This post is a conglomerate of three noteworthy fall experiences.

1) A phenomenal river hike

2) A sufferfest bike adventure

3) An indie folk concert

To get the true reading experience, listen to this song by Head and the Heart.

1. Rivers

My new home in the South Carolina upstate boasts many rivers that trickle down from the mountains. Living in the foothills of Appalachia affords many opportunities to explore these rivers and their associated tributaries, waterfalls, and lakes.

The Chattooga River is one of them, a pleasant hour-long drive from my home. The Chattooga is a paddler’s paradise, renowned for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and the like. A new friend and I took a short 2-mile hike down to the river to check out the levels since it hadn’t rained in a while. She also promised that it was a beautiful place to picnic and simply sit and think.

Lo and behold, at the end of the hike, there was a waterfall! What a pleasant surprise.

Long Creek falls has interesting features with it’s rugged rock covered in seeping moss. The spray from the waterfall was refreshing as I sat nearby taking it all in. From one side, I could hear the rush of the falls’ cascade, and from the the other, I could appreciate the gurgling of the Chattooga.

It was too cold to camp, but a tiny sandy spot was beckoning me to return in the spring.

On the way back, we picked muscadine grapes that grow in the area. Who knew?

2. Roads (aka trails)

There’s a bike trail near my house that connects to small cities in the South Carolina foothills region. There’s nothing spectacular about it, but it’s become my go-to spot to walk, bike, and simply enjoy being outside. In fact, I’ve started to bike 8-10 miles on the trail about twice a week.

Another new friend suggested we do the entire trail in one go, equaling about 17 miles or more of biking. It’s not necessarily strenuous, but there are some deceptive hills that make it a tad more difficult than “easy.”

Even though I’ve been biking more than I ever have in my adult life, I haven’t really done any long distance. So a few weeks ago, I pumped up my tires, layered up, and headed out for a there-and-back-again ride.

I was expecting it to be a little tough – Type 2 fun as they say. It was a fall evening and the leaves were gorgeous as we set out.

Mile after mile, we kept a steady pace. I tried to use the downhills to my advantage to gain speed, leaving my friend behind for a bit. (He claims his bike isn’t as good as mine, but…)

In the end, my legs were very sore, my back hurt, and my hands were freezing. It was a small sufferfest, but nothing that a hot shower and a bowl of Indian food wouldn’t fix.

3. Rivers and Roads

Tying it all together, The Head and the Heart concert was a non-outdoorsy activity ending with the fan-favorite Rivers and Roads. It felt serendipitous to hear this song which summed up my week quite well.

Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers ’til I reach you