Jones Gap State Park
The temperatures last night dipped into the 20’s. I wear at beanie hat to keep my head warm. I’ve started putting a Mexican blanket on the pillow and place my head between two folds. The Hest Sleeping system provide an 11.5 R factor insulation and with the sleeping bag I’m pretty warm.
I wanted to make oatmeal for breakfast and was having issues with the stove. The flame was inconsistent. I played with the knob on the tank and closing it seemed to help. The tank also seemed light. I made a note to get the tank filled. I was able to make my coffee and oatmeal.
Ingles Grocery
I needed a few groceries and found Ingles nearby. There was a Starbucks inside the store and they had work tables and wifi. There were other people meeting up with friends a few doing work inside the store. I fetched my computer after shopping and did some planning and writing.
I predict there will be more demand for these spaces. Places where people can go to work on their laptops, meetup with people, shop, fuel, and participate in various activities. Multipurpose areas that support smaller community groups.
Jones Gap State Park
After lunch, I headed to Jones Gap State Park. Unfortunately, the connection with the iPhone and Outback USB port cutout and I lost the route to Jones Gap. When I reconnected, I didn’t have cell service. I unsuccessfully tried to find my way without using google maps. So, I began the search for a cell tower. The 50 minute trip became a 90 minute trip.
Arriving in the park, there is parking on the righthand side. There is also handicap parking at the ranger station. I parked and the air was cool and moist. There was a scent of fresh cut pine in the air.
I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trail, and packed food, first-aide kit, and bear spray. There was a six dollar charge for using the park. Payment is made by filling out an envelope and depositing $6 in a box at the entrance. I learned that the state parks in SC do not receive tax payer funds.
The walk from the parking lot is very well maintained. They dropped wood chips along the path and have a fairly new bridge that crosses a stream. Once across the stream, there is a trout pond. I assume them remove the trout for winter. There were also plaques along the way describing the various types of trout that could be found in the stream.
I stopped at the ranger station to check on the condition of the trail. It was a beautiful stone building and would have been fun to hangout at in the spring or fall.
Rainbow Falls Trail
The Rainbow Falls Trail is listed as a moderate trail in AllTrails. It follows the stream coming down the mountain from the falls. There are other trails that branch off of this trail, leading to ridges and falls on other parts of the mountain.
About 10 minutes into the hike, I met Jerry Lane. We stopped and chatted for about 15 minutes. Jerry was in the military and lost his wife a few years ago. He is a successful writer of fiction such as The Coffin Man, Soldiers Love Stories, and Cruel Assassin. A Hollywood producer is looking at one of his books for a movie. It was interesting meeting and talking to him.
The trail winds through the lower forest, crossing the stream at various points. Water trickles off the stream at points and crosses the trail. The park service does a nice job of maintaining the trail and places stepping stones at strategic points.
The lower trail, like many other trails, is covered with dirt and leaves, which cushions the walk. As this trail begins to climb, more rocks appear. At various points midway, there are minor waterfalls. It’s nice to stop and have a snack and listen to the running water.
Two-thirds of the way up, I met Noel Hilton, a security guard at a nuclear power plant. His arms were as big around as my legs. We chatted for a while and he pointed out some lizards near our feet. I took some photos and he told me he likes lizards and snakes. Apparently, he owns many snakes and knew a lot about the snakes in the area. As we parted, he told me there was no one else on the remainder of the trail.
The upper part of the trail is really rocky and the park service has built wood and stone steps to make it easier to get through.
Often they use logs to make steps and prevent erosion. At some places there are natural steps and they’ve add additional stone or wood steps.
I often wonder how they move these huge rocks and cut them without roads to get equipment in.
The falls get their name from the fact that the mist coming off the falls often creates rainbows depending on the angle of the sun. I didn’t see any rainbows while I was there.
Propane
After the hike, I drove to Greenville Ace Hardware to get the propane tank filled. They told me to take it over to filling area. The young guy filling the tanks said, “I’ve never seen one of these small tanks".” He added, “That’s a nice cover you got on the tank.” He filled it and it came to .6 gallons. The bill was $2.68. This was the cheapest I’ve paid to refill my tank. Some places charge by the gallon and have an inflated rate. Others have a minimum charge based on refilling a standard gas grill container. I’ve paid $20 to have the same tank refilled.