Fifteen years ago I joined a group of strangers I’d met online through photo sharing on Flickr to paddle a stretch of the Edisto River. I didn’t realize at the time how strange they really were, but over the years this motley crew has become some of my closest friends. That was an epic trip, and each year we’ve tried to recreate that first Lowcountry Unfiltered adventure.
Over the years some things have changed, and some have remained the same. Our numbers have gone up and down, and we’ve drawn in other members from our various spheres of influence, or notoriety, depending on your point of view. We’ve always done part of a stretch of the Edisto between Colleton State Park and Givhens Ferry State Park, sometimes extending down to Messervy Landing. We always look for rope swings, and we always have some sort of libation (always consumed responsibly, of course.). The “Beer Commercial” part came about when James started bringing samples from his former brewing company for us to try. Since then the menu has expanded to include bourbon, moonshine, martinis, and boozy cherries. The seven “B’s” of our trips usually include the following: boats, breakfast, beer, bratwurst, buns, BBQ, and bad decisions. It’s always a relaxed and enjoyable time with friends, and one to which I look forward each year.
This year was no less enjoyable, but it was a bit different. Matt has moved from Bluffton in the Lowcountry to Spartanburg in the Upstate. That means that the four of us that made this trek were all from the Upstate. There are no plans for a name change for the group, but over half of us are now from this part of South Carolina. Instead of our traditional route from Mars Old Field to Givhens Ferry we decided to do the section from Colleton State Park down to Stokes Bridge. We were hoping to encounter fewer float bubbas on tubes this time.
Matt and Larry drove down from Spartanburg and I picked up Alan. We met at Bill & Fran’s in Newberry for the second of our B’s, breakfast.
Since we didn’t have to meet anyone else at the put-in we took our time, just catching up with each other. Traffic was crazy on the interstates with folks driving back from Fourth of July vacations, but eventually we made it down to the T. C. Weekes Landing across from Colleton State Park near Canadys. We unloaded our gear as other fishing boats launched.
Matt and I shuttled vehicles down to Stokes Bridge and we got underway. The current was good and the water was high, but not as high as recent markings on the trees indicated. The weather was absolutely perfect.
This time I came loaded for fun. I had water cannons, a comfy chair, a hammock, and even a ukulele. All of this was packed into my trusty WS Pungo, which is the best boat I have for this time of float. Top that off with multiple cameras to document the shenanigans and a jar of Ralph’s moonshine to wash it down, and I was set.
The first bit of shenanigans was an encounter with an abandoned school bus. Not long into our trip I spotted it off to the left, almost hidden in the trees. We decided we had to investigate.
Thoughts of Into the Wild danced through our heads and we wondered if we’d find the bones of Chris McCandless. The interior floor was dicey, so I didn’t go in too far, just far enough to see that there were no bones, but the bus had been converted into a camper at one time. There were box springs in the back and the remains of an old mattress. Matt was a bit braver than I was.
We thought it best not to disturb any lingering spirits, so we headed back to our boats and on down the river.
With the higher water we were able to get into some of the side channels and explore. We didn’t venture far off of the main stem, but it’s always interesting to get back into some of the cypress trees. Out on the main stem we engaged in water cannon battles, sipped a bit of beer, and generally relaxed.
Of course, with the water this high most of the little beaches where we would pull out to have lunch were under water. We found a suitable spot at a bend in the river with a large sand area. More importantly, there was a tiny rapid over a log that made for a great place to sit.
We took communion with a bit of moonshine and some boozy cherries that Larry brought.
Of course, the main event was bratwurst and sauerkraut cooked on The Most Photographed Stove in South Carolina™.
I pulled out the ukulele and entertained (or annoyed) my fellow paddlers. Matt found another way to entertain himself.
After trading more stories and relaxing int the water we headed on downstream. The current was still pretty strong.
I took the opportunity to play a bit more.
“The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed…” Clouds started to build and we heard thunder in the distance. Fortunately it looked like the storm itself would miss us, but we got a few raindrops.
The weather cleared and we started to encounter more houses along the banks. Some of these looked very neat and nice, and some downright trashy. We passed one house that had a banner reading “Happy Birthday” on a screen porch. There were several people on the porch, so we sang Happy Birthday while I played the ukulele. In gratitude, a woman on the porch lifted her dress and started twerking. None of us took photos of that incident.
Eventually we reached our takeout at Stokes Bridge.
We paddled 10.4 miles. I was trying out a new app called Paddle Logger. I like the image it produces, but unless you buy a subscription to the pro service you can’t download the data in a useful format.
I did have the GoPro running so I was able to create a time lapse of the trip.
Our adventure wasn’t over. The penultimate “B” had yet to be obtained. After looking at several options, we decided to head up to Duke’s BBQ in Orangeburg. It was a fitting end to the day’s excursion.
The trip was excellent and much needed. I had another opportunity to paddle the Edisto on this day, but it would have been nowhere near as fun. There’s nothing better than sharing the river with close friends.
In closing, a few weeks back Matt suggested that I write a sea shanty about the Edisto. I finally got around to it.
Edisto Sea Shanty
by Tom Taylor[Verse 1]
Come listen my friends and I’ll tell you a story
That’s full of adventure but isn’t that gory
A tale of a crew that won’t tell what they know
About what goes on at the old Edisto[Chorus]
Singing hi-dee-dee, fiddle-ai-fee
A life on the river’s the life for me!
We’ll paddle our boats, with the current we’ll go
As we tour the Lowcountry on old Edisto.[Verse 2]
Here come the Apostles, there’s Matt, John and James,
And so many more we don’t learn all their names.
They’re teachers and preachers and doctors as well.
And one banjo player just strumming like hell.[Chorus]
Singing hi-dee-dee, fiddle-ai-fee
A life on the river’s the life for me!
We’ll paddle our boats, with the current we’ll go
As we tour the Lowcountry on old Edisto.[Verse 3]
We’ll find us a rope swing and those that will dare
Will climb a tall tree and go sail through the air.
Then do a back flip and will hit with a splash
And climb out of the river while sporting a rash.[Chorus]
Singing hi-dee-dee, fiddle-ai-fee
A life on the river’s the life for me!
We’ll paddle our boats, with the current we’ll go
As we tour the Lowcountry on old Edisto.[Verse 4]
One of our crew, he got lost in the swamp,
We feared that a gator would give him a chomp,
We found his boat tied to an old dead tree trunk
He was riding that gator and both were quite drunk.[Chorus]
Singing hi-dee-dee, fiddle-ai-fee
A life on the river’s the life for me!
We’ll paddle our boats, with the current we’ll go
As we tour the Lowcountry on old Edisto.[Verse 5]
Our lunch it is bratwurst and sauerkraut, too,
All wrapped in a bun and washed down with fine brew.
It’s cooked on a stove known throughout all the land,
Watched over with care by Matt’s steady hand.[Chorus]
Singing hi-dee-dee, fiddle-ai-fee
A life on the river’s the life for me!
We’ll paddle our boats, with the current we’ll go
As we tour the Lowcountry on old Edisto.[Verse 6]
The tales will grow taller each time they are told,
The exploits more daring, the paddlers more bold.
But we never will tell everything that we know,
For secrets are kept on the old Edisto.[Chorus]
Singing hi-dee-dee, fiddle-ai-fee
A life on the river’s the life for me!
We’ll paddle our boats, with the current we’ll go
As we tour the Lowcountry on old Edisto.
Great post. Someday I might like to join you on one of the excursions.