Woodlands and Water: Ouroboros
Field Notes II.XXIV: Day 5 of a backpacking and photography thru hike of the 76 mile Foothills Trail in South Carolina
Welcome to Field Notes!
This is part V of a five part series about thru hiking the Foothills Trail in South Carolina in early May, 2024. Start reading from the beginning here-
Click the image below if you’re interested in exploring the route in Gaia GPS. Note that Gaia lists the distance as just under 72 miles, while the official signs on the trail list it at 76 miles. With the short side trips I took and the back and forth for filming along the way, I’m claiming 76!
As of August 2025 I have turned this series into a zine. Or, more accurately, a book in magazine format. You can continue reading this series as a paid supporter of Field Notes or purchase the printed version here-
Woodlands and Water: A Foothills Trail Thru Hike
Boom! I jolt awake in the night to a crack of thunder so loud I think a tree snapped. Repeating flashes of lightning illuminate the green conical peak of my tent like a flickering light bulb. Rain hammers down from above.
I roll over and cover my head, trying to sleep through it. Boom! The thunder is concentrated directly overhead, exploding again and again. I flip over and curl up tightly. It is 1 am. The torrent unleashing from the violent skies strains my shelter to its limit.