork State Park and wilderness areas. The lake is known for it's clean, clear water that is almost Mediterranean in coloration. It is a favorite spot for divers, fishermen, and swimmers willing to tolerate the cold. 

Jocassee's deep blue waters

It was still misty with occasional drizzle on Monday morning so Ruthie and I decided the day would be well spent visiting area attractions and enjoying the fall colors. Ruthie had not been to Caesar's Head nor had she spent much time in Brevard. Caesar's Head, also a South Carolina State Park, is a fabulous overlook. The ridge, at an elevation of 3200 feet, plunges 2000 feet to the Piedmont below. On a clear day, you feel on top of the world. On this day, in the drizzle, mist blocked our view. Coming back from Brevard, we stopped again, hoping the sun had burned off the clouds. This time we were above the clouds, looking down on a dreamy, pillowy world. You can see just the tips of the mountains across the valley peaking up through the cloud layer--still not the view we had hoped for but maybe more beautiful.

Caesar's Head in the morning mist

Casear's Head that afternoon

From Caesar's Head, we traveled up the road to Brevard for lunch. We found steamed bagel sandwiches at this outdoor cafe, one of many outdoor seating venues provided by the town. Brevard is an artist's community with lots to see, though we were not comfortable entering any of the galleries with the
pandemic raging. 

Happy Ruthie!

When we got back to our campground, we weren't ready to settle in for the evening so we decided to take a hike on the park's only nature trail, a 1.5 mile loop through mountain laurel, endangered wildflowers, astonishing mushrooms and rich fall color. I found myself humming the Red Clay Ramblers's song Twisted Laurel as we walked the trail where the laurel lined the creek. "And the dark  water springs from the black rocks and flows; Out of sight where the twisted laurel grows".

I was thinking Monday could not be beat for beauty. I was wrong. Tuesday we took a 4 hour boat tour of the lake on a very comfortable open pontoon boat. We saw numerous waterfalls. Then the guide took us up two of the four tributaries and showed us where suspension bridges serving The Foothills Trail, a 77 mile backpacking adventure through North and South Carolina, crossed them. 

As if all this weren't enough, Ruthie had not seen Bridal Veil Falls. I can remember, early in my North Carolina residence, driving through the mountains to see this place where a very narrow, twisting US 64 (which used to be my address in Staley, NC--US 64 runs the length of the state "From Murphy to Manteo" tho Jerry Bledsoe claims that it is really "From Whalebone to Hot House") actually ran underneath a waterfall. Really. I drove it. The state has since widened the road and moved it away from the waterfall but you can still pull off and see it. Which we did. Then Ruthie took me to dinner in Highlands and we headed home to bed.

Ruthie standing in the old roadbed

As I mentioned, Hurricane Zeta followed us home. Or rather wrapped us up as we traveled. But it was seeing my trailer blown off its blocks the next day that blew me away. 

That yellow square used to be under the front foot. 
And that rear wheel chock was under the wheel before
it was popped out when the trailer shifted. Whew.

I was a  poll worker November 3 (thank you for voting, and especially for voting early). We had lots of PPE and took every precaution, but I'm self-quarantining just in case. My last trip of the year will be the week before Thanksgiving. The kids and I are going to a new campground right on Lake Mattamuskeet. I want to see the winter migration and the kids are tied up on Thanksgiving Day so we'll celebrate early. Stay tuned!