bushwhacking

It’s time to go bushwhacking. No, I’m not referring to W. Stretch your comfort zone, get off the trail, go into the wild—even if only a few hundred yards from your car and you have a cell phone and GPS in your pocket. Conditions in the South Carolina mountains are currently perfect for exploring that boulder in the distance, following a creek to its source or wandering along a ridge. Temperatures are rising but the spiders have yet to string their webs across the understory like Mardi Gras beads. The possibility of encountering snakes, scorpions and the triumvirate of itchiness: ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy remains slight.

The window of opportunity for bushwhacking in the upstate is small for all but the hardest core. The woods are starting to show signs of recovery from autumnal revelry. Those once fiery leaves now cling to rhododendrons like misplaced wine glasses. Fallen branches are tossed around like empty beer cans. A couple more weeks of rain and warmer weather will be like a shot of espresso to the sluggish forest. Trout lily leaves the size of your pinkie are already parting the crumbling leaves. Their delicate yellow flowers are one of the first signs of this extreme makeover. A legion of wildflowers and groundcovers will follow to cover the decaying browns with a carpet of greens and set the stage for the swarm of biological activity that is spring. Seize the opportunity. Tread lightly and keep an eye out for the trespassing signs.