01/29/2011 - Edisto River from Springtown Landing to Weeks Landing

(Tide listing for Canaday Landing on Edisto River)

Low Tide: 4:11 PM EDT (0.10 ft)

High Tide: 8:23 AM EDT (0.89 ft)
High Tide: 8:34 PM EDT (0.77 ft)
Sunrise: 7:18 AM

Sunset: 5:51 PM

(USGS Gage at Givhans Ferry State Park on Edisto River)

Gage Height: 3.73 feet

Discharge: 1,110 ft3/sec

Saturday Jan 29, 2011 - Edisto River Trip - Springtown to Weeks Landing
The tides don’t really affect your trip much this far up the Edisto River, so this a one way trip down the river. A check of the USGS river gauge at Givhans Ferry State Park before our trip showed the gage height at 3.7 feet and the flow at 1,110 ft³/sec. The water was about a foot higher and the flow rate almost double what it was on out last trip here. Our nephew, Bryce, was visiting from Ft Jackson and he went with us on this trip. We staged our vehicle at Weeks Landing, our take out point, across the river from Colleton State Park. We left the boat landing in Springtown on the Edisto River at 12:30 PM. There were no other vehicles parked there at the time. We launched our kayaks off the end of the ramp with no trouble at all. We expected the river to look much more swift than our last visit here, but it didn't look like we were correct. The Edisto was still flowing at a nice pace for a leisurely paddle down the river. It was a sunny day with temperatures approaching 68° F. We were so glad to have such a nice January day after what was an abnormally cold January to this point.

This was Bryce's first kayaking trip and he started the journey in our sit-inside. We agreed that he would try out both the sit-inside and sit-on-top during this paddle, so that he could form opinions as to which type best suited him. He took to the river like an old pro and we quickly found ourselves at the I-95 bridge. The current, it seemed, was moving along at a good clip. We estimated that what was a 4 hour plus trip last time would only take us about 3 hours on this paddle. Of course, this trip did not include the fishing along the way to slow us down and we were hoping for less trouble with the trees lining the banks of the river.

We stopped at a sandy bank along the way for a cold Dr. Pepper / Mountain Dew and the awesome jalapeno potato chips that Deanna brought along. There were actually several sandy banks on this stretch of the river and we stopped to stretch on two of them. On the first beach stop Deanna switched kayaks with Bryce to allow him to experience the sit-on-top kayak. He loved it and seemed to think that it tracked just fine for him. There were less submerged logs and stumps to avoid on this trip than the last, but we were ever vigilant lest one sneak up and dump us into the cold river water.

Near the end of the trip, we passed by the SCE&G plant that was close to Colleton State Park. As we approached the plant, we were so busy checking it out that we neglected to see the log sticking out of the water. Ok, Bryce said he tapped it with his paddle, but Deanna and I somehow missed his sign. Deanna took an exciting ride over the top of the log, but managed to keep her balance and avoid a dip in the less than attractive waters near the plant. We stayed as far from the banks as possible as we passed the plant.

After we passed the plant, but before the Colleton State Park, we stopped for a stretch at another sandy beach. Bryce was becoming quite confident with the sit-on-top by this point and during a hasty dismount he took a little dip in the waters of the Edisto River. I guess this was his baptism into the ranks of Lowcountry yakkers. As we prepared to leave this beach we noticed the look of snow on a sunny day. The "snow" that we were witnessing turned out to be ash falling from the power plant. The acid snow and Bryce's now chilly clothing convinced us to get back on the river and make the short journey on to our takeout point.

We arrived at Weeks Landing around 3:30 PM. We paddled up to the boat ramp, rather than the dock this time. It made for a much easier dismount than our last trip where we used the dock. We loaded the gear into the back of our SUV and I stayed with the kayaks while Deanna and Bryce went back for his truck at the launch point. We loaded the kayaks into the back of Bryce's truck and we were on our way. In the future, we want to be sure to invite Bryce to every trip that he can make. His company made for a pleasant Edisto River trip and his truck make the logistics must easier than picking up the kayaks to the top of our SUV. We still hope to get him into the salt water of the Atlantic before he leaves the state!