OruKayak

Congaree National Park

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Congaree is one of my favorite parks, so I saved it for my last entry of the year. Once, every river in the southeast was filled with hardwood forests like this, supporting many species of birds, fish and wildlife, and keeping our air and water clean. Now, this may be the last great one left. Around late May, the fireflies blink in synch, so you’ll need to plan months ahead if you want a campsite then. The 2.5 mile boardwalk hike from the main Harry Hampton visitors center takes you past a few of the tall trees that fill the swamp: beech, bald cypress, water tupelos and loblolly pines. The latter are the largest, most massive pines in the eastern half of the US. Congaree may have been saved much more recently than some of the more famous parks in the west, but for biodiversity, it is exceptional.

Of course, being basically a swamp or flood plain forest in the middle of a giant watershed stretching from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic, the best way to see the park is by paddling. I dragged out my trusty OruKayak and spent several glorious hours exploring Cedar Creek by myself. There were folks on tour at the boat launch, but once on the water, I didn’t see anyone. Longer trips can be arranged on the Congaree River. Several people asked about my kayak, including a couple that happened to be from my old hometown, and I explained that it is lightweight, a bit tippy, and fits easily in the trunk of my Tesla Model 3. (I know everyone is hating on Elon right now, but he made a good car, as long as you don’t use the autopilot).

Apologies for botching another photo, but I should point out that the knobby things sticking up from the bank on the left are the knees of the bald cypress. They say it’s a mystery why the tree has knees, but obviously, the knees help dry out the roots, preventing rot. Above them, you can see some dwarf palmetto illuminated by the sun, and further upstream, the creek was blocked by falling trees, which are becoming more frequent with climate-crisis fueled storms. I also heard a variety of birds, although most of them flew away as I approached. Definitely worth bringing a map & GPS, since there are many side routes and obstacles that may require changing plans on the water. Beautiful.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

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Apologies for the twisted Pano, but I’m still getting the hang of my new kayak. This is Black Canyon, and the hand-pulled cable car was built so the guy in charge of gauging the river could get from his house to the gauge station via the catwalk on the cliff to the left. I paddled up part of the Black Canyon National Water Trail a couple miles from Willow Beach to get a decent photo of Emerald Cave, which also failed (I blame the low water level and too many people). But in the sunlight, the shallows along this stretch of the river do turn a beautiful green, and seeing the fish and ducks helps emphasize the importance of the Colorado River to life in the desert.

There are many different ways to recreate in the area, but this self-guided kayak tour appealed to me. I think I’ll keep my OruKayak in my trunk for trips just like this. There are longer paddling tours from Hoover Dam, a paddle wheeler, boating on Lake Mead, backcountry horseback riding, hiking, biking, scuba diving (historic plane wreck) and many more. I took the kids to tour Hoover dam years ago, and it’s fascinating. This trip I stayed just outside the park downstream below Davis Dam (which forms Lake Mojave) at the Pioneer in Laughlin, which was cheap and had free overnight EV charging (ClipperCreek). All the Colorado River lakes are in trouble now, due to the climate crisis and misuse of water, so I wanted to visit before things get worse.

100 years ago yesterday, the Colorado River Compact was signed. Ecology, Native Americans and Mexico had no input. Today, more water exists on paper than in the river. The states say they are unwilling to renegotiate, but every year the cities get bigger and the water levels drop. Like other human activities, our use of the river is unsustainable. As thankful as I am that this area is preserved for recreation, unless we do something, it won’t be for long.