S. C. Notebook; The Palmetto Trail

What a production of South Carolina EGD. Hello I'm John Wells one of the greatest hikes of all time took place along the Atlantic

coastline in the years 15 68 and 15 69. David Ingram Richard tried and Richard Brown three young English sailors were members of a raiding expedition of John Hawkins one of Queen Elizabeth's Buccaneers. The ship was disabled in a fight with Spaniards. The men were put ashore in the Gulf of Mexico and were picked up 15 months later by a French vessel off Nova Scotia. They want to cross what was to become Florida head up the Atlantic seaboard through Georgia South Carolina and on through the coastal forest making friends with Indians and navigating by the stars. They were on our own. What a great adventure. Across the United States today are many trails of 14 hikers a chance to get away from civilization and into the woods. Much has been written about the values of a wilderness walk. Great poets and nature writers such as Byron was with a chance and you were Burroughs so told just a few of the many that have heralded the healing magic of majestic forests. Ralph Waldo Emerson 18 0 3 to

18 82 wrote in the woods to a man casts off his years as the snake his Slough and at whatsoever period of life is always a child in the woods. This perpetual youth within these plantations of God Dekker room and sanctity remain a perennial festival is dressed and against it sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years in the woods we return to reason and say. The truths of America are riding the crest of an all time high for a month long trail the Pacific Crest Trail of California Oregon and Washington and the Appalachian Trail on the East Coast are three of the country's oldest and most famous trails. And South Carolina will soon join the list with its own long trail of 400 plus miles of non-motorized recreation trail connecting the mountains to the sea. It's the vision of our guest kit Smith the Richland County Council member and in 1994 chairperson of the fallow Conservation Foundation.

In announcing the projects she said the Palmetto Trail will bring South Carolina communities and communities together in a unified project for future generations. Tom Sheehan is Penn the trail's coordinator operating out of the Columbia office of motor trails a nonprofit trail building organization and just a few months ago reported the trail was maintaining a pace that could see it completed late next year. Jim Smith is the state trails coordinator South Carolina state trails program of the Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism. And parallel after poll survey after survey to recreation is listed as one of the major wants and needs of our citizens and trails and hiking walking among the top kids you've seen those studies and you feel bullied by that support in terms of the trills concept. Absolutely I know that survey that we did in which they can eat their Recreation Commission showed walking to be the number one priority and I think this is an opportunity for people to really walk.

Did people know about the moto trails today in South Carolina is that it has had newspaper press television published Woody would you say that if a survey were done people would understand the Palmetto Trail concept probably not. It's not it's not that well-known yet but I think that there's a growing awareness of it and among hikers is probably well in a long while course but general population we need to get the word out further so everyone can access and enjoy it. Let's look at a map in fact if we can in a minute and talk with attention Tom you've been involved and you said that we are maintaining a pace. There have been occasional discussions I want don't want to say setbacks but it's not that easy thinking back to the West Coast to the crest. That was difficult. Now your trail takes you as you see on the screen right now the viewers can see with this from Georgetown on the ocean all the way across the strait into the Blue Ridge.

What at this point has been completed. Well if you look at the arrows you can see that it's pointing to eight different sections that are currently open. And each one of those section has a corresponding map with further details on how to get there and and what the trail is like at that area. You know it's a confused as you can see there was the pine tree the symbol the state parks are scattered throughout but you have now you see six different sections are open there are eight states that are open now. And as you can see if you look across the state. The original design made the most use they could of the public lands that were available. You can see we go all the way through Frances Marion the Sumter National Forest in the upstate. Have you had a situation along the way in education of landowners and the public as to what this really means. Oh yes it's been interesting working with landowners getting them to agree that the use of their land and that that's an interesting going

through Francis Marion as well. Kendra acres of course one of those involved in some of the concept in negotiation and where do we stand right now relative to what percent would you say the trail is you know completed or ready in the in the sense of existing trail. OK. There are 100 parks 130 miles that are on the ground at this point. Of that 400 So about a quarter of the way. I don't think we're going to be completed by the year 2000 but I know we are planning to have a hike. In that year I'd like to be long there would be a great hike kid are you going to try to make that much out of a good life. Let's talk with Jim Schmidt from our South Carolina PR TV because your agency has been instrumental and one has to to consider the funding and I know a lot of corporate and individual support that but pr t is an agency supports as well.

Yes and we've been a big supporter of right from the beginning. Cannon his group put together a committee you know to study a chord or across the state and BRT was involved in that. And then when I was hired as state trails coordinator in 95 a big part of my job is working with Tom and the other folks developing the Palmetto Trail as we go step by step. Jim are there and we were blessed in South Carolina with great state parks that are the refused state parks that will come into play relative to the trail itself. Yes I believe our it was maybe our second maybe the third opening was in points at State Park points that is next to Manchester state forest and it was just turned out to be a really wonderful experience because we have our only section that's open to a quest Rams. Connecting Mill Creek County Park through Manchester and then on to points at points it has been very involved with it and now we're looking at our state parks right now as we're looking at the new Jocasta Gorge area. You know the Jones gap Table Rock we talk to a devil's fork so will be a much bigger

player then all the way into Oakland. This was as we can and yes we'll talk more about that let's take a look at let our viewers take a look at part of the trail as we go down through the first section to open which was in January of 1996 the Lake Moultrie passage. And we want to thank Sandy Cooper for this video this will give us a look of what we see down there. And if you would Tom and Jim if you've been on this section talk about what the hiker will see on this portion. This was our very first opening and Anne springs close hiked with us and we had we had two reporters from The Charlotte newspaper that went with us. And so say a Santee Cooper folks dropped us off and we hiked along the dike. They had primitive campgrounds of course brought in the water. Believe there was like 10 or 12 of us who did the hike. It was a two day hike. And we hiked into the grand opening there. But it's just a beautiful part of the state this has to be in January. So we had great weather. It was you know chilly but great weather

for hiking and walking. Do you anticipate folks hikers will use this in all four seasons. You do have to be here. This particular trail we hear about all the time Santee Cooper actually keeps track of the folks out there and they'll get 100 folks out on a weekend using part of it because we do have four primitive campgrounds available. It's also very popular with mountain biking because it's flat. But you're in their woods. But then come up on their dike system and you just get beautiful view of our Lake Moultrie down there. And one could imagine you might it spawn occasional alligator. We did see alligators a lot of Eagle are down there a lot of other wildlife. So you get that sandy island you know. Sandy beach any beach is open for camping down there so it makes an area that quote had never been opened to the public. Santee Cooper was just wonderful to work with and their forestry people helping develop the trail and now we have an area of the state that most

folks never had a chance to see but can get back in there either hiking or biking. And boy you just you just it's just beautiful. So the population sections of the Charleston North Charleston Columbia I guess even Florence can easily flock to that area. Well the trail will be within reach of easy reach to really all of our residents that was part of the design. I guess good. That was one of the considerations the other one was the being able to access public lands to make it easier to put the trail together. But we're also drawing a lot of people tourists and they are using the night for tourism and eco tourism are hot items and people coming into the state stop at our welcome centers pick up the brochures and they're used in the trailer as well. Let's walk in a sense between the three of you since you're so in tune with them on a trail from the Lake Moultrie passage and tell you because to a degree an up through and when we get to the middle and segment for Jackson we'll we'll take another look at a video there. But beginning I guess down to France's

Marion National Forest at Georgetown we come up through the century lakes and who wants to bring us on up into Columbia from there. I'll walk you through it and you can't stop me whenever you. It starts out all went off on 17 and then takes you through Frances Marion. There's approximately forty two miles of trail. Really nice old boy scout trail that they worked on and made a real nice trail through France with Mary and that ties right in with Lake Moultrie takes you around Lake Moultrie and then over the diversion canal will connect with the Utah Springs passage which was just opened in April and that will take you around Lake Marion and the biggest on the west side. And that 3 0 1 we will cross Lake Marion and then head up towards the high hills of Santee. And that will take us through the Mill Creek County Park and sister state

park and through. Point State Park and then will come out right at the Campbell Creek Road which will take us to the old watery trestle which we are going to completely cross thing that will get us across the watery River which will be a spectacular view of the form through that area. Is that is that the trestle that was burned there at one point it was a trestle across there but had been set fire that had caught fire and burned or is that in that area this is near the only one of the old rises ole gulp of the watery river somewhere in that area but Or is this a brand new I'm not familiar with you know has a series of about nine truffles I believe I saw you across and they're in there in good shape. Yeah nine truffles and a major bridge. But this actually is the right away that back in the civil war that drains were backed up on and blew up the Union forces filed the

Confederate trains backed up so it's got a lot of history in that area. But this was abandoned two years ago with the pelota trail have signage interpretive signs at some points. So folks will not only know some of the natural heritage but the cultural heritage of the area. Definitely I mean the education part of it is very important. And we'll be working on that. And once you cross the trestle and at that point again you're coming close to one of the earliest naturalists in South Carolina and his trail John lost an English gentleman and a Realtor of sorts he settled much of North Carolina for the Indians I'm afraid got a hold of him then and punished him for past atrocities. I suppose it's the way it was. John lost his trail comes up through lowered slow and along the watery. You come up along this side then of the watery river up 6 0 1 and connect with four Jackson right before checks and passes and right at six I want this. All right let's take a look at it from an earlier nature scene

where were nature seen visited four jacks and looked at the various habitats now the trail itself will be closer to actually Leesburg road but we were visiting different parts of which X and this should give you a look on this clip from nature seen about the terrain out there. Very important habitat part of the management process here which Jack Oh yeah look at the needles now again longly pine is a really good common name when you look at the length of those leaves on it and then you see all sorts of other plants lower growing plants that come in that are very very common some appropriately named sand word is the common name for that small one there with white flowers on it and an adjustment to Sandy situations like this that are very dry. Look at those little leaves almost most like leaves and again put up with carbon from water evaporating away makes pretty good sense stagger Bush is another one out there that's got flowers on it hanging down poisonous plants so I guess the name stagger Bush reflects the effect it has on some animals and color over here really I've seen that

flower in other parts. That yellow flower and other parts of it that's Koku common name for that is for coon. Typical of sandy soils are well-drained souls in the sense that when the rain comes it goes right through the sky and there is harder rock underneath sand stones and mud stones that will be looking at a little bit later. But basically the water doesn't stay at the surface very long right here leeching away a lot of the nutrients so we'll be telling the natural history story out for Jackson through this half hour. Yeah. And again when you look around San Myrtle is flowering in here asked to see Carolina paint flowering almost looks like a little flocks to help their great variety here and again they they've protected some of the diversity on this on this board and that's what we want to take a look at today. 30 this is one of about 20 or so on here at Fort Jackson. And what a great place for habitat for so many different. Oh yeah and you can expect the world to change when you have standing fresh water like this. This is so pretty and it really looking out in the distance they are so nice with the pines on the far side. But what really draws me and look over here on

butterflies coming congregation a butterfly will come into the wetlands the most of those are very very fresh. All of them are swallowtail those big ones and really there are three different three different species there gathered from the tigers while the tail very easy to identify the other two are closer related and now the bright yellow and those black stripes like a tiger stripes. Is that the common name. And those are probably males and they're so brightly colored yellow females are usually very dark in tigers while the tails in this part of the United States and you see the tongue down getting a drink of water no question about that. And in the darker ones really to the larger of the two dark ones is a Palin media swallowtail with a little more of like color on the underside of the wings. And again getting a little sip of water. Boy that's a neat one very common in in the sand hills in the coastal plain and then the other are dark with a little smaller spice bush wallop. This is a very different for Jackson than I remember 30 years ago as a.

Member of the company here at headquarters. Yeah it is interesting when you get away from very important work that the army is doing in training and see what nature's doing is it's fun and it really is. There's a lot of variety here. And when you come in the spring sometimes you get surprised by beautiful flowers look at that. Kalmia latifolia mountain laurel is the common name for that thing just beginning to open up now. That's a plant that you expect to see in the mountains Piedmont here it is and why is it here would push down probably about glacial activity in the past and still able to survive mainly because of the rock outcrops you see the little ridge here of the sandstone rock more of that sedimentary material. We talked about how that formed and how it causes ridges like this because it's so solid gives a great new rolling pine hills like now that sand hills. In a sense from here to eternity I mean Longleaf Turkey as far as the eye can see. And that gives us sort of a picture of what the hiker will see not exactly right on the

trail but close by you could actually come by ICE's pond and through the rolling fine hills and depending on the time of year you will see those flowers in bloom. Always always a joy to get out into nature even though in this case you're just really a few hundred feet from in some places from civilization and the highway I guess it parallels to to a degree leads to Leesburg Ridley's for growth. Let me bring the diversity and the beauty that really is there for Jackson so close to the city because we had the you had the grand opening out there in April of that passage the general was a bit wary I think in February which General was there with you and other officials at U.S. Army. Was the army good to work with the kid did you have to come in to play there with county council or was the army very easy. They were wonderful and supportive We've had support from our congressional delegation from the State House Senator John drama has taken on very active interest in helping this and it doesn't ever hurt as a politician when the public wants something and let me tell you that people love

this trial that's great. Is there a way of knowing Jim through through PR teeth the usage of the trail since the first section opened and can you track those that are using the term. We're not really keeping a hard numbers but a lot of anecdotal information I mean my wife and I live at the entrance to Fort Jackson and we go in probably four or five times a week to use the trail biking walking our dogs and there's always people at the parking areas and always people on the trail out there utilizing it because it just takes it's a beautiful part of the fort as you know high says pond in twin 20 lakes or part of the recreational area of the fort. So we're not stuck on the complete edge of the Fort so a lot of Fort people use it and a lot of citizens have come in and using it. Leaving for Jackson you come down through the city of Columbia to the New River Alliance projects along the Congaree saluted in the bud right.

I take us down through there Tom if you would just. And then from there on in the upstate we can just talk about it all from the fort or working with the city and the county to come up with a trail that will take us through the city and eventually tie in with what the Three Rivers Greenway is doing. We may temporarily you know just come through the city until we can and you know that part is renegotiated to a degree right now. And when you go through the Thomas Sumter Francis Moore the Francis Marriott where we head north up the broad river and then we will be tying in with the Sumter passes or the right to passage through Sumter Forest also be crossing an area that's open called the Lynches woods in Newbury. That's also a beautiful little park and that will take us right into the Sumter National Forest. There are right now about 18 miles open on the Sumter passage but we will continue to go all the way through the Sumter forests. And once you hit South Carolina and South Carolina Highway 11 and into the you know the blue

wall of blue ridge front you're really into God's country. At that point it is just absolutely so peaceful serene beautiful and protected thanks to Joe Cassidy and the people of South Carolina for that great project going to power of course. And there you join up with some existing trails where you go through the foothills trail or is that separate from it. I think that's going to be separate. Jim you want to address that. And what we're doing we're looking at coming into the Jones gap state park and then we'll utilize Jones gap. There's an existing trail over to our table rock and the foothills trail utilizes the saying that's what it's a spur off of the foothills trail. But the most exciting thing right now is the opening of the jackassery gorge property that DNR now owns and is looking at a trail from Table Rock to clear we talk a way parallel to Highway 11. So we would be much farther to the south. And parallel to 11 then the foothills trail currently much of the foothills trail was in North

Carolina. So it really opened up a wonderful part of the state and you could even do loop opportunities if you want to do some really long backpacking. So that's what we were looking at right now. There are many books and publications about the trails in South Carolina. Here's a new Falcon guide by John Clark called hiking South Carolina. And there are other pet matter trails or South Carolina trails books. Also if we could mark if we could get a shot as well of the on the table here let me put this book on the table with the other things that are available. You have a guide throughout the course bumper stickers a guide on each of the passages open. You also have some editorial caps and T-shirts so you have through I guess your web address or through your office's various publications that will help people of South Carolina and they can contact that through the website of w w w dot palmetto conservation dot o r g and

find out tons of information if we've just scratched the surface here on this edition of South Carolina notebook. Hats T-shirts books guides what's in the future for them out of jail. More openings in the year 2000 the through hike assisted and we're always looking for volunteers for work days. The store out of work to be done and they can find you through the website. They sure can and could smell it how does it feel to come up with a vision a dream a concept to see it actually a reality. Amazing when we first raised the idea. There's no way I thought it would ever happen in my lifetime. And to say that we'll be able to walk this date in the year 2000 and see all the diversity and of beauty and experience the history is incredible today and that we're doing this and protecting it for generations yet unborn.

So it's a it's a great feeling and I think that the best thing about it has been the team spirit this been there this hadn't been a one person show at all it's been bottom up and top Dan and wideout. Well it's been said many times ancient saying that said we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors we borrow it from our children. This gives our children a chance to see appreciate and enjoy the beauty of South Carolina and the tourists as well as to come to our states. Thanks to Kate Smith Thompson Jim Smith and thank you for watching in South Carolina notebook will see you next time.