For those hardy hikers who don’t mind the cooler temperatures, it is a good time to hit the hiking trails and enjoy the scenic vistas that have opened up since the leaves have dropped.

We hiked the new Rainbow Falls Trail at Jones Gaps State Park a couple of weeks ago and photographed the falls and the vivid colors of the leaves along the trail. This is a new trail to the falls and is only moderately strenuous as compared to the previous dangerous descent from the YMCA camp above the falls.

This trail is accessible from the Jones Gap Trail. You must travel .75 miles on the Jones Gap Trail, from the parking area, following the blue blazes on the trees. You will see the Rainbow Falls Trail veer to the right and it is marked with red blazes on the trees. Continue for 1.6 miles to reach the falls. The change in altitude is approximately 1,000 feet along the trail.

The new trail was a joint effort by the state and a hired contractor. State workers built the new bridge that crosses the Middle Saluda River, but a landscaper who specializes in such projects handled the trail design and additional work. The trail route includes many of the natural features and provides hikers a variety of views. The view over the Jones Gap valley is spectacular and you can see the rock cliffs on the opposite mountain. They are part of the Rim of the Gap Trail that is also one of the outstanding trails in our area. Now that the leaves have fallen the view will be expanded and offer some great photo opportunities.

This is an enjoyable hike of approximately five miles round trip, but is well worth the effort. Pack a water bottle and lunch to enjoy at the site of the falls.

The deer are moving more during the middle of the day with the colder temperatures and the rut in progress. I filled my last doe tag this week, but am still looking for a big buck.

Trail cameras are great scouting tools for deer hunters. They allow you to gather data on the habits of deer. You can set up at a food plot to pattern the activity or set up along access trails to determine the deer traffic and trophy potential of the deer in that area. Cameras record activity for several days at a time. During periods of low deer activity, you may recover the camera or switch cards so that you will not spook potential trophies.

Digital cameras are the best bet and you have a choice of incandescent or infrared flash. The advantage of the infrared flash is that it does not make a visible flash. One disadvantage is that night photos are in black and white. Incandescent flash has a longer range and is in color, both day and night.

I have been experimenting with an infrared Stealthcam product and the technology is remarkable. It is amazing what moves in the woods when no human is present. By analyzing the information, better hunting techniques and better utilization of the hunter’s time is possible.

If you are a serious deer hunter, you should consider the possibilities that trailcams provide. They are entertaining as well as informative.

SCOPE (South Carolina Outdoor Press Association) is meeting in Camden this weekend. We will be enjoying some hunting, fishing, sporting clays and touring Camden Plantation and Hermitage Farms. Many different topics of interest to sportsmen are on the agenda, and we should be hearing some discussion of how the slumping economy is affecting state budgeting for outdoor sports related projects.

Contact me at lross3871@charter.net or (864) 238-1944 if you have questions or comments. Check out my new book “Fly Rods, Good Dogs and Straight-Shooting Guns” available at www.PublishAmerica.com. It is packed full of entertaining stories, instructional articles, and some nostalgic looks at great days afield.