“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and
adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if
only we seek them with our eyes open.”
Jawaharlal
Nehru
On
our escape from seclusion this past weekend, we headed to see
Issaqueena Falls and Stumphouse Tunnel. My last blog was all about
Stumphouse Tunnel so I will only focus on Issaqueena Falls, which is
in the same park – Walhalla City Park and is located in the Oconee
District of the Sumter National Forest. It is about a seven mile
drive from quaint city of Walhalla which borders the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
Our
three hour drive up to the falls was beautiful, driving through the
gorgeous rural South Carolina countryside. There is so much to see
as we drove by farmlands, small one traffic light towns, and
picturesque meadows full of cattle grazing, as we headed towards the
amazing Blue Ridge Mountains.
When
we turned onto the road towards the mountains, just outside of the
town of Walhalla, the road was curvy and steep at times. The fauna
was typical for being in the mountains with many mountain laurels but
also had the gorgeous, bright green spring leaves coming out on the
trees after a long winters rest. The air was crisp and clear with
the sky being a bright and brilliant shade of blue. What a perfect
day to take a drive.
We
saw the sign to the waterfalls and turned off the main road. We
pulled into the park and got out to take our hike. Come to find
out, it was not much of hike, only a mere 0.4 miles to the viewing
platform. We walked down the well maintained trail and on the
natural boardwalk. The falls were flowing hard when we arrived and
it was gorgeous. The sound of rushing water was exhilarating.
We
only stayed on the platform as the trail to the base of the hill was
challenging and tricky, to say the least, and almost a straight 200
foot steep drop. I attempted to go a down the trail a little bit
but saw people struggling to get up without sliding, so I thought
better of it. I had gone down years ago and the views are
spectacular from below if you are an adventurer. My advise is to
wear good non slip shoes.
The
beautiful Cane Creek flows through the park and leads to the
cascading 100 foot waterfall which was flowing strong. Depending on
the time of year and amount of rainfall, it can change the appearance
of the waterfall greatly. It was a perfect day to see the falls.
Along the creek are many picnic tables in the shade which makes a
great place to have a picnic lunch.
It
seems most falls have a legend and Isaqueena Falls is no exception.
The legend has it an Indian maiden, named Isaqueena, fell in love
with a white settler. She heard her people talking about an
impending attack on the settlement where he was staying which was
where the town of Ninety Six is now located. She rode her horse for
92 miles using only mental notes naming landmarks along the way such
as, Mile Creek, Six Mile, Twelve Mile, Eighteen Mile, Three and
Twenty, Six and Twenty, and finally Ninety Six. When she arrived in
Ninety Six she warned them of the attack and saving not only her man
but the settlement. Her tribe was very upset and wanted to find
her. They tracked her back to this waterfall where it is said, she
pretended to leap over the falls and hid beneath them. They assumed
she was dead and called off the search. It has been said she lived
a long life after she and her husband moved to Alabama. Whether it
is true or not, I’m not sure. But I do enjoy a good legend.
We
had a lovely day and enjoyed the falls. Till next time. Take care
and bye for now.
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