Has anyone done any of the paddle trips at the East Coast Fest? There are the two club led trips in the Harbor for $10 and then there are the Tidal Marsh trips that cost $40.
Are the $10 club trips decent? are the $40 Marsh trips that much better? Should I do both?
Thanks for any info
Both trips are nice
Going on either of the club trips is a great way to meet some characters. You can check out the Lowcountry paddlers at www.lowcountrypaddlers.net, I don’t know if the other club has a website.
Personally I don’t like paddling in the Charleston Harbor - it just doesn’t appeal to me.
I really like the salt marshes around Charleston. The Coastal Expedition led trips probably leave from their location at Crosby’s Seafood. Crosby’s is a local fish market and they have a private ramp that Coastal uses as well.
If you are using your own kayak the $40 is basically for the guide and launching from their ramp (obviously). If you are the independent type you can find a couple of public boat ramps around the same area.
Looking to go Indy
on the paddle trips and hoping a few small groups will opt out of the $40 bucks. It should be close to a full moon that weekend and hoping for a late nite paddle too.
I am going on the 6am trip Saturday morning, will be in site 16, look me up.
Dan
one more thought
If you are in to ecology, natural history, and human history of an area then the $40 would be worth spending. There is a lot of really cool stuff going on the salt marshes of the lowcountry. I don’t know any of the Coastal Expeditions staff and I haven’t been on any of their trips, but I do know they pride themselves on being naturalists.
I love Charleston harbor.It is great
to paddle under the Cooper River bridge, around Patriot’s Point and out to Castle Pinckney. Or coming from the James Island side, out to Pinckney and along the Batt’rey. I haven’t paddled to Fort Sumter, but that would be fun also.
Last time I was there I had
a wife and no kayak, this time reverse.
Life is GOOD
I have both but no job. Life is still
good.
Fort Sumter is a good paddle
But leave from Sunrise Park and catch the tide, or for some adventure - leave from the north end of Folly Beach paddle around Morris Island to Fort Sumter and back.
Fort Sumter
I, too, endorse the Charleston Harbor/Fort Sumter trip. We did it a few years ago, launching from the Wappoo Cut boat ramp.
I found a brochure online of the public boat ramps in the Charleston area:
http://www.ccprc.com/documents/Boat%20Landings/BoatLandings.pdf
March
Don’t know about the harbor paddle, but the marsh trip is a lot of money for a short paddle to see a few shore birds, a long legged wader or two, and to hear some history. I did it because I had family with me and they wanted an “easy” paddle. I’m a birder and love marshes, but if I were you I’d spend my money and time at ECCKF on activities that contribute to skills development.
That was my opinion of the marsh
trip also. Seemed pricey.
Marsh
What would be a good place to put in if I were going to do the marsh paddle on my own?
Coastal Expeditions does tours and
has a great reputation for tours.
http://www.coastalexpeditions.com/
If you are adventuresome, there are lots of marshes on the Stono River not far from Charleston.You cross it on the way to Kiawah Island.
Also, and even better , go to Garris Landing on the ICW just north of Mount Pleasant, about 30 minutes north of Charleston off US 17. It is the put-in for Bulls Island /Bay and there are marshes as far as you can see. They are cleaner than the Charleston area, and no paper mill pollution.The area is part of the Cape Romain NWR.
http://www.fws.gov/caperomain/
Coastal is running the marsh tours
but they are more expensive if you book outside of the ECCKF.
The county park system owns several boat ramps all of the county. There website probably lists them with directions.