'Yakin'

I've been out paddling, mostly at home or in CONG, several times over the last couple of months.  A few of those trips have been as a volunteer on the guided canoe tours down Cedar Creek. 

Carol (NPS Volunteer) spotting snakes on Cedar Creek

Earlier in the spring a lovely woman called Claire was in from Charleston.  Claire, I learned, camps in CONG on her own for two weeks every spring.  I ended up camping with her for a few nights, but that'll be in my "Camping" post.  Since she was around for a couple weeks, and since she's a super-cool chick, I offered to take her paddling.  She had done the guided canoe tour once on an earlier trip, but had not been on the creek since, and had never kayaked.  She is a natural!

Holly and Morgan had joined us in Holly's tandem kayak, and everyone had a blast. 

Though, come to thing of it, when we would stop to gawk at snakes Claire would ignore us and paddle on...  We followed this Red-bellied Water Snake around the creek for a while, and I think that might have been Claire's least favorite part of the paddle.

CONG is a participant in the Teach-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) program.  Public school teachers perform their regular teaching duties during the school year and serve as legit park rangers during the summer.  Then, when they return to the classroom they incorporate their experiences in park into the lessons that they present, escort (in full uniform) their students on field trips to the park, wear the NPS green and grey to school for National Parks Week, etc.  It is a great way to expose children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to the natural resources protected by the park service. 

Over the last few months I've gotten to know Vikki, one of CONG's TRTs.  Earlier in the spring we spent the weekend in the park camping and paddling.  This is great because she knows a lot about the park, and I get to have loads of fun and learn a lot.  She took me out to the "Hobbit Tree" off Cedar Creek.  Well, usually it is off Cedar Creek...we had a week or so of rain and the water levels were up several feet.

To get a good look at this "walking maple" one usually has to pull out and walk up into the trees.  The experience is a little different when you have to paddle up to it.  Often visitors will take photos standing in the "doorway".  Here Vikki is trying to peek in, looking for bats, without tipping the kayak.  But, I had the camera on her just in case things didn't turn out as expected! ;-)

Vikki and I have a shared sense of adventure is great.  I'm hoping to head up to Boone, NC next week for a couple of days where she and her husband are spending a couple of weeks in the mountains.  I need to make my way out of central SC.

The last trip I'll share took place just after term let out.  Earlier in the year a new ranger, Lindsay, came on board.  I had offered to take a friend and USC professor, Frank, paddling.  We set the date, but I knew Lindsay had not had much time to explore the creek and our trip fell on one of her lieu days.  So, I invided her along, she made arrangements to borrow a park kayak, and we were set. 

We paddled upstream from my usual put in at the South Cedar Creed Landing iron bridge. 

We saw lots of Cottonmouths and Brown Water Snakes.  We managed to get further upstream than I expected, about a mile and a half, before we ran into our first barrier that would required portaging.  We decided to hop over it and press on, knowing there were at least 16 more such spots in the creek over the next 5 miles.  I hopped out of the boat into the knee-deep creek.  I was not too surprised to find that I was in the water up to my torso...there are plenty of places on Cedar Creek where one wrong step will put you in thigh-deep mud.  We talked about it...briefly...and decided that portaging may not be the best way to go.  I wrenched myself free from the sucking creek-bed and we headed back downstream. 

We headed back to the landing early afternoon.  Frank had work to get to and we had to make arrangements with Sean, of the park's maintenance crew, for a pick up.  Since we had the extra boat he had been kind enough to take us down that morning. 

I've logged plenty of hours on the water this season, but I'm dying to get on the river.  We are trying to work out a trip down the 50 mile Congaree Blue Trail.  We'll put in in Columbia and paddle down to south of the park.  It's usually a 2-2 1/2 day trip with a couple of overnights on the sandbars.  I'll let you know how it works out!