By Tom Connor

Distance Paddled: 10.7 miles (Me personally)
Water Level: 74.6 ft. Above Sea Level

The sky was dark and the wind was brisk as the first of our group met at the Bell's Marina parking lot in Eutaw Springs. We were headed out to Church Island, so named because of the old church grounds and cemetery that are on the island. Myself, Greg V. (Chef Greg as he would later be known), Pam, and Sheila decided to arrive early to secure the camping site before some other party snatched it up. After a brief visit to the Battlefield Park and a quick stopover at the family farm for firewood we soon found ourselves at the put-in location and started unpacking our gear. Meanwhile the wind picked up.

The trip out to Church Island was an experience to say the least. The lake, or shall I say "sea" was rising and falling with the action of the wind upon it. Luckily most of our trip would be behind a small group of islands and was uneventful until the last quarter mile when the wind decided to test us. It invited the rain and we were soon in a race to get to the campsite before we floundered.

Since the campsite we had scouted out previously was being pounded by the wind, surf, and rain, we chose to seek shelter elsewhere and settled on a spot a stone's throw away in the tree line of the island. I had visions of the rest of our party bailing and heading home because of the weather, and a DNR search party coming to our rescue sometime after dark. However, we pitched our tents and unloaded our stuff and Chef Greg (more about this later) and I headed back to the put-in 1.5 miles away for some more firewood and a few other much needed items we left in the truck.

Halfway through our increasingly darkening trip we spotted the rest of the group out in the lake and directed them to "the correct route" to the campsite. Upon our return we found most of the tents erected and everyone had made it okay, even four year old Edwin Brown. The wind had calmed and soon the night offered a gentle breeze and only a few clouds to keep us company by the fire on this first moon bright night in camp. Our big treat was that Friday's dinner was prepared by "Chef" Greg Vanderwerker - a fantastic meal of Shrimp Creole. People, you had to be there!

Saturday was great! The sun was out with hardly a cloud in the sky. NO BUGS!! I couldn't believe how the day was shaping up. After breakfast myself, Chef Greg, Brian and Joe headed back (again) to the put-in to meet a few of our day paddling group at 10:30. Kate, Ed and Gene had elected to skip the camping because of the weather but by the end of the day they wish that they had not.

The group split up into several parties and headed out in different directions. Some explored the coves of the islands. Some visited the old cemetery on the island, and some went fishing (with no luck). Tired and hungry we met back at the island later that day and decided on what we were going to fix for supper.

We sat around the fire, reporting on what we had seen that day, where we planned to paddle on future trips, and talked about the club members who didn't come on the trip and what a great time they were missing. Most of us turned in early that night.

Sunday met us with a little surprise. Wind!! And rolling seas!! The trip back promised to be just like the trip out here. And it was (minus the dark and rain).

We reluctantly packed our gear, posed for our ritual group photo and headed back home in our craft.

Those of us who had some time to spare drove to the nearby tomb of General Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox" of the Revolutionary War.

What a trip! A good time was had by all!

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