Sunrise/Sunset: 

 April 17-19 daylight approximately 6:57 a.m. until 8:06 p.m.

Moonrise/Moonset/Phase: 

 Half-moon, waning, doesn’t rise until 2:46 a.m., so dark skies and good stargazing before we go to sleep, clouds permitting

Weather:   

 Various microclimates exist along the front of the Blue Ridge escarpment.  Technically the area is a rain forest with nearly

daily afternoon rains in the summertime.  However, April is the lowest precipitation month of the year at 4.47” on

average.  Average highs/lows for April 17-19:  72°F high / 43°F low and average 58°F

Geology/Geography: 

 The Blue Ridge Escarpment:  http://mappery.com/maps/Map-of-Southern-Blue-Ridge-Escarpment.jpg

 Rain forest

 Lake Jocassee is over 300 feet deep when it is at full pool:  http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/levels/lake-jocassee.asp?lake=lake-jocassee&range=13monthhistorical

Biology: 

 Carolina parakeet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Parakeet

And see:  http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/conservation/extinctions/carolina_parakeet

 Eastatoe Indians also known as the “Green Birds”

 William Bartram:  http://www.bartramtrail.org/

 Andre Michaux discovery of Oconee Bell wildflower:  http://www.michaux.org/photos.htm

Radio Propagation: 

 No Cycle 24 propagation news this far in advance.  Per the ARRL, no contests scheduled, no special event stations

Some General Web References for Background: 

 Devil’s Fork State Park:  http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1355.aspx

 DFSP photos:  http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/photo-gallery/default.aspx?ParkId=1355

 Jocassee Gorges:  http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/wild/jocassee/indexfull.htm

 Lake Jocassee:  http://www.lakejocassee.com/default.htm

 Lake Jocassee photo gallery:  http://www.lakejocassee.com/gallery/default.htm

 National Wildlife Federation article:  http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=808&issueId=63

 North Carolina’s gateway to Lake Jocassee area:  http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/gorg/main.php

 Description of the off-road drive to Jumping Off Rock:  http://www.scwildlife.com/pubs/septoct2006/jumpoffrock.html

 Scott’s article in the “Jocassee Journal” newsletter (go to page 3 of 5 in the Adobe Acrobat document):  http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/wild/jocassee/newsletters/jocvol4no2.pdf

 Wikipedia article on Lake Jocassee (not that great an entry):  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Jocassee

 Adventure Radio Society:  http://arsqrp.pbwiki.com/

Film Reference: 

 Lake Jocassee filling up after the dam was completed was used as the fictional lake in the book and movie “Deliverance” by James Dickey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance

Book References: 

 Nonfiction:  “Guide to William Bartram’s Travels, Following the Trail of America’s First Great Naturalist,” by Brad Sanders, Fevertree Press, Athens, Georgia, 2002.  http://www.amazon.com/Guide-William-Bartrams-Travels-Sanders/dp/0971876304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230942047&sr=8-1

 Claudia Hembree’s book about Jocassee Valley prior to the dam “Jocassee Valley:” http://www.jocasseevalley.com/jocasseevalley/

 Debbie Fletcher’s book about Jocassee Valley prior to the dam “Whippoorwill Farewell:”  http://www.jocasseeremembered.com/

 Historical Fiction:  “The Packhorseman,” by Charles Hudson, The University of Alabama Press, 2009.  http://www.uapress.ua.edu/UAPressCatalog_SS2009.pdf  (see page 10 of 52 in the Adobe Acrobat document)

 Total Fiction based loosely on the area by Ron Rash in 2003:  http://www.amazon.com/One-Foot-Eden-Ron-Rash/dp/0312423055/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230949326&sr=8-1

History in an Approximate Timeline:

 Ancient Indian petroglyphs:  http://farshores.org/anpet.htm

 Spanish exploration in Southeast:  http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1012&hl=y

 Yamassee War:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamasee_War

 English traders: Fort Prince George 1753, Oconee Station 1792 http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/photo-gallery/default.aspx?ParkId=1887 , packhorsemen from Charleston 1735

 French & Indian War 1754-63: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Indian_War

 Botanists: William Bartram 1775 and Andre Michaux 1788  (see references above in Biology section)

 Revolutionary War and General Andrew Pickens near Tamassee, SC

 Multi-state border disputes between Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina:  Beaufort Convention http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Beaufort and Walton County War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton_War

 Timber era:  Singer sewing machine company sourced wood from Jocassee valley

 Resort era in later 1800s and early 1900s:  Harper’s magazine article, The Brown-Williams families’ Attakulla Lodge, The Chapman-Henderson Families’ Tree Top Inn, Camp Jocassee for Girls

 Moonshine stills

 Tamassee DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) School:  http://www.tdarschool.org/default.aspx

(my wife who is a DAR member and I are donors)

 Duke Power dam construction in early 1970s & “Deliverance” movie filming

 Modern Day Recreation in the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area:  hiking, hunting, fishing, kayaking, etc.

Potential Activities for DXpeditioners (some for free and some for fee):

 Lake Jocassee pontoon boat tour

 Gravel forest service road “off road” driving to the “Jumping Off Rock” overlook

 Canoeing

 Kayaking

 Fishing

 Hiking:  two very short trails in campground; Foothills Trail is 85 miles long

 Whitewater Falls (upper falls in NC, lower falls in SC):  http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/wncwaterfalls/whitewaterfalls.htm

 Walhalla Fish Hatchery (trout and beautiful location)  http://hatcheries.dnr.sc.gov/walhalla/attractions.html

 Stumphouse Tunnel (Blue Ridge Railroad):  http://www.walhallasc.com/stumphouse/

 Isaqueena Falls:  http://www.alleneasler.com/issa.html

 Oconee Nuclear Power Plant Tour:  http://www.duke-energy.com/power-plants/nuclear/oconee.asp

 SC State Botanical Garden:  http://www.clemson.edu/public/scbg/

 Oconee Station historical site

 General Andrew Pickens Monument:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Pickens_(congressman)

 Table Rock State Park:  http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/350.aspx

 Historic Pendleton homes:  http://www.townofpendleton.org/

 Clemson University (where the Administration building is named Sikes Hall):  http://www.clemson.edu/visitors/index.html

One Possible Itinerary for most of group:

 Friday

 Arrive Friday and set up camp sites, antennas, radios

Take off-road driving trip to Jumping Off Rock to see sunset

Return to camp for supper and radio DXing

Saturday

 Saturday Full English-Scottish Breakfast

Pontoon boat tour with Stephanie

Picnic lunch out on the lake

Return to camp

Nap and afternoon brief hike around campground

Supper and radio DXing

Sunday

 Breakfast

Stumphouse Tunnel, Fish Hatchery, and Whitewater Falls visits

Return to camp, break camp by Noon, and lunch on site just before leaving