A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
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This past week I had two opportunities to paddle the Bates Old River oxbow in Congaree National Park. For one trip we headed upstream into the deep cypress swamp, and for the second trip we headed downstream into the oxbow itself. Both trips were fantastic, each with their own characteristics. Each made me realize that … Read More “A Bates Old River Two-fer” »
I’ve been wanting to kayak the Bates Old River oxbow lake ever since I saw some intriguing photos of the area on Facebook. Dwight, Alan, and I scouted the area this summer and talked about paddling here when it got cooler, but we just hadn’t gotten around to it. Billy Easterbrooks posted on Facebook that … Read More “Kayaking Bates Old River and Running Creek” »
It seemed like this trip was never going to happen. We had planned it for earlier this year, but the threat of a tropical storm cancelled it. The storm passed by and there was gorgeous weather that day, so we had cancelled for naught. This Second Saturday’s trip on Wambaw Creek seemed like it might … Read More “Exploring the Wambaw Creek Wilderness with Lowcountry Unfltered” »
It was a second Saturday, which meant that I had lots of options for kayaking. Traditionally my Lowcountry Unfiltered friends would be doing a trip, but that fell through this time. The Bamberg group was doing their paddle on the Edisto, and the Edisto Blackwater Boogie was in full swing. However, when I saw that … Read More “Exploring Stumpy Pond with Catawba Riverkeepers” »
I have been in serious need of hydrotherapy. More importantly, I was desperate to join up with my friends from Lowcountry Unfiltered and engage in some camaraderie and mischief. Jim Leavell expressed interested in doing another stretch of the Edisto, so I talked Matt into doing a bit that we had yet to explore. It … Read More “Edisto River from Good Hope to Sullivan’s Landing” »
One of my goals for 2022 was to paddle at least 10 new venues. Between weather, family obligations, and other conflicts I just hadn’t been able to to get started on that goal. Lake Monticello is fairly close and I’ve explored the general vicinity many times, but I had yet to explore its waters. With … Read More “Paddling Lake Monticello” »
My big red kayak has been sitting on top of my pickup truck waiting to get wet while I’ve been languishing in home improvement purgatory. I wanted to explore some places with fall colors but each time I thought I could get away something would come up. Finally, this past Tuesday, I was able to … Read More “Exploring Lake Adger” »
This month the Lowcountry Unfiltered group decided to explore the Charleston Harbor. It was a great day, but not without its challenges. We battled wind, rain, tides, tricky currents, and crazy boaters, but still got to see some interesting history from the water. Our plan was to meet at Remley Boat Ramp, paddle under the … Read More “Exploring the Charleston Harbor by Kayak” »
The Etowah River in Northern Georgia has been on my paddling wish list for a long time. This past weekend I finally joined some friends to run the river, which includes a quarter mile through an old mine tunnel with rapids. It was a challenge, and I found that I had been away from whitewater … Read More “Chasing Gold on the Etowah River” »
Well, it wasn’t quite a Second Saturday, but Matt had a conflict with that date. So Second Saturday for Lowcountry Unfiltered was actually March 6th this year. To commemorate this anomaly we decided to head down to Congaree National Park and explore Cedar Creek. This would be my second paddling trip since the shoulder injury … Read More “Paddling Cedar Creek through Congaree Swamp” »