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Foothills Trail Backpack - Section 1 - Oconee to Bad Creek Access


The Basics:
Event Type:Backpacking
Event Location: Oconee State Park   Backpacking: Foothills Trail Backpack - Section 1 - Oconee to Bad Creek Access  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Aug 25 2018  6:00 am >> Sun, Aug 26 2018 5:00 pm  (Carpool Departure: 6:00 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Tue, Aug 14 2018 8:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Aug 23 2018 5:00 pm
Event Duration:1 Days 11 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D6: Advanced
Distance:32 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
John
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:8
Minimum Group Size:3
Number Registered So Far: 8 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Join us for a weekend backpack on the Foothills Trail. The Foothills Trail is an approximately 77-mile National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina. It extends from Oconee State Park in the west to Table Rock State Park in the east.   Backpacker Magazine has rated it one of the best long distance trails in the country.  The Foothills Trail truly packs in the best of hiking in the east coast in its relatively small trail length. The Foothills Trail is blazed with a white rectangle like the AT.

I plan to lead three hikes with the AOC this year to section hike the whole Foothills Trail.  This will be the first of the three sections. The first two sections will be approximately 30-33 miles each, and the last section may be an short overnight or a day hike of about 15 miles. The second section will be Bad Creek Access to Laurel Valley Trailhead. The third and final section will be Laurel Valley Trailhead to Table Rock State Park most likely as a day hike.

This will be a rain or shine event and will only be rescheduled for dangerous weather.
 
We will meet at the carpool location at Indian Trail Park at 6:00 AM. Please be there 5 minutes early to make introductions and set up the carpool.  We will leave Indian Trail Park and Ride to prepare the shuttle for this event.

The shuttle will involve one of two options depending on the number of hikers as shown below.

Shuttle Option 1: If there are no more than 4 hikers, then we will leave Indian Trail Park and Ridge at 6:05 AM and head to Bad Creek Access trailhead located here 35.022553, -83.022064.  We will leave a car here and all pack in the other car which will drive us to Oconee State Park located here: 624 State Park Rd, Mountain Rest, SC 29664.  This would be the most efficient shuttle in terms of time.

Shuttle Option 2: If there are more than 4 hikers and fewer than 4 drivers, then we will leave Indian Trail Park and Ridge at 6:05 AM and head to Oconee State Park located at 624 State Park Rd, Mountain Rest, SC 29664. Both cars will drop off their passengers who will wait while the two drivers go to Bad Creek Access  trailhead located here 35.022553, -83.022064 where they will leave a car and drive back to Oconee State Park.  The shuttle between the trailheads will take about 1 hour, which means the hikers will have to wait at Oconee State Park and Bad Creek Access while the shuttle drivers shuttle the cars.   This would be the least efficient shuttle in terms of time, but allows us to take more hikers.

Hike Overview:

THE ELEVATION ASSOCIATED WITH EACH DAY ARE APPROXIMATIONS BASED MY READING OF MAPS AND ELEVATION PROFILES AND COULD BE WRONG BY A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET. 

Day 1: ~ 16 miles (~1,800 feet of elevation gain).

We will begin at Oconee State Park Trailhead and follow the white blazed Foothills Trail. This first section of the trail will have multiple blaxes for various trails, but we will continue on Foothills Trail following the white blazes. The highlights of this part of the trail include several waterfalls, hiking along the gorgeous Chattogga River and camping at a popular car camping spot called Burrell's Ford.   We will decide where to eat lunch as a group en-route.
 
Day 2  ~ 15 miles (~1,700 of elevation gain).

From the campsite at Burrell's Ford, we continue our hike on the Foothills Trail to our cars approximately 15 miles away. Along the way we will pass some nice views of Lake Jocasee and Upper White Water Falls, the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. I anticipate reaching the car no later than 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

Late lunch early dinner in town is an option and will be made as a group decision.


Required Items to Bring:

Hiking Boots / Shoes

Backpack

Tent / Tarp / Hammock 

Sleeping Bag

Sleep Pad

Food and Snacks (2 days worth)

Water and Filtration / Purification device, Drops, or Tablets

Headlamp and spare batteries

Change of Clothes and Towel for Drive Home

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Camera

Hiking Poles

Sunscreen

Bug Spray

Stove

Matches/Lighter

Maps/GPS


How to Get There:
Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):280Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 6:00 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $112.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.