South Fork Edisto River Trail

Setting Out for Aiken State Park

The morning was already warm and muggy, unusually so for a May day. I left the house at 6:30 am and set the GPS for Aiken State Park in South Carolina. I selected the option to avoid highways as I always do; the drive is part of the quest.

Three hours later I arrived at my destination, continuing on to the kayak put-in on the South Fork of the Edisto River. The start of an almost two mile paddle down the river. This is a great feature at Aiken State Park allowing visitors the ability to kayak or canoe down part of the Edisto River completely within the park boundaries. Being the Quiet Quester, I was alone as usual, fully immersing myself in the serenity of nature. Or so I thought...

Meeting a Fellow Kayaker

At the put-in there is an artesian well, one of three located in the park. The water is cold and tastes (or lack there of) amazing. A car pulled into the parking lot after I did and proceeded to fill several jugs of water. She said when in the area she always stops to get water. We talked for several minutes about all sort of topics, but mostly about kayaking.

Preparing for the Paddle

The water was low due to the drought and she asked me if I was going to attempt the paddle anyway... I said I was. I removed my kayak from the roof of my car and proceeded to lock it to a convenient tree. I also left a note for any interested party letting them know that I was dropping my car at the take-out and hiking back. I drove back out of the park across State Park Rd and reentered the park on a dirt road that led to the take-out. Mine was the only car in the parking area, so I knew I would have that entire stretch of the river to myself. I walked down to the take-out and realized it was going to be a challenge with the water level being so low - the kayak would be below the last step by about two feet. Something to worry about later...

I began the couple of mile hike back to my kayak. On the way a very pleasant ranger stopped and inquired what I was up to. I explained that I was hiking back to the put-in after leaving my car at the take-out, and was getting ready to kayak down the Edisto River Kayak trail. Her last question was if I was an experienced paddler, to which I answered yes, which I am. She said that was good, it would not be the best choice for a newbie paddler and proceeded to give advice on the obstacles present and the best lines to take when I encountered them. I thanked her and continued on my way wondering what have I gotten myself into!

The Paddle

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/9111bd_7e519d6bed744d16a72a5a0291a54996/720p/mp4/file.mp4

I had carried everything I would need for the paddle with me from my car at the take-out area. I unlocked my kayak and carried it to the ramp that led to the river. The end of the ramp no longer was in the water because the water level was so low. Undeterred I outfitted my Kayak with my paddle, emergency paddle, water bottle holder, water, safety whistle, knife, dry bag and camera. I donned my life-vest and pushed the kayak closer to the water. The water was tea colored due to the tannins and surprisingly deep right off the ramp, I pondered the best option for getting into the kayak without taking a swim right from the get-go. I eased into the kayak and got situated, making sure not to forget to turn on the camera.

The river has some current to it, so you do have to pay attention and make sure you are picking the best paddle line to avoid obstacles. As I relaxed I started to take in the beauty of my surroundings. The river isn't that wide, but as I said before it is surprisingly deep in spots. The water was cool and dark, with small fish breaking the surface here and there.

Dragonflies and birds would flit and dart around my kayak looking for bugs that I was sending airborne as I paddled. At one point something drew my attention to the tree above. Not ten feet away there sat a Barred Owl on one of the branches. I stopped to watch for several minutes, he didn't seem disturbed by my presence at all - probably because I was very quiet and respectful of his territory.

There were several places where obstacles were in the way, mostly downed trees. The Rangers had done an awesome job of making sure there was always a way through. I didn't have to portage once the entire quest. Although I did get stuck crossing over a log that had fallen from one side of the river to the other. The water being so low there was almost no clearance, I had to shimmy the kayak over that one. Not too graceful, but nobody was there to see. The entire trip I past only one other Kayaker, who was fishing in an eddy off the main current.

One of the most astonishing aspects of the trip was the tree canopy over-head. For almost the entire paddle the trees made a tunnel, due to the fact that the river is not all that wide in most spots. It gave the feeling of an enveloping solitude, that felt warm and inviting. As I was losing myself in the beauty that surrounded me, I realized I needed to start looking for the take-out area...I definitely didn't want to miss that.

The Take-Out

I rounded a bend and there it was, that first step looking way higher and further out of reach than it did from the top of the steps, when I had checked it when I dropped my car off. I paddled up to it and didn't see a way to make it work. I was also looking for snakes and other critters that might be lurking underneath, which was now right at eye level. I circled back around and paddle against the current looking for an alternative way to exit my kayak. I saw nothing I wanted to attempt. So I put my kayak in the best position I could manage, right up against the bottom step. I reached up to the grab bar on the second step and while keeping my feet in the kayak, so it wouldn't drift away, I hoisted my body up and out of the kayak landing on the bottom step. I am sure it wasn't pretty, but again there was nobody there to see it. I retrieved my kayak and stood on the top step of the take-out area surveying the river up and down thinking what a great accomplishment.

The Quiet Quester's Takeaway

I totally recommend this as a quest for anyone with some kayaking experience. If you have kayaked before, are comfortable with the different strokes, using the paddle to steer in tight areas, how to back paddle and pick a paddling line well in advance of actually arriving at an obstacle in the river, you will be fine. There is a slight current that keeps you on your toes, so be prepared for that. It is safer to paddle with someone, always wear your life-vest, bring plenty of water, have an emergency whistle, phone, first aid / emergency kit and map out the paddle prior to getting on the water. I also recommend bug spray for this one. Finally, let someone know where you are heading and when to expect you back.

I hauled my kayak and all my gear to my car, hefted it back on the roof, tied it down and off I went to the next quest... And remember, we share planet Earth with a whole lot of other flora, fauna and many, many people, so Quest Quietly and be kind!