As I planned my last waterfall hike of 2016, I first chose the big one. It came down between Pinnacle Falls and The Narrows on Eastatoe Creek, both in upstate SC along US 178. I usually like to make a full day so picked a few smaller, easy ones as well. I planned to find and visit a small, delicate beauty known as Sweet Thing. This one is a small 20 footer on Slickum Creek located just upstream from its crossing of SC Highway 11. Anyone that has visited the very popular Wildcat Wayside waterfall that is right along side the highway should also visit Sweet Thing. I was quite surprised at how close the two were.
Wildcat Wayside always catches my eye driving along SC 11, but rarely is it worth stopping for. It is very popular with tourists, and has plenty of places to park on the side of the highway. In the summer, I have seen small roadside markets here. On this day in late December, it had very little water flowing over a large rock face. I had doubts about Sweet Thing at this moment. You see, Sweet Thing on Slickum Creek is just down the road from Wildcat Wayside. From Wildcat Wayside, you can see US 276 turning north for North Carolina. If you reach this point, you have passed Slickum Creek. In fact some leave their cars here and walk just a few hundred feet to Slickum Creek which is virtually invisible unless you are looking for it. There must have been 10 cars at Wildcat Wayside, but just down the road , I had Slickum Creek all to myself. Just a short ways into the woods, is a small 10-15 footer simply known as the Last Waterfall on Slickum Creek, as it enters the South Saluda River on the other side of SC 11.
Sweet Thing is about 0.1 miles upstream from this point and follows a pretty narrow trail. It was wet from some overnight showers and the leaves were slick. Once a few more fallen logs were crossed, there it was, Sweet Thing. I was surprised by its beauty. 
This was my first view of it, a small isolation 20 footer with a beautiful shallow large pool. I moved up to the side on the left for a “profile view”.
It was an amazing little waterfall. There was another set of small drops just below the main pool. Getting there from above and staying dry was just not possible by a person of my abilities…so, I backtracked downstream a bit and rockhopped back up to just below the second drop. Very scenic, even in low water. This one is definitely worth a stop…even if the Wildcat Wayside does not look overly appealing.
Here is a short Youtube video of Sweet Thing!