Standing at the end of the new remote boat ramp looking north. The foremost group of trees is an island, we will paddle to the right side and circle around it then proceed up the lake. You can see the ripple on the surface, another light breeze and no boat traffic. Excellent morning for a canoe trip, not even eight o'clock yet and we are already on the water. Don't have a destination in mind just a desire to be paddling and get away from the civilized life! Gracie and I left home before seven, we made a quick stop at the local Hardee's for a steak biscuit combo and then an uneventful drive to the lake. "I'd rather be lost on the lake then found at home." I have that hanging on the wall at home along with another one that says, "I love canoeing". Those are two good things because today I felt as if I was lost on the lake.
We paddled to the island and stopped to listen to mother nature talk to us about how sweet the birds sing and how many different ones we can hear if we just sit still and absorb the sounds around us. We rocked with the movement of the still lake water. The cloud cover and the surrounding tree covered hills created an amphitheater for the blend of notes bouncing around the canoe making me smile. We continue paddling up the right side of the lake following close to the shore. This shore line is not friendly toward us canoeist, no place to stop and stand on good old Mother earth, we just paddle and listen for the small hidden waterfalls tumbling into the lake.
Very small Falls hidden back in a cave.
I hear several of these and can see most of them but a few are behind the under growth. Pull out your map of the lake and find Bootleg Mtn. on the eastern side of the lake, this is where we are following the water's edge. When I get to the end of the point I normally make a beeline for the Oconee county side and skim pass the land mass jutting into the lake, but today we stay with the shore and curve to the right entering a part of the lake where I usually do not go. I have seen fish jumping all morning, but something new pops up next to the canoe and I am surprised to see a group of otter sliding into the lake. One is most nosey and keeps popping up and holding himself for three or four seconds trying to figure out what I am. I did the best I could to get this picture, he did not pose for me. [ If I ever capsize on the lake, it will be trying to take a picture! ]
Otter head
Gracie and I see a place to beach the canoe and eat some lunch, maybe kick back and relax for an hour. I never like to come to the lake if I have to hurry.
Almost Heaven
We stay here a couple of hours and you ask the question. "What do you for two hours on that small bit of beach?" The answer -- NOTHING -- Now do you get it? Life really "don't get much better then this" I know that there are some people who are afraid to be by themselves, I guess they are scared of what they see when it is just them and themselves all alone with no place to go! Remember a wise turtle once said, "Hiking is good for the soul and canoeing will make you whole!"
Enough introspection! Paddle on to new adventures! There are more trees to see. Rock formations rising out of the cold depths of clear water! Dead trees standing guard over crumbling cliffs! The exciting danger filled days of a flat water canoeist on a lazy hot summer day. Off in the distance the sound of a motor powered boat and all five senses are on full alert anticipating the wake heading my way, the canoe will rock once, twice, maybe three times and then the instability and danger will be past until the next time! Gracie sleeps on! I paddle steadily! What new action packed story will I have to relay to the wife when I return home? Hold on to the gunnels it could get rough!
OK then, moving on toward Laurel Fork Creek Falls my mind goes blank. I don't know where on the lake I am. Really where am I? I see nothing familiar and sit in wonderment at my lack of knowledge of this part of the lake. Just keep moving with the shore on your right and something will be familiar in a minute. Yes, now I know where I am! Have stopped here many times on my way to the suspension bridge and the Toxaway River.
Trail into mountains. Not Foothills Spur Trail.
From here we go to the water falls behind the rock, boat traffic picks up the closer we get to this popular waterfalls. A spur trail of the Foothills trail stops at the lake giving access to the camping area at the top of the falls. Have hiked to the camping area and did an overnighter a couple of times, came in from the 178 trail head, my most favorite part of the Foothills trail. A good rugged hike for an old man. There is a parked pontoon blocking the entrance to the falls, people are fishing! People move the boat! We have come to see water falling from on high not "persons of interest" fishing.
Laurel Creek Falls from a distance.
Laurel Creek Falls
You can see Gracie is not happy, we are bumped up next to the pontoon and a fishing line is almost in the canoe. The dog on the pontoon is barking and I'm trying to take a picture so we are just free floating. I say I'm sorry for being in their space, but I'm really not! They need to move! They don't! This is a beautiful place, the mist from the falls keeps everything green and cool. We paddle out to the main part of the lake and turn toward the boat ramps and return the way we came. We still don't get in a hurry and steadily move on down the lake. The sun is out and it has warmed up, I stop and take a quick swim to cool off, drink some Gatorade and hand comb my hair back over the top of my head. This is important to understand when we get to the ramp and the other boaters are giving me strange looks. When I go to the car I look in the mirror and see my hair sticking up and out all over my head. Wild man look! That and no shirt seems to scare people away!
It was a good a day! An easy breeze, an overcast sky, and clear gentle water made this day one to remember. This is the first chance I've had to put the canoe on Jocassee this year. All the rain that we've had, has been filling the lake back up to within a couple of feet of "full pond". The woods surrounding the lake and shouldering the shore are a rich deep green, many small cricks and trickles of water flow and drip into the clear deep waters. The shore debris fills the small coves and masks the rivulets of water sneaking into the lake. Paddling quietly one can hear the water moving over and around the moss covered stones and cutting a trail through the forest floor making its way under the debris and joining the lake. We sit and listen to the moving water entering into the lake and hear the small waves slap the steep shore line. Gracie sleeps in the bow unconcerned as I tune in to the birds singing and circulating from one tree branch to another. A bass boat sits low in the water as three big men cast their lines toward shore, I slowly and quietly ease around them not disturbing their concentration or small talk. One sees Gracie riding low in the bow and says, "You got your dog with you". I respond, "Yep, she's a good dog". Gracie lifts her head and looks his way, he turns back toward shore and I head out across the lake one lazy stroke, another lazy stroke, we bob with the wind driven wave and move away.
It's just over a mile to the Double Springs campground, we head that direction, but have a couple stops to make before paddling around the shore. We are not in a hurry, have no deadline to meet, and feel really laid back and lazy. It's been a busy year, this two thousand thirteen! Had a huge dump truck load of dirt/soil dumped at the foot of the driveway and spent many an hour moving it to the back of the yard to increase the size of and raise the flower beds. It took an old worn out wheelbarrow, an old worn out man, and a brand new flat bottomed shovel to move it. I applied the same mentality moving dirt as I do to hiking or canoeing, one step at a time - one stroke at a time - one shovel at a time! Never ceases to amaze me how far - how much I can get done one bit at a time. My wife is the gardener, I'm the yard boy! It will be another year or two before we get it finished, but what we've done looks good. I'll post pictures later this summer. The other event crossing my mind as I was crossing the lake was the addition of the grandson to my small family. I never expected to be a grandfather, but am very blest to be one. I'm planning on spending many an hour wandering around the familiar trails seeing things that can only be seen through the eyes of a child. I 'll let him led me along and share in his discoveries. He's three weeks old and right now he doesn't do much, I told him he needs to grow up and be a man but just do it one day at a time, if he does it that way it will be OK! I think I have a picture here somewhere - Why yes, yes I do!
Future Outdoors Man -- Wyatt
Gracie and I navigate to the left of the campground seeking to find a secret place, a place of solitude, a haven of rest - a really cool place, in every meaning of the word. We've been here in years past, talking with a kayaker dude one day, he told me about it and how to find it. Thank you- kayaker dude! I'll share with likeminded canoeist and kayakers, just don't tell the motorboat people!
Entrance, don't tell!
This is all the directions you get, just follow the shoreline and keep your ears open.
[ Posting this video almost stressed me out! I wasn't sure that it was working so I ended up posting it twice with two different sites. I finally went to check where I can preview the blog before posting and there they both were and they both worked. Can't figure out how to delete one of them so watch which ever one is best for you. ]
Returning to this really cool spot on the lake, it is even cool when the temps. are in the high nineties. I paddle in here and sit listening to the quite of nature and watch the hypnotic water trickle down the rock face. Gracie sighs and sleeps relaxing in the revitalizing comfort of this place. Time to move on. We move to the right following the shore right pass the campground, stopping to get out of the canoe and stretch our legs.
At rest!
This one of the few spots where the lake bed tapers to the shore line, when the lake is full most of the shore line is a drop off. On my many travels around this lake I've decided that five feet below full pond is just the right level for canoes and kayaks to find and enjoy small sandy rest areas. We sit here awhile and then head to a hidden cove kinda tucked back out of the way. The water level had been so low for so long that lots of grass and weeds grew on the exposed shore line, now all that is covered by water and "it's a jungle out here!" It took a little time to get to the cove - just follow the shoreline - but we made it and stopped here to eat a bit of lunch.
Back half of canoe is in the water!
We eat a small lunch and sit enjoying the quiet day before paddling to the boat ramp.
