Mary Presson Roberts“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”
―
Since my physical travel has been limited since March, I have spent more and more time traveling through books. While listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Candid Frame, I discovered the work of Keith Carter.
I was hooked instantly and ordered two additional books containing his photographs.
Keith’s book, From Uncertain to Blue, is a collection of photographs taking during road trips Keith and his late wife, Patricia, would take. They decided to visit and photograph towns in Texas that had interesting names. Since my husband, Randy, and I enjoy road trips and unexplored (to us) territories, an idea was sparked to visit places we haven’t already seen in the Carolinas.
Stumphouse Tunnel was one of the first places we chose for this new adventure.
Stumphouse Tunnel is located in a public park in Mountain Rest, South Carolina. The construction of the tunnel began in the 1800’s as a part of a project to connect the Blue Ridge Railroad from the Charleston Harbor to the midwest.
After three years working on the tunnel, funding was halted for the project due to a collapse of South Carolina’s economy.
For about 20 years in the 1900’s, Clemson used the tunnel to cure Blue Cheese.
Today, visitors can spend a day visiting Stumphouse Tunnel. The tunnel is located in a park open to the public. Visitors to the tunnel can also enjoy biking trails and nearby Isaqueena Falls.
When we first arrived at the tunnel, we were dismayed to discover that my headlamp was at home rather than in my pack. I spent time photographing outside of the tunnel while Randy went to a local store to purchase some flashlights for our adventure.
Once Randy returned with the flashlights, we were ready to explore inside the tunnel.
Many visitors enjoyed the walk through the constant fifty degree temperatures during our visits to Stumphouse Tunnel.
The next time you are up for an adventure, perhaps you will consider a trip to Stumphouse Tunnel.
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Another great adventure that makes me want to go! You are the best! ❤️❤️❤️ Beautiful pictures! 🙏❤️🙏
Thanks, Frances! I hope all in your family are doing well!
Love the quote. When we went there we went to a nearby waterfall afterward. Neat places.
Thanks, so much, Kim! It is such a wonderful area to explore!
Always enjoy the stories you tell and the creativity you use to show them to us in your photographs.
Thank you, kindly, Dan! I hope you are out capturing something beautiful this morning!
What an interesting place! The tunnel view image makes me want to go there. Thank you for this.
Thanks, so much, Linda! You would love it there. I hope you will check it out!
While working at Outward Bound in the 1980s, I used to take my crew of participants to Stumphouse Tunnel. It was a convenient stop prior to canoeing on the Chattooga River. We would enter the tunnel about a half-hour before sunrise and go back into it a ways. There we would turn-off all exterior light sources and move the group in a few circle to disorient them. Then, my teaching partner and I would melt into the dark nearby. The group’s task was to find their way out of the tunnel. Of course, examining the group’s process (maintenance of one another and safety, communication and compassion) was the real objective of the lesson plan. After stumbling around for what seemed like an eternity, the first dim rays of light would arrive and help them complete the task. The discussion afterwards provided an excellent reflection on the task vs maintenance components of the group process. It also set a tone for 3-days of canoeing on the Chattooga River where not only did each individual and their canoe partner have to negotiate increasingly challenging rapids, but had to keep in mind the needs and safety of their entire group in making route finding decisions and setting appropriate safety/rescue measures. I think back fondly on the gifts Stumphouse Tunnel provided 100s of Outward Bound students.
What an incredible story, memory, and lesson! Thank you, so much for sharing it!