Expedition Restarts! Driving to South Carolina

All loaded up and ready to leave Maine.

The time has finally arrived.  I'm recovered and raring to paddle again.
Chris and I are in the car, kayak atop, driving to Belle Isle, South Carolina.  That's where I stopped paddling in January, and where I will restart kayaking on September 24.

While I am riding in the car, I'm working on tweaking the route. just south of Charleston.  Should I leave the marshes and pluff mud and paddle in the Atlantic and deal with the surf and the inlet currents?  The advantage is that I could then stop at marinas to leave my kayak overnight.  Or do I stay in the marshes and land at boat ramps, where it may be harder to leave the kayak overnight?  That whole area is like Maine.  "You can't get there from here."  I's really hard to figure out the best route.

Delorme Explore Software showing possible routes

Fortunately, the Delorme Explore software makes it easy to explore the options.  By using the arial satellite view I can zoom in and see individual docks, and lots of pluff mud!  It also shows the surf breaking.  I've been looking at the online surf reports for the beaches I would be passing.  I've been pouring over the tide charts for the days I'll be in the area.  I'll just leave the various options, and wait to see what the weather is like when I'm in the area.  Hopefully no hurricanes.

My second day of paddling is going to be challenging, as I'll be crossing the area near Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest undeveloped areas on the East Coast.  No roads, no houses, no beaches, no marinas, no boat ramps, no docks.  Just me and the marshes and the wildlife,  It should be lovely, despite the fact I'll need to paddle a really long day.  Sure hope my predictions of the currents will be relatively accurate.  Fighting currents for 20 miles would not be a good day on the water.

It was a tough decision to go back and paddle the remaining 1,000 plus miles of the expedition route.  But when I thought about the grit and determination of the children and parents at Safe Passage, I realized I had no choice.  To properly honor them, I need to push myself and paddle on, and continue to share their stories.