Far from epic but not far from home. Prime time version.

[Rutabaga]

Recently read a post by Laura0107, http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=771909 , about her ride on the Augusta Stagecoach Road. That area is close to my new home in Bluffton, SC and my curiosity demanded a go look-see. Off I went on my 09 G650 to explore the area along the South Carolina/Georgia border.
I intercepted the Augusta Stagecoach Road (ASR) here, in Garnett, SC across from the post office.


Soon I was at the entrance to the James W Webb Wildlife Management Area. Who can resist a dirt road with moss covered oaks?


Short distance in are some maintenance buildings, hunter check in points, and this building.

Monday was not a hunting day but I was looking.

Managed pine forest often show signs of underbrush clearing. Fires are used to control fuel accumulation on the forest floor.

Caution!!! Working Dual Sport.

Sometimes the fire climbs up trees a bit more than planned but rarely does any damage.

Forest markings sometimes indicates trees as outstanding to preserve them. Not sure what these markings indicate.


Part of the WMA has cultivated crops to attract game such as dove and deer.


Deer stand areas.


All the amenities of home.

Stupid time to take a picture but it looks good.

The edge of a wetter area as I begin to see cypress trees. The little knobs are sometimes referred to as cypress knees.


The road continued to this Bluff Lake picnic area.



Short pier to the lake edge.

What a spectacular cypress tree base.



Across the pond.



Your host for today.

The road continues a few hundred yards to the WMA version of a cul de sac. Beyond the gate was
tempting but the ASR was calling.

WMA outdoor memo identifying this as a Black Gum tree.

Top of my head is starting to go this kind of grey with about the same texture.

Out of the WMA and back on the ASR I found a good example of a pine plantation. Notice the evenly
spaced pines arranged in rows. This generally indicates a planned harvest forest.

Just getting started in the process, probably a long leaf pine. I have seen straw from this type of
pine harvested for home gardening use.


A rather old processing barn or distribution barn for cotton or crops. There was a very old farm truck in
the left side where a drive through was next to the loading area. I suspect it was used to store bales of
cotton because across the street was an old cotton gin and baling facility.

Now the barn has another life serving the hunters.

Looks like this was a center of commerce at one time with the cotton gin and store.


Remnants of an electrically powered cotton gin baling press according to a very nice gentleman from the area .
He stopped to make sure I was OK and not stranded on the roadside. He related some of his history picking
cotton by hand in the surrounding fields during his youth.

Electricity was used to power the hydraulic pumps which supplied the press cylinders with fluid to compress
the cotton into bales. The facility was abandoned about 30 years ago and dismantled several years ago.



In the rear area is an ongoing farm operation with a lot of older equipment.

Small over temp event.

In case you missed the first sign. Should you really be hunting if you missed either sign?

Asphalt turns to dirt, finally.

People have been in this area a very long time.

Just down the road from the historical marker another church.

A cotton field that has been harvested.

Polyethylene wrapped harvested cotton awaiting pickup. Also have seen rectangular wrapped bales
the size of a semi trailer.

Not sure of the exact location but it was beginning to rain cats and dogs and time to head home.


Corner of Hwy 3 and 321 in Estill, SC across from the gas station where I had taken refuge from the
rain and lightning. Got gas, ate an apple, and decided to press on home about 50 miles away.

Thanks to Laura0107 for throwing ASR out to be noticed. I certainly now have a great deal of admiration
to those of you that take the time and considerable effort to take pictures while on a trip and then
going through the labor of love to make a ride report and post it. My hat is off to all of you.

[woofer2609]

Thanks for the great write up and photos! Looks like the weather is about the same as here in the Pac NW. The mossy oaks lining the gravel road remind me of the running scene in Forrest Gump where he brakes out of his leg braces.

[GSAragazzi]

Very cool.
How about the coon club?
Any pics of that?

[JaxObsessed]

Wonderful!!!

[Rutabaga]

JaxObsessed • Today 06:57 PM
Wonderful!!!

Thanks.

woofer2609 • Today 06:37 PM
Thanks for the great write up and photos! Looks like the weather is about the same as here in the Pac NW. The mossy oaks lining the gravel road remind me of the running scene in Forrest Gump where he brakes out of his leg braces.

Yea. Great movie.

GSAragazzi • Today 06:44 PM
Very cool.
How about the coon club?
Any pics of that?

No pics , maybe next trip in that area.

[8trackmind]

Originally Posted by Rutabaga

I certainly now have a great deal of admiration to those of you that take the time and considerable effort to take pictures while on a trip and then going through the labor of love to make a ride report and post it. My hat is off to all of you.

Well done, sir.

[Mr_Gone]

Fantastic!!!

[Unstable Rider]

I have yet to get very far south-south east on two wheels, but do look forward to it someday when budget allows such an adventure. I always seem to go north or east to-date.

[Laura0107]

Hi Rutabaga,

I missed this thread somehow, until you posted your "shameless plug" in the SC state ride to lunch thread! I enjoyed your report, and hope you can go back in better weather to do the northern dirt sections of ASR that you missed on this trip.

It's funny that woofer2609 mentioned the oak lane from Forrest Gump, for some of the inmates actually went by where that scene was filmed after the state lunch last Saturday: