Haiku Farm Blog Hop

I do love blog hops :)  This one comes from Haiku Farm and is a great way to re introduce myself to any readers.

Straight from her blog:

Here's the directions:

• Answer the questions (below) on your own blog, and leave a link to that post in the comments here.
• In your post, invite readers to answer the questions on THEIR blogs, and link those blogs to yours AND to here.
• Let's see how far this can travel!
• Pictures!  Let's see lots of pictures of people and horses!

1) Introduce Yourself

I am a 34 year old full time working mother who lives in SC. My son is my whole world and pretty much everything I do is with one eye on him and how it will impact him. That doesn't mean I don't get out and do stuff for myself, but he is my #1 priority at all times. The way I figure it, why else be a mother?

In 2014 I decided to open my own private podiatry practice and added yet another layer of responsibility to my life. For the most part, I think it was a good decision, but there are times that I question my sanity. Health care is a very interesting beast here in the USA and one that I am extremely passionate about. Never get me started on the state of affairs of health care unless you have several hours to dedicate to the subject. The elderly are my main focus point.

Wyatt got face paint for his b-day. I made him a shark and he made me a purple monster (Lord Dregg from TMNT) then we went grocery shopping. The looks people gave me were priceless. 

Outside of all that, I love to read, color and have 15 active pen pals from all over the world.

2.) Introduce Your Horse

Gem is a 15H bay mostly Arabian mare. She has one line of QH way back on her pedigree and is actually registered as breeding stock pinto. I have her papers stashed away in our safe, but haven't looked at them in years. She came to me in 2010 and will hopefully not leave again for a very long time.

Her registration picture. Attitude all the way.

She is extremely intelligent, holds a grudge like no other and is not very brave or confident. It took me 3 years to convince her to open up and let me in and ever since we have reached a new level in our relationship. With all her quirks, she is extremely athletic and game to try almost anything I ask of her.

3.) What is Your Favorite Horse Sport? Do You Cross Train in Other Activities?

Ride and Tie is my true passion, but I don't currently have the means to do much of it. Combining running and riding is just so much fun and a whole new layer of athleticism is required. No one can say that the horse does all the work, thats for sure!

Endurance is a close second with the hunter pace series coming in a third.

I don't think I truly cross train, at least not nearly as much as I should. I have such limited time right now that I tend to stick with what will have the most impact on our ability to compete. In the past I used to do quite a bit of intro level dressage work and jumping during the week and then trail riding on the weekend. With the up coming move, I hope to get back to that routine.

For myself, I run three times a week working with an interval app. It has really made a big difference in my enjoyment of running and my times. I think I may actually like running now! Pre Wyatt I lifted weights two days a week as well, but you know...that whole time thing again. There just isn't enough of it.

How I feel about running most days. Having to squeeze it in at 8:30 pm after a 10 hour day of work followed by playing with Wyatt before bed, may have something to do with it. 

4.) Who Else in Your Family Rides?

That is easy - nobody!

5.) What is Your Proudest Equestrian Accomplishment?

Hands down the Biltmore 100 mile endurance ride. Finishing it in 18 hours with plenty of time to spare and mid pack with enough horse under me to go out again if needed was inspiring. Gem was a beast and never let me down.

Pictures Courtesy Liz Stout

6.) What Was Your Lowest Moment as a Horse Owner/Rider?

The entire first year with Gem was really bad. I lost my temper a lot. She had no interest in me. We just were not on the right page and ended up fighting each other way more than we should have. Things got a whole lot better when we moved to WI and she was in my back yard so we could just hang out together and learn to like each other. Then it just kept building from there.

I can't find any pictures of me in WI, so this will have to do to prove we really did once live in the snow. 

7.) What is the Most Important Small Thing You Learned in a Lesson?

I haven't taken many real lessons, so I don't have a lot to pick from. I'd say the best thing I was ever told was by a friend:

Horse + Rider = 10 Always.

When Gem comes at me at an 8 I need to calm the poop down and bring my own level to a 2. Likewise, when she is Miss PokeyPants at a 3, I need to up the ante at a 7.

It has really helped me in a lot of situations.

8.) Do You Have Any Riding Rituals or Superstitions? 

Not really. I always groom her starting on one side from head to butt then walk around, give her a big hug around her neck, then do the other side.

That one time I go bus lost for 6 hours in the woods without food or water. Oops. It did teach her to eat and drink whenever able thought, so that was one good thing that came out of it all. 

9.) What Are Your Short Term Goals for Yourself/Your Horse?

Move the horses home so I can actually see my horse again. Then I would like to begin riding again and build back up to where we used to be fitness wise.

More of this please!!

10.) Long Term Goals?

Make that elusive Decade Team in endurance. Only 7 years to go!

I'd like for Gem to get her bronze medal in 100s (only 2 to go), but I'm not so sure I'd like to be the one in the saddle doing them. Night riding just wasn't my thing.

Even longer term, I'd love it if Wyatt got interested in some level. Maybe he could be my R&T partner, do hunter paces with me or tackle to endurance trail. Any and  all would make my life complete.

11.) If Time and Money Were No Object, What is Your Dream Equestrian Vacation?

A coast to coast ride across Wales on Welsh ponies. It was our 10th Anniversary plan, but then we had Wyatt. When I was traveling overseas, Wales was my favorite place on earth and honestly, retiring there some day isn't that far fetched.

Our honeymoon spent in France

5 days of riding from the French Alps to the Mediterranean

Pure perfection

12.) What Kind of Horse Activities Were You Doing 10 Years Ago?

None. I was deeply entrenched in medical school, living in the city with horses no where in sight.

13.) What Type of Horse Activities do You Think You Will be Doing in 10 Years?

That seems so far off. Gem will be 28 and our decade team either awarded or abandoned. She will likely be retired or just doing short fun rides. I'd guess I would have a new horse although I can't even begin to imagine what that horse will be.

I'd love to branch out and learn to jump on a horse that actually enjoys doing it, so that will play a big role in what type of horse I'd have.

What I'd love to be doing is R&T with Wyatt.

Riding with the hubby again would be lovely. We rode really well together with him begin braver and pushing my envelope a little each time. 

14.) What is the Quirk About Your Horse That You Like Most?

Gem watches for me coming into the barn drive and knows my car (it is pretty funny when I get a new car). She then come over to the gate and makes sure I know she knows I am there. Once I get out and say hello, she takes off at a gallop with tail flagged to the far side of the pasture. I have to go out and walk over to her while she stands behind a tree, hiding. Once I am within 50 ft or so, she will slowly walk to me and put her head down to get her halter on.

It is a cute game she has to play. We will see how it changes once she is home.

2016: What A Year It Has Been!!

"Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life"

- Robin Sharma

2016

It is a new year. Again. Funny how fast the time keeps flying by. Things begin in 2016 much like they left off in 2015. Gem is looking a little under weight and shaggy, but seems content enough. My eyes are set on two days of 50s at McCauley Farms in April, but I am a little concerned about her condition. The first ride of January is soggy, slippery and grey but a lot of fun as I explore Kings Mountain State Park for the first time along with a good friend. 

My suspicions are confirmed though on the 6th when the lack of forage and access to water catches up to us and Gem suffers a, thankfully, minor bout of colic. It is enough for me though and I begin a frenzied search of the internet for a new barn. Two nice places and one crazy lady later and we land on a semi private eventing barn 40 minutes away. It will be the farthest Gem has ever been from me, but the barn is really close to all the hunter paces so it seems like a wash. 

Winter can't clear off fast enough as February rolls around. Having been put in charge of the horses' nutrition for the first time, I dig into some major research: articles, presentation transcriptions, anecdotes, forums, and a contact with one of the best endurance nutritionists. This is all summed up here. Gem is placed on Triple Crown Senior first, but just doesn't seem to have enough energy on it so I switch her to the Complete formula which she excels on. Pete, poor obese man that he is, is given boring TC Lite. That isn't the only change for Gem - she gets a new side pull bridle and breast collar. The first Pace of the year kicks off at FENCE. I make a major piloting error, because life isn't interesting enough, and redo the entire first loop causing us to complete 30 minutes over time and way out of the ribbons. Sorry, Gem!!!

Looking like a real endurance pony! Wait...they all look bored to death, right?

March. You are a very interesting month. Turns out that warmer weather, better food and longer day light hours turns Gem into a bit of a freak show. Our first ride ends with me splatting unceremoniously on my back with some head contact. Its as good of an excuse for a new helmet as any though and the shopping commences.

Who me?? I would never do such a thing!! 

Fellow blogger Karen sends me a wonderful package: a new custom brow band for the Gemmiecakes. It fits onto the side pull really nicely and Gem really does look great in it. Time is starting to catch up to us and the reality is that Gem is not in the right condition to attempt a 2 day 100 so soon. BUT..... given another month she should be just fine for a 1 day 100 and the plan to make it to Biltmore 100 is hatched. By the end of the month, I am already starting to feel the effects of the 40 minute drive to see her which is resulting in less time at the barn and even less time on the trails.

One final change occurs this month: new kicks. After 6 years of being barefoot, Gem gets steel on the hinds and Easy Care NGs on the fronts.

The sun is finally staying up longer and longer, day light savings time has occurred and the breeze has turned warm - April has arrived!!! It starts off with a bang too as we tackle the Green Creek Hounds Pace  coming in insanely under time for the first time ever. Gem feels amazing the entire ride, is forward and happy and free and my grin never fades.

It is like riding in a fairy forest. 

On the 18th, I get to experience my first ever trailer tire blow out. Not fun. Enough said. The River Valley Hunter Pace on the 24th is a lesson on remaining calm when your riding a fire cracker, but we manage to finish upright, together and not bloody. Even though we are 9 minutes over time, I still consider not dying a win.

And thus we enter May, the single best month of the entire year, and before I know it Biltmore is upon us. The Biltmore 100 mile ride  is by far the single most amazing physical achievement of my entire life. I never feel too tired to mount back up again, Gem feels strong the entire day and never, ever spooks. Not one single time in all 18 hours and 100 miles.  Night riding scares the crap out of me and I pretty much just black out the entire first loop in the dark. When we go back out to repeat it again, I don't recognize a single thing. Fear. Its an amazing thing. Will I do another one? I'm really not so sure. I'd love Gem to do 2 more to get her bronze medal, but I really didn't enjoy riding in the dark and won't be fast enough to come in before it gets there. Lots to ponder for the future. At the end of the month, I get a tattoo to commemorate the event forever.

This sucker deserves to be extra big!

June sort of gets the shaft. Gem is on her 4 week break and gets to just fatten up, heal any micro trauma the ride caused and relax in the early summer sun. The best thing to happen all month is crewing the OD 100 for Liz. Not only do I get to help her complete her first 100, but I also get to meet and spend over 24 straight hours awake with Nicole and Carlos who are just simply amazing people.

On July 6th, Gem gets back on the trail again at Du Pont Recreational Forest. I'm curious to see if she is as brave, forward and free as she was during the 100, but no...she is not. I completely ignore the year end gathering for the hunter pace series since I missed the final three rides of the season, so I am caught off guard when I get notice that I have my 6th place (out of over 240!!) award!! Gem is earning her keep :) The rest of the month is scattered with some dressage type lessons, debating about where to go from here and just not getting back into the groove much at all.

While my own blog starts to lag from lack of any interesting content, I'm still avidly reading my favorite blogs online. One of which belongs to Olivia and I enter her contest as she switches over to a new format. In early August I win a handmade new bonnet complete with red fabric and unicorns on the ears.

Thanks Olivia!!!

The only other exciting news this month is a brand new car for me and a brand new to us dressage saddle for Gem. I absolutely adore my little red car and it fits my personality better than any other car I have ever had. I'm not so sure Gem feels the same about her new saddle, but it fits her well and it does the job.

Meet Red 

My lack of mojo continues pretty strong in September. Life constraints, the job and the long drive to see Gem all keep piling up. I manage to take off work to volunteer for the AEC Championship up at Tryon which is really fun. I have a creepy encounter on the trail at Croft this month and my ThinLine pad literally disintegrates while I try to hand wash it. Way to go September - you rock...not. One great thing does happen though - Dusty tackles an incredibly difficult, both mentally and physically, 24 hour run and does it with a smile.

A swift kick in the pants comes along with October in the form of the Ride and Tie East Coast Championships.  Theresa pairs up with me and holds up way more than her end of the bargain. She runs more than her fair share of the miles, but we still finish the long course and earn our buckle. I really love R&T and wish I could find a full time partner. I really think I would pretty much ditch endurance for R&T if I had someone to go with me. There are enough rides within a reasonable drive to make a full season out of it. Any takers??

The energy from the R&T quickly fades away again as the reality of my situation keeps hitting home. In November I meet up with a new riding friend at my favorite trails, but the day is squashed a bit by the fact that it is 11 hours from home for 90 minutes of riding. Something needs to change.

And change it does!!! At the end of the month we sign a lease on our very own (rental) farm. So many things led to this and my excitement is palpable in the air. Having Gem home means that I can see her every day. I can ride her every day. I can go out ad ride for an hour and only spend an hour away from my family. And not really even away since it will be in the hay field right next door. Sure, it isn't perfect. There isn't a barn, arena or trails. But I don't care about fancy. I care about seeing my girl every single day.

Overall, 2016 was the single best horse year I have ever had. With a 100 mile completion, R&T Championship belt buckle and 6th place overall the hunter pace series, it will be a year to beat.

After a ho hum second half of 2016 and complete lack of enough energy to care, 2017 is looking like it will come in and bring with it a refreshing amount of happiness.

ASSF Blog Hop: Location!

While there are some major horse happenings going on here, like perhaps maybe possibly "borrowing" some beautiful vinyl fencing and a horse shed from a property about to be torn down for housing, nothing can really move forward until our move in date.  Then it will be game on as we fix things up and prepare for the Dynamic Duo.

I did stumble upon a very interesting blog hop by A Soft Spot for Stars and really enjoyed reading about other people's regions, so I thought I would chime in on this one. Since I board 40 minutes away from where I live, I will try to cover both areas and highlight where they differ.

REGION

The Upstate of South Carolina is nestled an hour to the southeast of the Blue Ridge Mountains and three hours northwest of the coastal plains and ocean.  We are a little too far away to be in the true foothills, but it is still mostly rolling type hills. While there is a lot of pasture land, the area is also heavily wooded with deciduous pines and hardwoods. The horses are closer to the mountains and in a much more rural region than where we live although we hope to one day move about 20 minutes out into the more rural part and still stay close to family and work. 

 My typical view through my favorite black tipped ears

There are numerous large lakes that sport dozens of marinas, hiking trails and fishing opportunities. One thing that does make me sad is the lack of wildlife. I've seen maybe a dozen deer in three years even in all my rides and hikes. Wild boar have crossed my path a time or two, but really there just isn't much. I'm not sure if they have all been hunted to extinction (doubtful given the horrific amount of hunting that went down in WI and the large numbers of wildlife still around), but I'm guessing that it is just too hot and too dry for wildlife to thrive. I'm sure it is out there, but we have been in some pretty remote areas and still didn't even see a squirrel. There are a lot of birds of prey, but few song birds. 

Mountain views as well

Beef cattle and horses are the dominant pasture animals although goats and sheep are around as well. Only one dairy exists in the area and it has become a tourist stop for locals. Coming from WI, that is really funny. No real crops are grown save some small local farmers with vegetables that they have you pick or they take to the farmer's market. The red clay and dry, hot summers are just not conducive to growing large acres of crops. Vegetables are grown year round though. I find it odd when people are just starting to plant in November for a December harvest - broccoli, cabbage, winter greens are all grown in the winter months. Fresh vegetables are really available year round. 

Delicious home grown cabbage picked in December

As far as facilities go almost all have a barn, outdoor area and room to hack around the perimeter of the grounds. I'd say half have lights and half don't even he high end ones. There are a lot of cross country courses to play around on for a minimal day fee or to clinic with. Turn out is usually plentiful. I don't know a single facility that doesn't have turnout and most are very spacious. Stall board usually comes with day time turnout in the cooler months and night turn out over the summer which was new to me when I moved here. Indoor arenas just don't exist. The fanciest places will have a covered out door, but very, very few have a full blown indoor. Round pens are also not a thing here.

COST OF HORSES

Pasture board - $250 with grain and hay twice daily and typically enough summer coastal and winter       fescue planted to allow grazing most of the year.

Stall board - $400 around us and $600 up where the horses are

Training board - $1,000

Trim: $30-50

Shoes: I've paid $70 up to $260 for all 4, so I have no clue. I think average is $120 for a set of 4

Hay: $7 square bale of fescue or coastal. Timothy has to be brought in and I've seen it as high as $14. I don't buy round bales, but they typically run $35 for fescue or coastal. I've paid $19 for a compressed bale of alfalfa.

Lessons: For beginner intro level stuff it seems to be $35 for a private hour. Anything more than that, or with any of the numerous big names around here, it is averaging out to be about $50 for a private half hour or group hour.  

WEATHER

The real reason to live here!! The unique placement between the mountains and the coast offers a break from typical weather patterns of the state. Too far away for hurricanes or snow with a light breeze to help move the humidity. Although, I must say this year has been odd - we are currently in a severe drought (we were over 10 inches short last month), there were then wild fires all around us and last Wednesday there were two confirmed tornados only miles from my house and work that flattened whole neighborhoods.

We still get to enjoy four distinct seasons with beautiful fall foliage, however winter is truncated and summer lasts forever. Fall and spring actually exist as separate seasons from winter too which is such a different experience than living up north where they both just felt like variations of winter.

Since we are currently at the end of fall/early winter, I will start there. The rain typically begins in November and runs through March or April and it brings with it a damp cold. Temperatures do get into the low 20s/upper teens at night, but thanks to the extremely hot southern sun, the days tend to stay in the upper 30s or low 40s. I ditched the Ohio unicloud a long time ago and am happy to report the skies stay blue and the sun warm even in the dead of winter. We will get a snowy mix about once or twice a year which shuts the entire city down.

Snowzilla 2016

Spring is my all time favorite. Starting in March the temperatures get to the 50s and 60s again and the flowers burst out. The rain can continue, but generally there are enough breaks for the sun to keep things dry. Nothing like thawing out up north where everything was a mud pit for months on end. The sticky slick red clay does drain really well.

Summer bring stemperatures that consistently stay in the mid 90s with several weeks in the upper 90s/100 range. This isn't so bad, but the humidity does kill you. It really isn't safe to ride at all in July and August. The mornings do give you a brief respite and you can get a ride in just as the sun comes up, but the evenings are suffocating as the sun goes down and the humidity rises. Summers are typically very dry here with minimal rain.

Then fall comes in around the end of October or early November. Temperatures finally drop in the 70s and the rain begins to return to the region. I've worn capris and a short sleeved shirt on Wyatt's birthday the end of November every year since we moved here. It is fantastic.

RIDING DEMOGRAPHIC

Hands down, it is predominantly English based with eventing taking the top spot. With Aiken 2.5 hours one direction and Tryon 1.5 hours the other, you can't really escape it. In my opinion, dressage and all the competitive ways to be on the trail (endurance, ride and tie and hunter paces) as well as recreational trail riding, are tied for second. There are a ton of trail riding groups based here and the endurance community is really strong. There are 4 endurance venues hosting 7 rides throughout the year within 3 hours of my house. 

Hunter/jumper land isn't really on my radar and I don't see a whole lot about it although I'm sure it occurs often and the western disciplines are pretty much on the fringe. There are three large fox hunting clubs as well.

            OTHER NOTES

While it is extremely rare to have trail access from a barn, there are numerous places to go close by. Within 2 hours of my house there are 7 state or national parks with trails that I can think of off the top of my head, plus Biltmore. 

With all the riding that goes on around here, there is only one tack shop in town and it is really expensive with a weird hodge podge of all english items. I'm guessing most people drive up to Tyron or over to Aiken for any major shopping. I've been up to Tryon and I was not impressed at all with the selection they had. It was all show stuff and very over priced. Also, there are no consignment shops. I find that really odd. Of course, I came from Ohio where I lived 15 minutes from Big Dees and Schneiders along with about 5-6 mom and pop shops and a wonderful consignment shop. I think I was spoiled. 

THINGS THAT FRUSTRATE YOU

Hay. Hay really frustrate me. When someone tells me they have a hay field I imagine a field like up north: tilled, planted and fertilized grasses meant specifically for hay which is cut three times then turned over and restarted from dirt again the next season. Down here people, quite literally, just mow their front yard and call it hay.  It astounds me every time. No care. No tilling. No replanting. They just cut it when it is high enough and repeat just like you would your front yard (which most of this time this is with house and all). Strange. Plus coastal really is poor quality when compared to timothy and orchard and fescue isn't much better.  

Lessons. I really don't know how you learn to ride down here. Everyone just assumes you own your own horse. There are only 3 lesson barns with lesson horses for you to learn on. The rest of the plethora of trainers only lesson on your own horse. I had originally thought that when Gem retired from riding, depending on Wyatt's stage of life, I would likely not repurchase and instead just take lessons and learn to jump or do dressage on a lesson horse until I could once again devote my time to my own. I really don't see how that is possible in

this region as nobody does that.

Big Changes Are A Commin'

Sometimes, if you are patient and open enough, The Universe gives you what you need just when you  need it the most.

Things have been odd around here. I've been in a major horse slump. The 40 minute drive has sucked my motivation away and now that it is dark before I get out of work, and there are no lights at the barn, I am limited to weekends only. Dusty has been working a lot of extra shifts at the emergency clinic on the weekends to help with some bills and get some Christmas money stored up, so even my weekend access has been severely limited. I did squeak in a really fun second ride with Zoe a few weekends ago on the only day it has rained in 3 months, but all that did was solidify the fact that all the driving was sucking the fun right out of riding.

Money has been too tight to afford the hunter paces this year as well, so I haven't even been making those.

With Wyatt getting to such an amazingly fun and interactive age, I just don't want to spend 4 hours driving to ride for 2. The benefit doesn't out weight my loss.

So I've been neglectful of the bay mare and I feel guilty for that, but then I feel guilty for the time spent away riding and then add on to it having a shitastic ride and well....you get the hamster wheel that has been occurring.

But that is all about to change!!!

Through a bunch of perfectly timed events that I won't get into right now, but may expand upon at a later date, I found myself staring at a small red sign with the words FOR RENT hand printed across it sitting in front of a lush green pasture and small brick house.

I could barely contain my excitement as I dialed the number for more information. Unfortunately, it was a weekend and all I got was a machine on which I left a probably overly excited and breathy message. I then hit up google to find out that the house was for rent, pets were allowed and there was no mention of pasture use.

Over the course of the next 3 weeks, Dusty and I would look at the property once on our own and again with the home owner/next door neighbor and find out the details of the house and property. Turns out it is 16 acres but the back part already has an occupant in it (the owner's horse) and is really overgrown. The front was being used as hay for some cows down the road and was initially not available for use, but after spending some time with us and talking details she agreed to allow us to use it for our horses.

I was keeping it all pretty quiet until we actually signed the lease. I'm not typically superstitious, but I really didn't want anything to jinx it or have to explain why things didn't work out to anyone. We signed the lease today and I'm still shaking with excitement.

As of January 15, 2017, Gem and Pete will be coming home with us!!!!!! It has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember and more solidified after getting Gem nearly 7 years ago. We flirted with it for a year in WI when we rented a house on a boarding facility, but we weren't responsible for their care at all. Now they will be out front. I can sit on the lovely front porch and watch them graze, nap, or more likely, run away from me. I can see Gem, not twice a month, but twice a day - everyday.

When I met Zoe to show her the Clemson trails, I had to leave my house at 5 am to make it to the trail head for 9 am and then didn't get back home until nearly 4 pm even though we completed the 9 mile loop in 1 hour 20 minutes. That was a full 11 hours away from home for not even 90 minutes of ride time! It really took all the wind out of my riding sails.

But now??? Come January, if I want to meet Zoe at Clemson at 9 am I will have to leave my house at 8 am. Three hours later!!! And I will return 3 hours earlier given the same ride time. I AM SO INSANELY EXCITED RIGHT NOW!!!

I love riding, but I also just plain love being around Gem. I am really looking forward to the new challenges that keeping her at home will bring (currently it is finding good quality hay with the drought) and being able to watch her daily life to learn even more about her preferences and personality. Since Pete is basically retired it will also give us a chance to be with him more often and give him more attention.

This move also keeps up our tradition. Since getting married dn 2004, the only time we lived in one place for more than 2 years was when I went to podiatry school. While we lived in the same house all 4 years, my last year was spent all over the country on internships (I lived in 5 different states and visited many more cities) so really it was only like being there for 3. Since then we haven't made it over 2 years in any one house. At least this time we are staying in both the same mailing city and zip code.

Get ready to be flooded with Gemmie and Pete pictures :)

But first we have to figure out how to downsize from a 4 bed/3 bath 3000 sq ft monster house to a 2 bed/2 bath 1500 sq foot normal sized house. Anyone want to buy some junk? ;)

Waterfall Hunt 2016: Spooner Auger Falls

It's been a family tradition for three years now: every Thanksgiving morning we pick a new waterfall out of my hiking guide to NC/SC/GA and head out. It serves many purposes, but in general I just absolutely love the time spent in the woods.

This year the target was Spooner Auger Falls in Oconee County. The hiking book gives decent directions, but they all start from a junction of two main roads which makes us then have to hunt down a way to get to that point. Once there though the directions are pretty specific and include where to park and how to navigate the trails to get to the Falls.

It also gives a little information about the region. This waterfall is set in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Region. Andrew Elliott explored this region in the early 1800s as he marked the borders of NC, SC, and GA. It is over 8,000 acres and somewhere amongst all that wonderfully wooded land there is a small rock placed where the three states intersect that Andrew Ellicott placed and carved a mark into. We did not find it, but will be back to look again!

We made it to the trail head with little incident, enjoying the magnificent views along the way. The leaves are really peaking right now and the reds, yellows and oranges filled the view out of the car windows.

Looking down the trail from the car

We pulled over as the book instructed and struck the trail. With Wyatt being too big for his pack and too small to hike anything more than about 2 miles, we are sticking to the easier to access Falls. This one was a 1.2 mile hike out and was on trail I would declare easy for all except the end which was up a winding trail with a cliff to the river side. Wyatt managed it all with ease climbing over rocks and roots, scaling up the hills and rock hopping over the several creek crossings.

     












The trail was really pretty with multiple places with trees bowing over the trail like an arch. Apparently it had rained that morning because everything was damp. It was a welcomed sight with all the wild fires raging around us and the severe drought we are in. In fact, I was worried the area would either be on fire or dried up.

We followed several switchbacks as we made our way through the woods. I was in heaven. The trees were close to us on all sides and there wasn't a road, house or even a sound outside those that belong in the forest. Well, except for the occasional discharge of a storm trooper gun.

We saw this small fall on our way up and thought it was the one, but we quickly figured out it wasn't

Eventually the trail went straight up as the book warned and we dead ended at the 100 ft Spooner Auger Falls. I was excited that there was still water flowing over it and tried to picture how it would look at full flow.

We played around at the falls for a long time. Learning from past years, we packed a book bag for Wyatt with a towel and change of clothes. He splashed and played in the icy water at the base of the falls and asked if he could "slide down them" multiple times. Sorry kiddo, no broken legs allowed! When hhe began to shiver, we dried him off and bundled him in his dry clothes to hike back out.

The real Spooner Auger Falls

We played around at the falls for a long time. Learning from past years, we packed a book bag for Wyatt with a towel and change of clothes. He splashed and played in the icy water at the base of the falls and asked if he could "slide down them" multiple times. Sorry kiddo, no broken legs allowed! When he began to shiver, we dried him off and bundled him in his dry clothes to hike back out.

The main trail follows the Chattooga River upstream from parking and I was dying to travel it and see where it went. Unfortunately, we were short on time so only managed about another half mile before we needed to turn around and go home to get ready for dinner. We vowed to return soon with a day pack and lunch.

Looking upstream

On our way back we ran into the first people we saw all morning. This is a husky corgi mix and he was adorable!