The water levels in the Congaree are regulated by (or more accurately are affected by) dam activity on Lake Murray which is where the Saluda originates. On this particular weekend the water levels on the Congaree were very low, less than a foot in some places. Cedar Creek was a bit better for our needs at about 2.5 feet.
The put-in for Cedar Creek is about 100 meters off from the parking lot. We carried the boats down the first little part of a hiking trail (that I will have to go back and check out one of these days) and launched next to a cute little bridge.
Going was a little treacherous at first. Large, submerged logs littered the creek bed like pickup sticks. Grateful for the manuverability of the kayaks, we avoided a couple of areas that would have required portaging with a canoe. After a stretch we passed the launch used by the park rangers for their guided canoe trips and things were much easier from this point on.
I was surprised to find that this old-growth swamp is very similar to some areas of Louisiana, particularly Bodcau Bayou. I must admit, Bodcau was much more beautiful and serene.
We did not see nearly as many birds as I would have expected, though Morgan did catch a glimpse of a Barred owl, common in this area. We had the opportunity to get up-close and personal with a couple of water moccasins that were sunning themselves on the bank.
I was very tempted to poke one with a stick so I could get a photo of the infamous cotton-white mouth, but Morgan would not go along with it---that kind of timing usually takes two people. It's a good thing I guess, I would have felt bad for harassing the poor little guy.
Another interesting and creepy fellow that we met was this spider:
His leg-span was about 4 inches, and he was just dangling from a log jutting out over the water. When I first saw him he looked pretty dead, but as I watched, I realized that he was patiently suspended just above the water waiting for something appealing to float by. Those of you who know me well enough to know how I feel about spiders are aware of the challenge it was for me to get close enough to take this photo. For those of you who don't, it suffices to say that there are some serious heebie-jeebies associated with this image, and perhaps a nightmare or two. But, I love the shot!
Our first trip into the Congaree National Park was fun. I look forward to going back and doing a two-day trip down the full length of the creek, but that will have to wait until the water levels are higher. Eventually I would like to do a multi-day trip down the Congaree starting in Columbia and ending on the east side of the park.
"When I first saw him he looked pretty dead, but as I watched, I realized that he was patiently suspended just above the water waiting for something appealing to float by."
ReplyDeleteA closer inspection shows that indeed he (or she) isn't dead, and isn't even a spider -- not any more. It is a spider's skin after moulting. The original owner of the skin has flipped its lid and crawled out the top! (Did I tell you the story of "Harry" the tarantula at the Halloween party?) Terrific photo.
Ha! I wondered about the "flap". I knew I had seen it before and that it was to do with something interesting. It's funny though, we watched it for a while trying to decide if it was alive and finally concluded that it was entirely too active to be anything but. Of course, given the combination of a slight breeze, a light exoskeleton, and my arachnophobia, it's a wonder I'm not recounting a story of the absent spider leaping at my face, legs flailing and pincers gnashing! Still creeps me out!
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