Home again. Home again. Jiggity Jig

Just wanted to let everyone know the team made it safely back to Swannanoa (we assume Joseph made it back to Easley). 

We spent Monday night with Joseph's cousin Stephanie and family. Thank you for the generous hospitality. Showers and beds for everyone. 

We stopped by Clover to pick up discarded items. And enjoyed the full flavor of Gastonia NC. First at the 1915 ice cream parlor Toney's and then at the 1946 RO barbecue (apparently all the same places Joseph took his first date). 

Saw this truck near Clover. 

We got back to the house and were treated to pizza and the sharing of stories with Molly, Marshall and Zed. 

Pizza!

Enjoyed our own bed and are slowly cleaning up ourselves and our gear. 

The food we did not eat on the trip- oops too much food. 

Chris's tri-toned arm and all that hair. 

Joseph heads out for Easley SC 

 

Thanks again to everyone who helped make this such a great adventure. 

Miracles

We came ashore on the beach at approximately 10 AM and walked 1/2 mile to the last edge. The final 8 miles were extremely trying. Current and 13 mph head wind. Waves and water crashing into our faces. 

First miracle of the day

The beach is a beautiful, untouched strip of sand, dunes and pine trees running along the edge of each river side. The ocean was a mass of huge churning waves. There were pelicans and seagulls. There were mag rustic old dead trees on the shore. Entirely unexpected. 

Chris fulfills his goal. 

We spent about an hour walking to the end and back and having lunch, looking at seashells and taking photos. It was an amazing accomplishment to have made it all this way. 

Total trip distance 416 miles from Old Fort, NC to the Atlantic via the Catawba river, Wateree river and the Santee river. 24 days. 

An image of the route, by popular demand. Sorry about the orientation, just turn your head 90 degrees. 

When we left the beach to head back 11 miles to meet Joseph. We set out in strong headwind, the wrong tide direction and river current. We paddled at 100% capacity for 2 hours and traveled little over 1.5 miles. There was a single house the entire length of our paddle today and we marked that location as a possible safe spot. We managed to make it there and were sheltering under the dock hoping the current would shift when two fisherman came right to the same dock to fish (we have only seen 3 boats all day) and have offered to tow our boats back to our rendezvous point with Joseph. 

Waiting on a miracle

Our second miracle of the day. Jake and Jimmy, my own angles 

Joseph reports he enjoyed catching up with Ashley Paul and helping him on a plumbing job.  It was remarkable how Ashley took time from his schedule to take care of the whole team and bring it together. He had his own miracle on managing to pick up the uhaul in the face of timing and computer issues. 

 We are all safely in the truck driving West and headed for a seafood dinner. I'll note it is pouring rain. We are counting our many blessings. 

See wee restaurant. Suggested by Jake and Jimmy. Lovely. 

A thousand thank yous

Truly we have so many friends old and new that made this trip happen. It will be hard to name them all as it took a community to see us safely through. 

Molly thank you for boating lessons, it worked I did not drown or flip my boat! Also thank you for ground research during the trip. 

Marshal and Rachel thanks again for the drop at the river all those weeks ago and for watching the bridge to see if we made it through. 

Alex thank you for outfitting Joseph with boat, boating gear and boating advice. Thank you also for helping make connections in Georgetown, SC. 

Nathan for moral support, supply drop and taking us for shopping. 

Carl our main man. Thanks again for getting us through several difficult portaged, trucking around gear and being so enthusiastic about the project. 

Karen and Gary McDougal. For use of the lake house an lake Norman. An oasis if peace in a sea of turbulence. 

David for letting us stay at your house and recharge and escape several rainy nights. 

Bobby thanks for use of your car to gather supplies. 

Ben for navigation advice. 

Ashley for picking up Joseph and taking care if him. And for helping with the uhaul pick up. 

Kiersten and Austin and family for help with the house, chickens and REI issues. 

Zed for paddling suggestions and for mowing the yard. (Hint. Hint.)

Stephanie and J for a soft landing and a place to sleep after our trip. 

Kathy for encouragement when moral was less than was needed. 

Jimmy and Jake for picking up two stranded boaters and bringing them to safety when there seemed to be no hope. 

A big collective thanks to all the kind people that we met and were helped by along the way. Each of you ment so much to us. Matt, Joe, Tim, Katrina, Desiree, Paul, Terry, Michelle, Robert, Mike and all the rest. 

Thanks to all the folks who have followed the blog we feel that you were each part of the adventure as well

Day 1. 

 

Day 24. 

We may have a slideshow at black dome outfitters and will keep you posted if it works out. 

Thwarted by the wind but not yet defeated

We set off in strong headwind. 16 mph NE. This combined with dwindling hours, rising tide and an already long day made pressing on seem like the wrong plan for today. We are camped on a dyke between a swamp and river. This truly looks like an episode of survivor man and honestly kind of feels like it.

Keep your fingers crossed for fair weather in the morning. We have a small window of time very early to make the dream happen. 

Home stretch and a breaking if the fellowship

We paddled down to hwy 17 our last road before the ocean. We have 11 miles to the Atlantic and the end of the trip. 

It has been a wonderfully cloudy day but with a strong head wind. Enough to lift the caps off the waves and throw then in your face. Was shocked when pair of dolphins surfaced for air 30 feet from my boat and 20 miles from the ocean.  

Dolphin at left

Joseph has decided to finished his trip here due to having a large open canoe that he feels is not ocean ready. Happily he has a probable ride and place to stay until we get back. He is one well connected dude. 

Mecca

We paddled down from hwy alt 17 in strong wind and thunder but no significant rain. We managed abut 4 additional miles. All the while we were looking for a reasonable camp site hoping to get off the river and avoid any storms. Where was nothing of any merit and then just past a 13 foot alligator only 10 feet from my boat (there should be some sort of guideline that says if your boat is fewer feet away from an alligator than the reptile is long then it should be acceptable to wet your pants or some such policy or priciple) we found one of the best sites of the trip. Folks that is saying a lot given camping on this river. We had a wonderful cooling, bug reducing breeze all evening. Beautiful sunset color in the trees and river and are not snug and happy. Fantastic. 

Completely new kind of rock just beyond the bridge. Very interesting how the manmade structures often mark a significant transition in landscape. 

Camp from heaven. A motor boat pulled near us about an hour after we arrived then turned around and went back. Our guess is we just beat him to it. Lucky us. 

Sunset on the river. 

Miles day 28 trip 389 

A quick note

A short note while we have reception. So far we have paddled a pretty steady route of trees and river. We have made it to Alt 17. Highlights have been slight breeze, occasional clouds and a current. Several alligators today. Possible weather headed our way. 

Morning mist

 

A sunny lunch. 

A break at the bridge. 

Guys discussing plan. 

Please pass the beer

That's right folks 21. The number of days on the trail. It is starting to feel like a long time. We are in the throws of the Santee river. It is a lovely place to paddle not a great place to camp. 

Typical view of the river. 

This river is like the small intestine. Lots of back-and-forth, round-and-round not as much forward motion The nice part about that is an even tan. Like a rotisserie  chicken the heat lamp is constantly coming from a new direction. 

Satellite view of a typical section of the river. 

The highlights for today were seeing lots of interesting, enormous fish, rapids without rocks (all the fun and none of the stress of the mountain rapids), the frequent calls if owls, more bald eagles, osprey and Joseph saw a wild boar. (Sorry about the poorly punctuated run on, my editor is sleeping.) We have seen few alligators and were told the deer hunters kill them. Perhaps there will be more to the south. 

We are getting an earlier start since the weather is harsher and taking a 2 hour lunch break. Hot, humid, stagnant and buggy tonight. Sheltering in the hammock to the sound of mosquitos trying to get in. 

Lilly pads in bloom. 

Miles day 26. Trip 360

Final dam portage

We walked the 2.5 miles from Harry's fish  camp to Wilson's landing. I can say it was relatively flat and shady by 7 pm. We entered the Santee river. We made it about 30 min before we broke for camp in the near dark. As expected hot and buggy. The alligators are circling camp. The vacation of a lifetime folks. Sign up now the Mosquitos are going fast. 

Our last dam

It's so hot we decided to make a fire. When u walk away if feels like AC outside. 

Miles total 334. Day 14

Is that the dam?

About 11 PM last night Chris and I were hanging in our hammocks when a white pickup truck with red and white flashing lights circled our camp site 3 times with a fog of insecticide shooting out of a canon at the back. We got up and walked back to the bar/ restaurant where everyone reassured us it was not an issue. I point out that their bedding was not fumigated. 

In the morning we enjoyed the favor if conversation with the shopkeeper and patrons of the mill creek. Everyone was so nice and super interested in the trip. The suggestion was made to head down the intercostal waterway from the santee/ Atlantic junction and land in Charleston instead of heading north to Georgetown. We are entertaining it. 

We got back on lake marion to finish it out. Wow this is one massive lake.  We kept thinking we were seeing the edge but it turned out it was just the horizon over and over again. We estimate we paddled 14 miles but it was one HOT, long paddle. When we arrived at Harry's landing at 5 PM the temp is 97 with heat index of 104. 

The lake had treats of big huge fish leaping around our boats (over 3 feet routinely). We entered more cypress stands (a blessing of occasional shade) and paddled past giant fragrant mats of blooming Lilly pads that made it look like there was snow below the trees. 

However as I predicted there were also some tricks in those trees. I paddled right past a cotton mouth snake before Chris noticed it in the tree. And there we wasps nest all over the place. 

Cotton mouth

Have stopped for a late lunch/ dinner hoping to catch a ride over the dam. Otherwise a 2.5 road walk with boats at 100 degree heat index. Keep your fingers crossed. 

What we eat.

There have been inquires about how we are eating. I have some experience in camp food but have also relied on the freeze dried meals a good bit in the past. Due to space I did not want to do that this trip. After some web research I dehydrated for the better part if a month. 

For breakfast there is oats with rehydrated mixed berry fruit leather and honey from our own bees. For lunch we have an assortment if granola bars with PB, hummus mix from French broad coop, dried fruit, and turkey jerky. Dinner has been a lot of dehydrated spaghetti sauce (amazing light and delicious - trick rehydrate in a PB jar a few hrs before using), qunoia and other grains with dehydrated veggies and mushrooms. And of course as a bribing tool I have the chocolate pudding pie with raspberries. We also snack on trail mix through the day. We have eaten out more than expected as well. 

I feel like I'm ready, food wise for any adventure that comes my way. 

Pizza and soda are team favorites. 

Nearo (AT term for a near - zero day)

Wednesday began as it ended in the luxury of the state park. We spent the morning cleaning up our boats (well 2 of did the other one has not cleaned it since we left and he smells, as Zed says like a fish). I managed 3 showers in about 6 hours. 

Our camp site. The bundle on the table is Joseph. 

We landed in the luxurious sitting room at the park where we used the internet to catch up and consider the portage and in general soak up the AC and comfy couches.  Of course there was the obligatory consumption of ice cream and soda. 

Sitting room. How could you leave this place? Not how the water plays off the celing. 

We pulled out before 2 and paddled toward the I95 bridge. It was a strange illusion of seeming to get farther away the more we paddled like that math example where you can 1/2 something forever and never finish it. Luckily we overcame. 

I noted tons of dragonfly exuviae and went on a quest to see the adult emerging. We had pretty good success watching 3 expand wings but did not manage to see one pop out of the shell. 

We then paddled along a limestone shear face wall with interesting holes. There was wildlife of deer, songbirds, and turtles. We did see some large crawfish but have not had the chance to eat any. 

We decided to paddle to another campground. Matt at Mills Creek Campground was super sweet and took us in even though he is not set up for "primitive" camping, only RVs. He even waited late for us to arrive and took me on a tour in his golf cart. 

Miles day 8. trip 322