By Kate Whitaker

The first real day of Spring, weather-wise at least, found us at Goodale State Park outside of Camden. It must have been 70 degrees and balmy (saw some bare legs today for the first time in a while). A perfect day for a paddle and what a great paddle it was. Al Burner, Jeffrey Day, John Galbary, Lee and Ann Olson, Linda Gray, Tillman and Beth Cuttino, Ellen Miska and I were the members that attended. Guests of Lee included Steve Collum and Mike Leonard with his daughter and a friend (both Leslie Michelles!) in a canoe. Lee and Ann were having fun in their new Kevlar sea kayaks (they are practicing for the Little Tybee trip) as was Ellen in hers (us plastic boaters are getting out-classed!!) But Kevlar, composite, canoe or plastic made no difference-everyone enjoyed themselves and felt like a million bucks to be out there on the water, paddling through the trees, watching the Great Blue Herons and enjoying the day, the sun, the other paddlers and the surroundings.

John got there early and paddled almost the whole trip before we arrived; then turned around and did it again! He reported seeing 2 alligators (though he missed seeing Elvis, the 12 foot papa 'gator), a red-shouldered hawk, lots of Great Blues and a fairly-recently deceased deer body (which we were unlucky enough to also spot!). The pitcher plants and sundews (rare carnivorous plants) were not yet in evidence but the water was full of something Ellen and Lynn (our SCAN buddy spotted hiking along the shore before the trip) identified as Golden Club, spectacular-looking spikes of white and gold emerging up from the water in great profusion. Lee got some great pictures of them.

The trip got underway about 2 and lasted about 2 or 3 hours with some very leisurely paddling. There was a lot of steering back and forth through the trees but with little current it was just fun though Ann is just beginning to get her bearings as a kayaker and had a few close encounters along the way with some vegetation. (It looks none the worse for the wear-and-tear fostered upon it! The boat survived unscathed too though Ann looked a little frazzled at times but good-natured through it all.) About 6 of us ventured up into the creek at the end of the outward trip, all the way to the logs blocking the rest of the water course and the same 6 (surprise!) returned to the rest of the group and we headed for the Great Blue rookery again with some spectacular sightings of the magnificent birds along the way. Then Ellen took us the rest of the way back to the landing, along an unmarked trail that lead past the shore of the lake and the spillway.

We landed and everyone got loaded up, with plenty of help offered and gratefully accepted. Then some took off for home leaving only seven of the more intrepid to share a great meal at La Fiesta on 521 back towards Camden. (Thanks Shawn Sturkie, for the dining hint.) We enthusiastically reviewed the trip just taken and discussed paddling news and plans, including the up-coming Canoe and Kayak Festival and possible trips to Jocassee and Bull Island. What a great bunch of folks, and paddlers, and friends.

Palmetto Paddlers
Goodale State Park
By John Galbary
March 13, 2005

Fauna seen from the kayak at Goodale State Park:

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)
Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa)
Common Green Darner Dragonfly (Anax junius)
Unidentified wasp (Sphecid wasp – mud dauber????)
Chain Pickerel/jackfish (Esox niger)
Yellow-Bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta)
Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)
American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)
Deer (dead) (Odocoileus virginianus)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Great Egrets (Casmerodius albus)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Great Blue Herons in breeding plumage (Ardea herodias)
Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus)
Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)
American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis)
Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus)

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