The Foothills Trail Complete - Instructions Included
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
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This video is about my solo 3.5-day thru-hike of the 77-mile Foothills Trail in March, 2021. The weather was bad, the hike was challenging, and I can truly say that I wouldn't have completed my thru-hike of the Foothills Trail without the things I learned during my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Usually it's the other way around!
In this video, I documented all the challenges I faced, as well as showing the trail and its landmarks. I also discussed the way I planned my thru-hike, including the guidebooks and maps I used.
My route went from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park. I used my usual backpacking techniques, which are explained further in the videos below: I use a tarp rather than a tent, I don't use trekking poles, and I hike in Luna Sandals. Along the way, I eat a high-fat, low-carb diet.
Why I use a tarp, not a tent or hammock, is explained in this video -- • No Tent, No Hammock: H...
An explanation of the hows and why of the sandals I wear on the trail -- • GEAR REVIEW: LUNA SAND...
Why I don't use trekking poles, explained in this video -- • NO TREKKING POLES? App...
***WHAT I DO WHEN I'M NOT BACKPACKING***
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Filmed with a Canon G7 X Mark II and edited on my computer with Cyberlink PowerDirector 14.
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The music is this video was produced by me, Evan Schaeffer. As with all my video music, I allow others to use it for free. See www.evanschaeffermusic.com and, after reading the information there, download my music from SoundCloud or the Free Music Archive. You can also listen to my two albums of video music (Glow and Big Splash) at Spotify or at Apple Music--just search for "Evan Schaeffer."
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“There’s A Bird outside my tarp, who’s optimistic about the day”. Best after a stormy night quote of all time. Great video. Love the foothills trail. One of my favorite trails. 👍👍✌️
Evan! I was waiting for this video and it did not disappoint!! Can’t believe all that rain you had. Very scary with the storms that night. Sunsets and I just watched this together and I’m sure we’ll be watching several more times before we hike it this fall. You are a wealth of information! Thanks so much. Cheers!
Glad you liked it, thanks again for the help arranging the shuttle!
eWolf! Stoked to see this video of you on the Foothills Trail in my backyard! PS - I respect that you don't put adds all in your vids.
Thanks Loner!
This trail is my personal favorite. Just enough ups and downs, and the Duke engineers must have had a blast designing it like a walk through a park with the various features. I'm sure that when they put in the ten million wooden steps, they thought it was a great idea. They apparently didn't consider that with the passage of time, they'd become slick as snot when wet. Folks generally don't think "Great hiking trail!" when they think about South Carolina. But the Foothills is a great hiking trail. There's also the Palmetto Trail that isn't completed, but sections of it run from the mountains to the coast and offers cycling and horseback riding on parts of it. Thank you for hiking these trails and taking the rest of us along with you.
Yes, it's definitely a great trail!
“Sorry I’m a complete mess.” Evan you are literally hiking in rain and rain storms. 🤣 you’re good. Thank you for taking us along.
My favorite backpacking videos! I learn so much.
Yes sir buddy. Only three others I watch that are on Evan's level.
Thanks! Glad you feel that way -- and thanks for commenting.
Yes!
I watch your videos because they are pure joy. No disappointment over here. I also learn when you share your reflections.
I'm the guy from Alabama who recently emailed you about Legal Underground. I did the FHT back in November last year. This video brought back some fond memories. I need to go back there sometime. It's almost getting too hot now, but after summer comes and goes, I bet you'd like the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama. The GA sections still have couple of long road walks, but the Alabama sections are almost all in the woods.
Thanks for that! The Pinhoti is a good idea.
That trail looks very well marked & maintained. I would 100% like to do it after seeing your vid, thanks man.
True -- very well marked and incredibly well maintained.
I’m about to take my kids on their first thru hike so I rewatched. I’m hoping for better weather, but seeing you stay positive in the rain will help if we do get rained on all week.
Lots of knowing “yeps” watching this video. I did the FHT finishing at table rock over 5 days ending 1/1/22. Very similar weather for me, I think I had *maybe* 8 daylight hours of no rain over my 5 days? 40s temps daily and fog most of the day and definitely every night. Tornados nearby on night3. Me and all of my non-sleeping gear was wet starting afternoon #1 until checking into my hotel 1/1. Had I known the weather I never would have attempted. Having completed the trail in this kind of weather I learned so much and enjoyed it so much (I was prepared) I’d do it all again without a second thought. Was so happy to have my umbrella and my poncho tarp. I watched Deliverance in my hotel after completing the trial!
Such an awesome and well maintained trail. You and I both know well why water is never an issue on the FHT. I’d love to do it again sometime without the rain and with views…but if it didn’t work out that way I’d still love it.
Ahh I’m late to the party! Yay loved this! Love that it was 45 minutes long!!! Not sure if everyone does but I definitely prefer that! All that rain definitely reminded me of the AT😫 triggerringgg haha anyway awesome job Evan! Killed it!
Not very late to the party though! Yes, reminded me of Virginia, but colder.
You are an expert "Tarpologist". With all of that rain, I wouldn't have been surprised if you pulled a Noah and built a cuben fiber Ark...
Hah, nice.
Evan, my son and I hiked this trail, literally one year after you did. We did the trail after I showed him your video. I have just released the video series on my channel. I have commented before on your videos...that I started my channel after watching your thru-hike of the AT. You are an inspiration to me, as I now love filming my trips. Appreciate ya! Crow
Thanks, appreciate it!
The Foothills Trail is great, I don't envy your weather conditions though.
Speakinh on linking trails....There is what some call SALT (southern appalachian loop trail) Foothills trail, Bartram, AT, MST, Art Loeb, Bracken Mountain Trail. Pick a starting point and go :)
Love all the trails in that part of the country!
"Some of the scenes of the movie Deliverance were filmed along this river.......I'd like to go back and watch that movie..." a RARE hiker statement.
Hah, true! I think I'm actually going to re-read the book first.
You know they canceled school Thursday here because of the tornadoes that were “coming”... My wife wouldn’t even let me mow the grass!!!!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!!I’ve played around Burrells Ford, Bad Creek, Whitewater River and Oconee State Park. Glad you survived Evan!!! Come back soon!!!!
Thanks Chris! Funny about the schools. I'm always happy when the tornadoes don't actually show up!
I immediately watch Evans videos when I get the CZcams notifications. eWolf's work is so interesting, objective, and informative I have watched many of them quite a few times. And I will continue to do so and glean all I can out of them.
Thanks for that nice comment, as always!
Another successful episode of Tarpin’ It with Evan. You really got cheated on the weather but I’m glad you enjoyed the hike. That’s probably my favorite trail of all time.
I'll have to do it again in better weather.
"This is a wonderful trail." (thinks: *except for those dang wood block steps!) Great vid, Evan.
Hah, thanks!
We watched your AT video this weekend. I’m enjoying this video too. Be safe and have a great day!
Thanks for watching!
Evan, good to see you’re still putting out videos. Really like the minimalist equipment you make work. Thanks
Hey Evan glad to see you on the trail again. Fun fact I was watching your channel a few years ago when I started my channel which influenced my channel name greatly
Thanks Brian!
Thanks for taking us all along for the ride. Great video!
Happy to see your videos again it's been a while love that area you hiked great job Evan.
Excited to see your videos this season. Always appreciate the history as well.
Another excellent adventure Evan. Thanks for sharing.
I hope that you do that LASH of long trails and film it! 😍
I agree it would be a cool hike!
Great video Evan!
SOOOO glad to see you hiking again!! My anxiety goes into high gear when I'm on a bald in a lighting storm. Once was enough. Really enjoyed it this video. Thanks for taking us along.
Was just in that section of the Chattooga, incredibly beautiful! Thanks Evan, for the help with the Bartram, I’ve completed the GA section. Another great video. Thank you!
Good to hear about your successful completion of the GA section of the BT!
Excited to hike this trail after visiting Table Rock. Such a magical place.
You are the man! Great video sir I really enjoy them and always learn a lot from them!
Great video. Really enjoyed it.
Thanks for showing us your tarp setups! It's always my favorite part of your videos.
What a beautiful trail despite all the rain. This video made me want to hike it!
Thank you for talking is through your tarp set-up. Love hearing you thought process and considerations. Those waterfalls were impressive. Thanks for sharing you hike.
Great video! Lots of good information. As always, love that you take the time to show us your tarp set up!
I enjoyed it as always. Thanks
Always glad to see you back in the jungle.
Loved it, thanks Evan!
Evan, great to see a video from you again, always the best hiking content!
Thanks, appreciate it!
Thanks for the video,,,as always great information
Thank you for the advice on maps and trail guides!
The Foothills Trail is gorgeous. I solo hiked it in the fall and started where you did. Most of the first day was in a cloud, so no views on top of Sassafras, just white in every direction. Thank you for the excellent videos!
36:03 😆
Thanks for commenting!
I had to get off of it last year after 15 miles. I think it's amazing that you finished it in that amount of time. Great job
Nicely done, thank you.
Great to see another video from you. We'll have to check this one out!
We just got back from Table Rock yesterday...and still can barely walk. Loved this video and so happy to see the channel so active. Your videos are amazing and inspiring.
Thanks for video Evan. Thru hiking the FHT is on my 2022 to do list.
Sometimes it’s tough to have a good time while backpacking in the rain, but you demonstrated how being prepared allows you to overcome the rainy days (and nights). Thanks for the informative video!
Still amazed about your sleep system it’s something I’ve learned from for my Hiking adventures another great video , Thank you
So enjoy your videos Evan!!
Thanks Christy!
What a soggy slog that was. I was taken back to several of my hikes in the 70's and 80's. Thanks for the video Evan.
Good video bro! You stuck it out in that rain like a champ....
I've been really curious about this trail, thanks for the great video Evan!
Thanks, Ryan -- it's a great trail.
Quite enjoyable as usual. Thanks for bringing me along on your trek.
You're welcome!
I was glad to see this video. Hadn’t seen you in a while! Cool! Thank you for the video!!!
You're welcome!
Great film Evan. I too had rain on and off on my thru-hike of the Foothills Trail. You hit on so many great topics. I went the opposite direction.
Good to see you back on the trail.
Thanks!
Hiked this trail about 4 years ago. We saw construction equipment on the road up to the top of sassafrass mountain and wondered what they would be building. Your video answered that! A brand new observation deck. How cool is that!
Great to see you back out on the trail. You provide great content. Currently in the middle of my second viewing of your AppLATCHian Trail series. Keep up the great work!!
Thanks for commenting, glad you're watching. I am skilled at pronouncing "Appalachian" both ways, which perhaps is something I shouldn't brag about!
Man, wish I'd known you were in my backyard. I could've shown you my AT prep loop trail... it's right up your alley
Thanks for sharing your journey on the Foothills Trail. I’ll be there in three weeks from today.
Hi Evan. Your footage of the Thompson River was so beautiful. Thank you for sharing this incredible trail with us. Im sorry it rained so much but it made all the falls so full!
True, there was more water than usual in the rivers and the falls, which was nice.
Awesome! Glad you weathered that bad storm. Love the Foothills trail. In good weather , it is fairly crowded. Keep the videos coming. Hike on!
Thanks Tammy!
Evan, excellent video as usual! Great overview of the trail along with tips for hikers. I was hunting around the Internet for info on this trail and your video popped up. Planning on taking a crack at this sometime in 2023, so this certainly helped much. Hike on!
I appreciate that you spent time explaining your thinking on the setups and candid review of the last night and whether you'd make same decisions. Great video Evan, thanks!
Thanks for commenting -- appreciate it!
Wow your a strong dude! I love all the different shelters that are out there. I definitely use mine as my luxury item. Keep up the great vids!!!
Thanks!
Great video !!!
Thank you! Very helpful!
Great video! I enjoyed watching and learned some stiff. I plan to do my very 1st thru hike on the FHT, so this video really hit home.
Great video, Evan! Enjoyed the detail on your campsite selection and explanations of your thinking. I just finished the FHT March 13th (my first thru hike), but went thr opposite direction. Sorry you had a cold rainy trip. Thank you for sharing the experience with us!
You're welcome -- good luck on the AT!!
WOW that weather did Not let up! we thought maybe it was gonna get better on day 2 but that sure didnt last// did make for awesome waterfalls and creeks but just Wow you are amazing doing all this in that weather. i love a day in the storms but overnight for Days/ i couldnt do it thanks a million for taking this on and taking us with you
You're welcome!
🌲🌲🦅🌲 thank you for sharing your videos 🦌🌲🌲🌲
Great video of a great trail. I thru-hiked it a couple years ago. I was caught in one hella scary summer thunderstorm just at the Big Bend Trail junction-high wind, continuous lightning and thunder...I felt very small and very insignificant. The rain and wind were so intense I sat on the wooden footbridge and hoped for the best. Lightning and water always scare me more than animals, though I did listen to a bear one night rip apart a rotten tree and presumably feast on grubs. 🤪
Thanks for the comment. Sounds like my experience might have resonated with you! As far as my fears go, I worry about falling trees or branches when I'm sleeping. It might be irrational, not sure. When you look at a hillside and see a ton of fallen trees -- well, you might be looking at 50 years of blowdown history in a single glimpse. Of course there are some areas that are decimated by a big storm all at once.
@@EvansBackpackingVideos I agree. One of my closest wilderness areas is second growth forest atop old stone mountains. Shallow roots are no match for storms!
My wife and I will be hiking the FHT next week. For us, your video was very timely. Thanks for posting, Evan!
Good luck on the trail!
I see you're still rockin' the sandals! Great to see a new video Evan. I watched Hawk's Foothills hike a while back. Very cool trail. Love the bridges. Hope you are well. Rock On!
Thanks for the comment! Yes, I still like the sandals.
Wow. What a trip. That rain was brutal. I like your challenge of the 600 miles. This is a wonderful trail. I think Josh Sanders did a part of that trail. It’s always good to see you on another video.
Thanks Scott!
Great video! I especially enjoyed that you showed your food before and after and were doing a higher-fat diet on the trail. I also liked that you showed the tarp setup in detail each night.
Thanks for the comment. Glad you noted what you enjoyed most.
I did 17 miles to Burrells Ford Campsite this past weekend.
The weather was awesome.
Great trail and thanks to the trail maintainers.
Yes, it's a great trail. Thanks for commenting.
I found sections of the Foothills trail more challenging than a lot of areas of the AT.
It was in the 20s for us and a LOT of stairs in sections, so we had to carry more weight and had to deal with the impact of stairs, which led to knee-pain for myself.
I would recommend training with stairs and probably poles to reduce the impact a bit on the way down and of course, "go as light as possible"
Yes the stairs are rough!
My hat is off to you Evan. You perserevered in tough conditions.
What terrible weather! The trail looked absolutely beautiful though. Thanks for taking us along.
That's right -- awful weather but some beautiful scenery all the same! Thanks for commenting.
Great video. I'm about to hike it and this was great.
Great, hope it helps, and good luck on the trail!
Great video. I really like the foothills trail. I have done a few sections with Loner. I hope to get back to it someday soon. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ken!
I live not far from there and generally if a major rain is coming it will come from the sw. Of course with a tarp you can change it if need be. Love your videos.
Awesome video! God willing I’m planning on doing this in September. I empathize with your weather woes… I had a three day trip on the AT that rained the entire time, just like that.
Great video! I know it's not so pleasant hiking or filming in the rain, but it makes for great watching. I'm planning to hike this trail in the other direction some time in the next year. Thanks for the tips on where to get the map and/or guidebook.
Your aeronautics training is benefitting your weather prognostication for your hiking benefit.
Hah hah, you're on to me!
@@EvansBackpackingVideos with a full understanding of relative humidity, fronts, ceilings and barometric pressure you might not ever have to wipe morning Dew off your tarp again. If you deposition Mother Nature you may be able to arrive to rainbows, partly cloudy skies with views and a cool breeze on your next trip. My local weather forcaster growing up had to go out to the garden to squeeze the tomatoes to predict the rain.
@@markgang1861 Hah hah, thanks!
Ive day hiked all over upstate SC and NC but have never done an overnight hike and have always wanted to cut my teeth on the foothills trail. Your video has helped me make up my mind. Thanks for being helpful and informative in your video!
Good luck on the trail!
@@EvansBackpackingVideos Thank you and same to you!
You knocked out some serious mileage, sir. Hats off and all that. The Foothills trail has an active group of folks who keep improving it, which makes it fun for us folks to hike it. Nice and job on the video.
Edited to add: regarding the Inreach, google "rain fade" which may be the issue depending on the spectrum it uses.
Drew -- thanks very much re "rain fade," I'll do that! Someone else suggested I look into a "personal locator beacon," which doesn't fail as often, supposedly.
Did it in 2018 and will be redoing in a week or so. Fun to see it coming from table rock but due plan oconee to TR. Good stuff and enjoy watching your videos.
Thanks!
As Loner said, great to see you do the Foothills Trail. Just recently did the Pinnacle Mountain section as a day hike. Loner and I ran into Hawk a couple months ago doing this trail. Thanks for the GAIA app recommendation in one of your previous videos. All I use now. 👍🏼👍🏼
Yes, I like that app. What I didn't mention is that you can locate yourself on the map via GPS even without a cell signal, which is what I like the most.
Yu met hawk ? Huge fan of his
Congratulations! I hiked the FHT in May (in six days). I watched a few FHT videos first, but I didn't see this one until today. I just found your video channel recently, as a side effect of becoming a big fan of Liz Kidder's videos.
Another one that’s on my list! Thanks, Evan. As I’m watching this I’m in Corbin KY headed back from another smoky mountain hike. Video coming soon, working on the story development ideas.
Nice, good luck with the video!
This video really makes me want to do this trail!
Yes, it's a good one.
All the up and down stairs before Lake Jocassee campsites are called “Heartbreak Ridge” .. brutal steep and very slippery. Great job for getting thru that even at Evan speed! I saw Early Riser did them in the rain after dark at the end of a 25 mile day I think. His and your caliber of hiking are insane :)
Thanks Terry. I heard people talking in their videos about "Heartbreak Ridge" but I didn't note the location and I was wondering about it as I hiked.
Great to see ya Evan. We are getting ready to hike that trail, thanks. Been watching your Benton Mckaye trail video's. Yours are the best documented vid.'s By the way, Nimblewill Nomad is hiking it right now. He is thru hiking at 82 years young.
Thanks for the comment, appreciate it! Those Benton MacKaye videos seems like a long time ago!
great job and video. thanks for all the info! i'm heading out for a 5-4day starting oct. 24