Paddle Day 4: Super high tides and hot day in the lovely marshes

Peaceful scene on the waterway

Lovely day of paddling, but hot and humid.


Gratitude List:  Chris Crolley starts each day sharing gratitude lists with his friends.  I'd like to try that in my blog:

1. Olivia the toddler's wonderful smile
2. The slight breeze on my face all day on the water
3. Miles and miles of undeveloped marsh
4. A hot shower at the end of a hot day
5. My wonderful hosts Chris and Pete Richardson
6. Sharing stories about non-profits in Guatemala, and hearing from others that Safe Passage has a great reputation.

I could go on and on... what about the happy trails I saw in the sky today?

Happy sky trails

Had a little excitement at the put-in this morning when we had the wrong keys and had a struggle getting the kayak out of the fuel cage.  But Kari made it happen!  Remembered to do some stretches before digging into to vigorous paddling.

Deb stretchhing

The high tides are wreaking havoc on Charleston.  The combination of the super-moon, and winds, and the slow rise of the oceans lead to flooding that the locals are saying is the most severe since Hurricane Hugo.   I saw images of the horse drawn tourist carriages, setting up wakes as they travel down the streets.

The water came up over the concrete roadways and walkways of the marinas.  At the place I will land tomorrow, the high water led to an electrical fire from a fuse box.   Folks are talking about selling some of their sea level land and investing in land in the mountains.

Great to see Pete at the dock.

I was met at the dock today not only by my gracious host, Peter Richardson, but also by a cameraman and interviewer.  From the local TV station you ask?  No.  The newspaper?  No.  They were from the spine institute where I had my spine surgery in January.  They want to use me as a success story, and at the same time, get out the message about Safe Passage.   I do have to admit that for the past 15 years I have always taken over the counter pain killers all day as I paddle, but since the surgery I paddle without any drugs.

Tomorrow I paddle into Mount Pleasant, across from Charleston.

Date: September 29, 2015                                                Restart Paddle Day: 4
Start location: Moore's Landing, South Carolina                 Launch time: 12:30pm
End location:  Isle of Palms                                               Land time: 4:00 pm
Average speed: 3.2 mph                                                   Max Speed: 5.5 mph
Miles: 12
Total expedition miles: 1560
Kayak Storage: Coastal Expeditions and Isle of Palms Marina
Hosts: Chris and Peter Richardson