I had started the day on a foggy hike up Georgia's state highpoint at Brasstown Bald and later, an enjoyable hike up Rabun Bald, also in Georgia (click here for those reports). This put me very close to the South Carolina state highpoint on Sassafras Mountain. It was a short drive mileage-wise but lengthy because of all the curvy, one-lane mountain roads I needed to follow. I went slow and enjoyed the scenery, marveling at all the green; however, I was lucky if I could average 40 mph. By 3 pm I was inside the South Carolina state line and near Sassafras, which actually sits on the South and North Carolina state boundary. Options to gain the highpoint include some long hikes or an old road to the top - or very near the top, where it ends at a parking lot. Not wanting a long hike this time of day, I opted for the lazy-man's route. I parked, curious to note I was the only person up there going by my car being the only one there. The walk to the "top" was short, and I had to walk around a bit to be sure I hit the highpoint. A couple of locals on their quadrunners rolled up; they were surprised to know they were at or near a state highpoint. The area was fairly uninteresting and trashy. I think I spent a total of 30 minutes on the hike before returning to my car and driving back down the road.

As a side note, this was my first time ever inside South Carolina, and once I left the state, the last time. I think South Carolina may hold my personal record for least cumulative time spent within the state borders. Every other state I've been to I've at least poked around it for at least most of a day. I think I was probably insode South Carolina a total of maybe an hour. I'd like to return some day.

The plan now was to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina's highpoint. However, I found myself slightly confused as to how to get on the Parkway. The BRP is a 470-mile long, 2-lane road that winds through Virginia and North Carolina high in the mountains and is run by the National Park Service. As such, it's not designed for fast travel and there are only a few entry/exit points along the route. And I couldn't find an entry to it. I found myself getting lost in Asheville before I finally found an entrance to the BRP. But as I drove to the Mt. Mitchell area, the weather really fouled up severely with dense fog, rain and ominous dark clouds, so I retreated to Asheville, where I took a hotel. I decided to come back to Mt. Mitchell a couple days later. The next day was extremely stormy and downright scary - I ended up going back to Mount Mitchell via Virginia and Kentucky!