Participants: David Hutchens (Coordinator), Julieta Slater, Suzanne Smith, Linda Gray, Susan Mathis, Tad Broad, Sammy Broad, Justin Young.

Pictures available: (Facebook membership probably required) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21269&id=100000290624087&l=872ea6a516

Description: Though temps were in the 90s in surrounding towns, our canopied trail down Black Creek south of Pelion felt like the 70s. This most pristine of SC waterways, only a rec kayak's width, had refreshing waters that made one want to jump in at every opportunity. So we had a perfect day's paddle down approximately 6 miles over 4 hours duration including breaks.

This is one of the few non-polluted navigable waterways (per DHEC monitoring maps) feeding SC's only non-dammed designated Scenic River, the Edisto, via its North Fork. Almost non-traveled now a days, we still only cut through minimal over-brush that envelope this creek like a continual tunnel for most of the way. Most of our pullovers occurred on the N.Fork Edisto, though a couple man made ones on Black got us out of our boats.

Small fish were everywhere, as were birds and abundant flora. Only 1 Banded Water Snake was seen and polite enough to remain on a branch over the creek for all paddlers to approach close up.

All along the trip the conversation spoke about the beauty of this unique mostly wild route and the need to protect such a creek. Also talk of paddling the entire Edisto (in sections) from its headwaters towards the ocean was heard. Perhaps future trips here will clean up any of man's evidence of invasion, and work towards the preservation of this little stretch of native South Carolina.

By: David Hutchens