It may seem hard to believe, but 100 years ago the majority of what is now the Clemson Forest was almost completely treeless. Eroded cotton fields stretched nearly as far as the eye could see. Evidence of this agricultural history can be seen today in the form of soil terraces - most now covered with trees - constructed in unsuccessful attempt stop this erosion in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
But there are a handful of sites that never saw the plow. The soils on this high xeric (dry) ridge, for example, are thinner and much less conducive to plant growth than those in the fertile valleys below. Perhaps this site was logged in the early 1800s, but it was almost certianly never farmed (no terraces here!). You'll notice that most of the trees aren't very big -- but don't let that fool you...many are over 200 years old! Some of the largest trees here are scarlet oaks (Quercus coccinea), which are readily identifiable by the light-colored vertical stripes on their bark and the "C" shaped sinuses on the leaves.
To get to this cache:
Take Issaqueena Lake Road to the Wildcat creek picnic pavilion/parking area. Park, cross the footbridge and walk up the forest road about 3/4 mile (passing the waterfall) before turning left into the woods . There is not much of a trail. You'll immediately cross a stand of pines that was killed by southern pine beetles in the early 2000s. Keep following your GPS. Soon the woods will open up and you'll be among mature hardwoods. Walk down the ridge (it gets pretty steep here) to the large scarlet oak. The cache is at its base.
NOTE: Issaqueena Lake Rd will be closed from Nov to March. To access this cache during this time, you'll need to park at the E or W entrance and walk or bike in. This will add a few miles to your trek.
Other species you may see in the area: Mockernut hickory, post oak, black oak, southern red oak, sourwood, dogwood, black gum, common persimmon, black cherry, lowbush blueberry, deerberry, muscadine and many others.
The cache is in a 20 oz black plastic container with the number "7" on the side.