Catawba River Spider Lily Kayak Trip May 2011

In a post last year, I wrote about the Catawba river spider lilies at South Carolina's Landsford Canal State Park. I said that I would try to kayak to the site this year, and last Sunday, after church, we made the trip. Launching from the park entrance and taking out at the lower parking area you can either head upstream for a half mile and cut over to the main channel before turning south or you can head straight down stream which is a little more difficult because of the depth (or lack thereof) of the river (which is why they built the canal system in the first place). We, as expected, chose the more difficult path. Once again, I advise anyone planning this trip to take your most beat up kayaks because the water is very shallow and you will get hung up on rocks, but it is fun trying to avoid them when the water is flowing well as it was on this day. The whole trip took about an hour and a half. Because of the shallow waters, I was able to step out onto the rocks once we reached the lilies and took these pics.

"My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies." - Song of Solomon 6:2-3

Thank you Lord for the flowers of spring, the waters that feed them, and the hard plastic bottom of my kayak.