Another year and another trip to the Edisto.  Unlike last year two things were different this trip.  First we all had our sea kayaks and no one was having to paddle a shorter 10 foot recreational.  Second this is the first trip for Pepe on the Edisto and it was nice to have all of us together.   We did a shorter paddle on the first day, leaving from Colleton State Park and paddling up river for a few miles.  There was a significant benefit using the current on the way back to the cabin and we would take advantage of that current the next day on our almost 23 mile trip down river to Givhans Ferry State Park.   The weather was a bit cool as we started off on the longer paddle but it seemed to settle down and while I will not say got warm it was nice.  I kept on my layers until after lunch and was never really uncomfortable.  My fingertips were a bit numb early on but they thawed as the day went on.   The cabin was nice and except for the first night when the heater just couldn't keep  up with the cold outside it was pleasant inside.  Overall this was a great trip again and we look forward to returning and doing more segments south of Givhans Ferry.  Maybe next year we stay in one of their cabins and see what adventures we can find further south.    

For kicks I had Chat GPT rewrite the story.  Here's AI's version...

We had a blast at the Edisto this year. It was different from last time because we all brought our sea kayaks and nobody had to use a short 10 foot one. It was also Pepe's first time there and it was great to have him with us. We did a short paddle on day one, starting from Colleton State Park and going up river for a bit. Then we used the current to help us get back to the cabin. The next day we did a longer paddle, almost 23 miles, down river to Givhans Ferry State Park. It was chilly at first but it got better later. I wore layers until lunch and then I was fine. My fingers were cold at first but they warmed up eventually. The cabin was cozy and warm, except for the first night when the heater couldn't keep up. We had a lot of fun and we want to come back and explore more of the river south of Givhans Ferry. Maybe next year we can stay in one of their cabins and see what else we can find.

Jocassee October 9-10 2023

Gusto, Helpdesk and Pepe went on a much overdue trip to Jocassee.  We did an overnight stay at one of our favorite spots along the foothills trail.  The weather was great however the evening star gazing was hit or miss.  Some light cloud cover interrupted our view from time to time.   It was Helpdesks first long trip with the new Eddyline Fathom and Pepe's first long trip in the Storm GT.  Both performed well and carried all our gear with no issues.  

Looking forward to our next trip so we can check out the falls.

Fishing Creek Lake July 2023

 Helpdesk, Gusto, and Pepe headed out to a new location.  The initial plan was to try the new put in on Fishing Creek and paddle south to Great Falls Lake.  However, once we arrived at Nitrolee access area, the put in was covered in a few inches if not close to half a foot of mud.  Not wanting to make a total mess of our boats, shoes and equipment we decided to look for other options.  Here are a few photos of the Nitolee access.

  

We ended up traveling a few miles north on highway 21 to the Fishing Creek access.  From there we completed just over 5 miles in a loop.  It was plenty hot but we took a break about half way and practiced kayak rescues.  All three of us were successful getting back in with the help of a partner kayak. 

There was surprisingly a low number of boats on the lake for a Sunday afternoon in mid summer.  It worked out great for us on this trip, however. 

 

Super Bowl Trip 2023

 Well, this year you can't call it the Ski Bowl because we didn't actually ski.  The weather had been pretty warm headed into Super Bowl week and therefore the conditions on the slopes were questionable at best. So, instead of skiing we ended up doing a hike off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Moses Cone Mansion.  We have done this walk before and it's ~5 miles round trip up to an old fire tower.  Great views from up there and really nice and well maintained trails. 

On Saturday we headed over to Roan Mountain State Park.  We parked at Carvers Gap (elevation 5512) then walk a fairly short distance to Round Bald.  The views were awesome even with a few clouds overhead

After the trip to Roan Mountain we headed back toward Banner Elk.  On the way we stopped by Elk River Falls.  The short hike was much easier this time without the mud and ice.  

We finally got some snow late in the day on Sunday.  If the temp had dropped earlier in the day we probably would have got 8-12 inches.  But as it worked out we only received about 1 to 1.5 inches.  It was nice to see it cover the ground.  

Another year in the books.  Can't wait to do it again next year.