SC7 Expedition — Soda Citizen - Photo Stories from the South

Tom Mullikin leads a group of hikers on a summit of Sassafras Mountain in Pickens County on July 5, 2021.

Photos and words by Sean Rayford

The waitress at the Pumpkintown General Store stands by our table, mouth agape. Tom Mullikin just invited her to join his group on a hike, and when she asks where — his response, “to Charleston” tugs on her jaw and eyebrows.

It’s July 6 — the sixth day of the SC7 Expedition and Mullikin and team are at the Pickens County meat and three after a hike on the Foothills Trail in the Jocassee Gorges. Serving as the second of the “seven wonders” of South Carolina (forming the namesake of the expedition) Jocassee was described by National Geographic as one world's last 50 great places— and a destination of a lifetime.

*South Carolina Supreme Court Justice John Few, left, Tom Mullikin, and Lt. Governor Pamela Evette at Station Cove Falls in Oconee County July 1, 2021.*

Mullikin, from Camden, is an explorer. He’s traveled to all seven continents, summiting dozens of the world’s most famous landscapes. On Everest, battling the January cold in the Himalayas with his son in 2019, the plans for a mid-summer 30 day hike across South Carolina were set in motion.

“I do it in July so people will feel sorry for me,” Mullikin jokes, “And we also do it because I want families involved.”

Former commander of the SC State Guard, notably, during the great floods of 2015, Mullikin is now chairman of the South Carolina Floodwater Commission — and the SC7 expedition ties into his efforts mitigating the related growing environmental threats.

Sassafras Mountain, Pickens County July 6, 2021

From the mountains to the beaches — Mullikin says South Carolina is one of the most beautiful places on earth. His expedition debuted in 2020 and seeks to showcase the natural resources of the state — and to get folks involved using and protecting them.

“You can come to Oconee County or Pickens County in the Upstate and see the most beautiful waterfalls. Or you can pay a lot of money and go to Kauai or Hawaii — and what you see here will be more beautiful.”

During last year’s trek, the group used the expedition to organize volunteers for an Earth Day tree planting event. Mullikin says 120,000 folks planted 3.4 million Loblolly pine seeds, breaking the record for most trees planted in a state on a single day.

After 20 years, a healthy loblolly can absorb 5,000+ gallons of water annually. On some hikes, Mullikin sports a baseball cap commemorating the “national championship” in tree planting.

In addition to hikes, the expedition includes white water rafting, tubing and blackwater diving in the Cooper River.

Mullikin invites the public to join him and his team on their expedition, which uses the Palmetto Trail as a backbone. On July 15, the expedition will host a special event using the West Columbia/Cayce Riverwalk. For more details, check out the SC7 website.