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| Driftwood snake!! |
June 8, 2012. Arrived at Lake Jocassee around 9:00am and backed all the way down the long ramp to the water's edge. The lake level is about 23-24 feet below full pond, gives a lot of shore line in some places and extremely steep banks in others. An easy breeze was blowing causing just a slight ripple to the water. This kind of weather is perfect for those of us in canoes or kayaks, no head wind to battle and a cool wind to refresh us as we paddle. Gracie is in the bow, happy to be out and about, she has already been swimming twice, waiting while I loaded the canoe for the day's trip. We were thirty yards from the ramp when I saw a deer swimming in the lake. "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!" Why does a deer swim across a lake, especially one as wide as this one is? A question I pondered as I watched the deer swimming. Thinking out loud I say the deer was being rebellious! Picture with me the early morning conversation between young deer and Dad Buck. "Son you need to have a purpose in life, you can't just wander all over the woods eating grass and rooting for acorns." Young deer says, "That's all you do, sometimes you're gone for weeks at a time and we don't know where you are!" Dad Buck, "You do as I say and not as I do! What!! you think this is some kinda Walt Disney life we're living?" Young deer says to himself, " I'm gonna swim across the lake and see if the grass really is greener on the other side!" Enter Gracie and I, all we see is a deer swimming across the lake.
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| Deer swimming across Lake Jocassee |
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We get to the far shore and take a quick break. This is the first time I've been in the canoe for a long distance paddle this year, I've got to work the kinks out. Immersing ourselves in the beauty of the surrounding mountains we plan the day. I'll call it a nooks and crannies paddle. We will hug the shore and explore all that it has to offer, something not easily done in a motor powered craft. Gracie is all excited and says, "Whatever!" She lays down and points her nose in the "V" of the bow and I'm left to paddle alone.
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| First waterfall. |
A reminder that the lake is between 23 and 24 feet below full pond, most of the images I show will normally be under water. This first waterfall is hidden back in a cove, a nook if you will!
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| Stopped for lunch we, are at the tree line. |
I set my chair up under a shady spot and after eating I dozed off, woke up in full sunshine being grilled once again. don't know how long I was napping. The beauty of an all day canoe trip is no time schedule and no time piece! Went swimming here in the cool water, not cold just right. Paddled around the next point and came face to face with a pair of ducks, we didn't even scare them.
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| Duck |
Mostly we saw trees and rocks and even a turtle watching us from under the water.
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| Normally under water! |
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| Another water source. |
This grassy meadow is - you guessed it normally under water - a beautiful cove and my most favorite place on the lake. It is hidden from the main body of water and can't even be seen unless you boat back around the bank, very seldom do I see anyone back there. The water level has been low for several months allowing all these weeds and grasses to grow. We grounded the canoe and walked among the grass finding two small rivulets of water feeding the lake. I knocked on the wood duck nesting box to see if any one was home, no one came to the opening. Peeking under the tin skirt I found a bees nest and slowly backed away before they found me!
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| Beautiful Cove |
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| Wood duck nesting box. |
We kept paddling sticking our bow into all the nooks and crannies, seeing what new or unusual artifact we could discover.
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| Beautiful Lake Jocassee |
Off to my left I see movement, I stop paddling and search the shore sighting in on a deer facing one of the small caves created by the waves. Because the water level is so low she is about half way up the bank standing in front of this opening, which is large enough for her to walk into. She does not see us. I do not want to scare her. All we see is the back of her and I would like to get a picture of her face. If I yell, " Hey! Dear!" she will just think I'm her husband and ignore me. So, I say in a husky voice, "Yo, Bambi!" again "Yo, Bambi!" She shakes her tail and flirtatiously looks back over her shoulder at me! She bats those liquid brown eyes and wiggles both big ears as I snap her picture! See didn't even flinch!
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| Deer on bank of Lake Jocassee |
The rest of our paddle was uneventful except for the snake I thought I saw, it's picture is at the top. A amazingly life like piece of driftwood when seen from a short distance away. Four more pictures then I close this post. I'm in the middle of the big main part of the lake, I'm taking a picture facing the four points of the compass.
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| Facing South |
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| Facing East |
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| Facing North |
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| Facing West |
The first time I paddled across the lake I just headed across like I knew what I was doing, I hadn't even been canoeing but two or three times, half way across I realized where I was - in the middle of the deepest lake in SC! I had a panic attack, I laid down the paddle and gripped both sides of the canoe and shook like a wind driven leaf. After a couple of minutes I was able to gain control of myself and relax enough to paddle once again. I have never again experienced the feeling of fear and helplessness that I did that day. Fifteen years I have joyfully and carefully been a canoeist, canoeing will make you whole!
If you never have the opportunity to paddle this wonderful mountain lake, maybe these four pictures will give a quick look at what it is like. My favorite lake to paddle!
On the water or in the woods,
Turtle and Gracie
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