Table Rock Ups and Downs Part I

Yesterday was a perfect day for a hike! Even Weather.com agreed with us on that. We set out on our pilgrimage completely prepared. We had sandwiches, hot soup, water and trail mix. We had our first aid kit, glow lights, and emergency blankets. We had maps, books and clues, of course! I even wore my Pocket Full of Rocks T-shirt over my long sleeve shirt in case we got lost and ended up on the news: ) I figured a little publicity for my cousin's band couldn't hurt. Plus it's a really cool T-shirt! Over that I wore a red vest for easy spotting.
Those of you who know me, know that it was an extraordinary accomplishment for me to be this prepared. My unusual sense of caution came from the voice of all of my friends who care echoing in my head. So you see, you all are rubbing off on me: )
The boys came with us. Being 12 and 13, we thought they could handle the hike. And handle it they they did! I venture to say that they were far more physically prepared than we were and have fewer aches today than we do!
Our prelude to the hike was a stop for a roadside 'Hiawatha' box. This was clever and fun to find.
The hike itself, however, opened with tragedy. As I was climbing a steep grade in search of a hidden treasure, my camera, which had been wrapped around my wrist, fell off and rolled down into the waterfall below (while I truly looked on in horror!). We were able to retrieve it, but it is not working and I was not able to take pictures of the wonderful sights we saw yesterday. Unfortunately, I spent the next two or three miles consumed in grief. My camera is almost a part of me. It is truly one of my most loved means of communication. Once I overcame my sorrow, I tried to catalogue as much of the wonder in words as I could to share with you. We'll see how much I can remember.
Anyways, in spite of my grief, I couldn't help but be in awe of the boulders and rocky giants that guarded the trail. Table Rock trail is a difficult hike. It is constantly up, up and up! There are steps gouged into the stones to help you on your way. For all of it's difficulty, we saw many young and old traveling the way. We saw cub scouts, boy scouts, teenagers, and retired folks. We saw families like us and young couples holding hands. We saw a grandfather and his four year old grandson. Amazingly we never heard the boy whine! The common factor was that we were all pilgrims on this well worn highway to our hiking mecca and we were all panting at one point or another!
As we forged ahead past the stone trolls, we eventually came to Governor's Rock. This rock is a God-send. As you come up out of the trail onto the rock face, you are first overwhelmed by the sudden open sky. Then the enormity of the rock you are standing on hits you. Finally, as you return to normal breathing, you take a seat and let the beauty of the spot sink in. The rock face itself is rippled and pocked, covered in spots by a soft worn moss. The moss is graced with yellow flowers that sway in the mountain top winds. The view from this rock is a western-facing view towards the two highest points in SC, Sassafrass mountain and Pinnacle mountain. We were tempted to be completely satisfied with making it to this point. However, after a few minutes rest, we pressed on.
The trail ascends a little after this and the gives you a chance to rest your weary feet along a ridge. The light speckled through the golden, orange, pink and red dangling fall leaves. At one place in the trail we walked under a few red maples. The light passed through the trees and then reflected off of the carpet beneath our feet and bathed us in a salmon glow. It was a surreal feeling. We found the summit of Table Rock and enjoyed another brief rest.
After the summit, we headed down hill a good ways before coming to the famed 'Table'. We investigated the many rock faces, each time going on a little further. We found a great picnic spot on some soft moss covered rock under the twisted wind blown pines. From our spot we had a view of Slicking Rock Falls. This is a huge scar shaped Rock face on an opposite mountain side. A monarch butterfly also flew lazily past our heads. Our lunch was a welcome feast! We had peanut butter and honey, chips and hot chicken soup. Wally-world carries these soup/hot chocolates containers that are self heating. Too heavy for an extended hike, but we were willing to carry them for ours. Yum! Nothing like chicken noodle soup on a mountain top.
Once our bellies were full and our feet were rested, we got up the nerve to find and 'Adrenaline Junkie'. We found the true end of the trail and the box. This, in itself, would have been awesome, but we were seeking another mountain top experience.