Congaree N.P.
The Saturday morning of the wedding we had a nice time slot open, so I did a little research and found Congaree Nat'l Park about 14m away. This is old-growth bottom land, the last of its kind around. It's known for champion-sized trees that have otherwise been all forested elsewhere in the South. Being a floodplain, the trail was table-top flat, but it was a nice opportunity to see different terrain that what we have in KY. The first portion was a raised platform; several times a year the park floods, so this allows folks to still view part of the park. We took the extended Weston Lake Loop trail, which leaves the platform and explores a back portion of the park towards the lake, giving us a 4.5 miles in all. Many of the pics aren't very good b/c of the lack of light and my lack of ability in using a camera but for the simplest of tasks.
This is the point at which the elevated platform trail becomes, in effect, a platform trail for a bit longer. It provides a nice opportunity to see the local fauna and flora without getting completely muddy in this low plain area.
This is Cedar Creek, which bisects the park between the entrance and the distant Congaree River. Our trail, at its further point, followed this creek for a while. This area of the country is apparently experiencing significant drought, so this would normally be running much higher. Typically they run canoe trips, but that would be very difficult in current conditions. You ain't in KY with this pic.
Bridge crossing marshy area. Check out that really dead tree to the right. Ugly.
Clear-area at far end of trail. It's striking the difference in terrain, flora, etc. when you clear cut an area like this. The trees, flora, everything changes. Think Brazil, en masse.
Bug. He's green. I also took pics of a millipede, another grasshopper looking thing and a green caterpillar. The boys like them.
Texture
Cane break. The area was full of them, as was part of KY. It looks like bamboo but is a sibling to sugar cane.
Weston Lake.
My turtle pics aren't very good, but there is a nice spot to picnic here, and the turtles are trained to come up and beg for food. The boys counted around 15 at any given time.
This is the point at which the elevated platform trail becomes, in effect, a platform trail for a bit longer. It provides a nice opportunity to see the local fauna and flora without getting completely muddy in this low plain area.
This is Cedar Creek, which bisects the park between the entrance and the distant Congaree River. Our trail, at its further point, followed this creek for a while. This area of the country is apparently experiencing significant drought, so this would normally be running much higher. Typically they run canoe trips, but that would be very difficult in current conditions. You ain't in KY with this pic.
Bridge crossing marshy area. Check out that really dead tree to the right. Ugly.
Clear-area at far end of trail. It's striking the difference in terrain, flora, etc. when you clear cut an area like this. The trees, flora, everything changes. Think Brazil, en masse.
Bug. He's green. I also took pics of a millipede, another grasshopper looking thing and a green caterpillar. The boys like them.
Texture
Cane break. The area was full of them, as was part of KY. It looks like bamboo but is a sibling to sugar cane.
Weston Lake. My turtle pics aren't very good, but there is a nice spot to picnic here, and the turtles are trained to come up and beg for food. The boys counted around 15 at any given time.
Comments
--Laura