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To the River

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I met my friend Joan of Rambling Hemlock and fellow Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador and headed off to meet the water of the Congaree River in South Carolina.

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We intentionally left the trip plan loose allowing for slack time, camping and taking breaks on sandbars and creek exploration.

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I camped on a pristine sandbar while Joan retreated to the trees to escape the wind and hang in her hammock.

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Cold morning wind blown fire

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Tree tops seizing the morning sun

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Early on I realized I had stupidly over looked getting my cook kit out of the duffel used for transporting gear from home and truck to the river and kayak, once I realized I didn’t have it I began looking for cans for stove and pot fashioning and soon found exactly what I needed.

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Like most paddlers we went with the river flow taking advantage of the current for 40-ish miles until we reached the mouth of Cedar Creek where we paddled up stream 7-miles. Paddling against a slow current in touring kayaks should have been an easy task, what followed was some of the hardest physical work I’ve ever experienced. Nine portages in 7-miles would follow, each requiring a different approach as to how to get around, over or under the fallen and the on going battle with South Carolina swamp muck.

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The first portage was relatively easy, rather than unloading all the gear we slipped the boats under. The next wasn’t as easy resulting in carving out footsteps in the creek bank, unloading gear, hauling, reloading…repeat, repeat, repeat.

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Post portage nutrition

When we reached the sixth portage for this day and only 5-miles of creek behind us I was exhausted and tired of unloading, hauling, loading, mud, muck, slick creek banks and tripping over cypress knees. Not knowing how many portages may lie ahead I made the decision to call it a day… I had had enough of hell for one day. We camped in the cold and very damp swamp, lucky for me there was a high spot for tenting.

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An improvised alcohol stove and pot never worked better or more appreciated…a very needed hot soup for supper.

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Next morning we awoke to ice covered kayaks and three more portages within two miles…more hell and it really did freeze over.

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We didn’t get this locals name but he’s a regular at this fishing spot on Cedar Creek and the first human we had seen in four days.

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Bald Cypress

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With the King Snake trail bridge in sight we were both elated…hell was behind usWE WIN!

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Supreme!

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It’s been a few days…I’m now laughing as I reflect back on a trip that started as an easy go with the flow turned hell…type three fun I suppose. Don’t think I would want this kind of fun often, but it sure makes for grand stories.

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Favorite gear for this trip NRS neoprene Boundary boot and NRS Motion Mamba pogies.

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Post trip nutrition, ice cream…nom, nom, nom.

GREAT TRIP!


Tagged: camping, cooking, DIY, kayaking, repurpose, stove, trips, water Image may be NSFW.
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