South-Carolina

One-tank Trip: A paddle on the Edisto River and a night in a treehouse

Published

8 months ago

May 31, 2024

One-tank Trip: A paddle on the Edisto River and a night in a treehouse

Josephine Johnson
| For the Savannah Morning News

Maybe you’ve seen it scrolling social media. That sponsored ad popping up with canoes, blue skies, stands of bald cypress, and rustic treehouses to pitch a one-of-a kind overnight paddling odyssey on the Edisto River. Deftly delivering the ultimate outdoor adventure fantasy, the algorithms know me well. Though I’ve canoed and kayaked on the West Coast and across the Southeast, I’ve never done so and then slept in a treehouse.

Under the spell of savvy marketing, I was soon on the phone inquiring about booking.

Headquartered in St. George, South Carolina, about 90 miles north of Savannah off I-95, Carolina Heritage Outfitters offers this unique river opportunity for individuals, small groups, and families. You can make reservations online, but since I wanted to go solo, chatting with someone about safety and other precautions seemed most reasonable.

Owner Chris Burbulak promptly answered. He confirmed that recently a few women had done the two-day trip alone without issue. But emphasized that since canoes are a bit unwieldy for solo paddling, he’d set me up in a kayak and deliver my supplies to the treehouse. The three treehouses, he went on, had propane stoves for cooking but lacked running water and electricity, so I’d need to bring drinking water, a headlamp, and be prepared to use the outhouse. Chris also stressed insect repellant and rain gear as necessities.

Since no one else had yet booked on my dates, and likely wouldn’t, he figured I’d probably be alone on the 300-acre property. The final itinerary, he revealed, would entail paddling 13 miles on the Edisto, staying overnight in the treehouse, and paddling 10 more miles the next day to the pick-up point where he’d meet me after having collected my gear. With all things in tow, we’d then return to headquarters.

It sounded perfect, amazing in fact, especially that detail about getting to spend the night alone on the densely forested treehouse property. I would just need to be patient for a few more days until it all unfurled.

On adventure day, though, a massive storm system was wreaking havoc across the Southeast, and Chris and I agreed it would be safest for me to paddle the first day and stay in the treehouse, but on the next morning he’d come get me in advance of the storm. He offered to let me return and paddle another time to make up for what I’d miss.

And with that, on a drizzling gray Monday morning, I launched a little before 10 a.m. in a fire red kayak, with lifejacket, snacks, water, rain gear, and bug spray ready to roll on the Edisto.

From its forked headwaters in the sandhills of Saluda and Edgefield counties, the Edisto River runs unobstructed about 310-miles before greeting the Atlantic Ocean at Edisto Beach. It is the longest free-flowing blackwater river in the United States, and its watershed is home to old-growth tupelo and bald cypress, anadromous striped bass, shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon. Tracts of adjacent forest serve as lush breeding grounds for migratory birds like summer tanagers, yellow-billed cuckoos, and Mississippi kites. The endangered red cockaded woodpecker also lives within the old growth riverine system.

In my kayak, the rain-swollen blackwater moved unexpectedly fast, and at intervals, I noted large trees having recently succumbed to the current. Tussles of green waved above the surface from sunken branches, and great upended roots exposed masses of knots and runners no longer able to anchor the trees within the saturated bank. Maneuvering was more technical than I’d anticipated, and for the first two hours, alertness was key. The current combined with one too-slow turn of the boat could result in disaster, potentially capsizing the kayak and pinning me beneath a fallen giant.

Eventually, the river widened, slowed, and I relaxed. Life carried on loudly around me. The birds had been riotous from the start, but here in the calm, their calls were magnified, making it easier to hear the three-dimensionality of songs overlapping with notes nearby, mid-distance, and farther away. Cheering wrens, chortling tanagers, cacophonous cardinals, robins, eastern flycatchers, swallow-tail kites, questioning barred owls (yes, calling at mid-day!), Mississippi kites, night herons, hermit thrushes, and pileated woodpeckers all raucously united in a halleluiah chorus of avian delight.

At the peak of spring migration, I was blessed to be alone on the Edisto River, experiencing the force of nature that is the diversity of birds flitting and shifting in flight, sustained in fervent song. This is how and where magic begins, I mused. The clarion melodies of springtime rising and falling around cypress, tupelo, wild blueberries, water lilies to awaken them once again to the glories of photosynthesis and reproduction—this is it. Birdsong, a rarefied magic sparking all urges necessary and primordial.

I continued down the Edisto a few more hours before landing at the treehouse very much ready to get out of damp clothes and cook a hot meal. As promised, Chris had delivered my food, sleeping bag, and backpack near the stove beneath the house. After unpacking, I made a meal of mushroom and cheese ravioli with fresh red peppers, olives, and parmesan, and though I brought blueberries for dessert, I ate most of them while chopping veggies for the pasta.

After dinner, I went back out on the river to explore a cut I’d noticed. Paddling upstream was formidable, but once off the main channel, the effort was much easier. In the calm blackwater, cathedrals of tupelo and bald cypress cradled nests of cackling black-crowned night herons. I maneuvered slowly so as not to startle them and lingered in the shallows as the watery forest grew darker. I paddled to the river, and with the swift current behind me, was back at the treehouse in under 20 minutes.

Around 7 p.m. the barred owls began calling, and by 7:30 p.m. I was tucked in my sleeping bag and didn’t wake until 7:30 a.m. when Chris texted to let me know he’d be there in an hour. The big thunderstorm was anticipated to hit the area around 10 a.m.

I was packed and ready when he arrived, but nothing in me wanted to leave. Experiencing the birds and great trees of this stretch of the Edisto made an indelible impression that I hope to be part of again later this summer. Sleeping in the treehouse beside the constant push of the river with the sounds of owls and whip-poor-wills lulling me to sleep was a gift of some of the best rest I’d had in months.

If such an adventure appeals to you, and this summer you’ve the time and means, I recommend booking it. The experience won’t fit everyone’s budget. Going into it, I didn’t reveal I was a writer and purposely paid the full $200 because I wanted to see what the experience would be like as a solo, paying woman, and not as someone paid or invited to review it. And to that end, a young family now owns the property and business after having painstakingly purchased it six years ago. Adventuring with Carolina Heritage Outfitters not only gets you a unique and supported experience on the free-flowing Edisto but also directly sustains a South Carolina-local family—making it a win on many, many levels.

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What South Carolina Gamecocks Need to Prove at the Senior Bowl

Published

10 hours ago

January 28, 2025

Press Room

What South Carolina Gamecocks Need to Prove at the Senior Bowl

What some former South Carolina Gamecocks need to prove at the Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl is right around the corner. This yearly tradition invites the best seniors and draft-eligible college football players to showcase their abilities in preparation of the upcoming NFL Draft. Three Gamecocks will be playing in the game with hopes to prove NFL scouts that they are ready for the next level. Here is what each Gamecock participant needs to prove on February 1:

EDGE, Kyle Kennard

Defensive Tackle, T.J. Sanders

Linebacker, Demetrius Knight Jr.

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Preview: South Carolina at Georgia

Published

21 hours ago

January 27, 2025

Press Room

South Carolina at Georgia

WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum

WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Georgia 14-6, 2-5; South Carolina 10-10, 0-7

TV/RADIO: SEC Network (Rich Hallenberg, Daymeon Fishback); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Adam Gillespie)

Pre-game notes

As Georgia looks to snap a four-game losing streak on Tuesday night against South Carolina (7 p.m., SEC Network), it’s no big secret what the Bulldogs need to do.

“We’ve got to focus on not throwing the ball to the other team. Our turnovers have got to go down. Our defensive rebounding has got to get better,” head coach Mike White said Monday afternoon. “So, we’ve shored some things up, morphed some things offensively in the last couple of days to try to be our best version, in time, offensively. We did some good things, hopefully, it carries over tomorrow.”

It hasn’t been pretty.

Georgia’s assist-to-turnover ratio ranks dead last in the SEC at 0.95.

“We’ve gone back to the basics, trial and error, personnel … everything,” White said. “What you watch on film, individual meetings. I mean, we’re trying everything. We’re more skilled than our assist/turnover ratio indicates, but it starts with us.”

So, what exactly have White and his staff been attempting to do?

“It’s just what we’re running, our spacing, our tempo, our decision-making. Just try to put your guys in difficult situations in practices and we did it again today,” White said. “We actually, handled some stuff a little bit better today. So, hopefully, that carries over. It doesn’t always, but it gives you a better chance, at least the way we look at stuff. Hopefully, we have a sharp shoot-around tomorrow because that’s next on the agenda.”

Tuesday night’s game against South Carolina is huge for several reasons.

Despite the fact that three of the team’s last four losses were against Top 7 teams, the Bulldogs (14-7, 2-5) can ill-afford to waste many more opportunities, especially at home, where Georgia is 11-1.

“It’s a long season. We’re going to have good weeks and bad weeks. We’re going to have losing streaks and winning streaks,” junior RJ Godfrey said. “I think the biggest thing was to keep going, keep your head up, and be consistent every single day. I think we started off 1-3 last year (ACC play at Clemson), and I don’t think we even finished top five in the conference, I don’t think. But our Elite 8 was something that everyone remembers, and hopefully, we can do the same thing here.”

But White’s not concerned with anything past Tuesday’s game against the Gamecocks, who, despite the fact they’re looking for their first conference win, are perhaps a better team than one might believe.

Of South Carolina’s setbacks, one was a one-point loss to Auburn, a two-point decision to Florida, and an overtime defeat to Mississippi State.

“We’re not talking about the big picture at all. I try to be honest when I’m asking questions. I might have gotten a little long-winded there the other day, especially in a tough loss. It was a little bit of an outlier for us, a lot of an outlier. That really wasn’t us, per se,” White said. “That said, give Florida a lot of credit. They played really, really well, and they’re really good. But just a reminder to you guys and our guys. It’s not like we’re out of character, and just not playing well against an average team. That’s not the case. Our losses are to quad ones. That’s what it is. That said, in terms of where we stand with postseason stuff, that’s too much stuff to worry about.”

Still, White knows what his team is capable of – if it can just cut down the mistakes.

“Our guys know that we’re capable of beating any team in our league if we play really well, and any team in this league is capable of beating us in 2025,” White said. “It’s just what it is. It’s a phenomenal league, and South Carolina is very, very good. Yeah, they’re very familiar with the scores, the opportunities that they’ve had, and our guys understand that these guys can easily 4-3, 3-4 (in the SEC), what have you.”

South Carolina is 10-10 overall and 0-7 in the SEC, with possibly the most deceiving record in the history of intercollegiate athletics. The Gamecocks’ setbacks include a three-point decision to then-No. 2/2 Auburn, a one-point loss to No. 5/6 Florida, and an overtime defeat to No. 19/19 Mississippi State.

Sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles leads South Carolina offensively at 15.1 points per game and is the SEC’s second-leading rebounder at 9.1 rebounds per game.

Jamaril Thomas is chipping in 12.8 ppg and a team-high 3.3 assists per game, while Nick Pringle and Zachary Davis are just shy of a double-digit scoring clip at 9.6 and 9.5 ppg, respectively.

• Georgia is 11-1 at home this season, with capacity crowds for the Bulldogs’ three SEC outings – wins over No. 6/7 Kentucky and No. 17/16 Oklahoma and a two-point loss to No. 1/1 Auburn.

• The Bulldogs entered the week ranked 39.8 in an average of six popular metrics (NET, KenPom, Torvik, KPI, BPI, and SOR) – an increase of 179.2 spots since Mike White became UGA’s head coach.

• Georgia is in the midst of a six-game stretch when the Bulldogs will face four top-10 teams – No. 6/6 Tennessee, No. 1/1 Auburn, No. 5/6 Florida, and No. 4/4 Alabama – with three of those matchups being on the road.

• Of Georgia’s 18 SEC games, 10 are against teams tabbed as top-5 seeds in the latest published edition of ESPN.com’s Bracketology, including six road outings at No. 1 Alabama, No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Florida, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 Ole Miss.

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South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says Lady Vols system is good for SEC

Published

1 day ago

January 27, 2025

Press Room

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says Lady Vols system is good for SEC

This season, the Lady Vols have added a wrinkle into the yearly gauntlet of the SEC for their opponents.

Tennessee hired Kim Caldwell who has employed her full-game full-court press and transition offense that won her a Division II National Championship with Glenville State and Sun Belt title with Marshall.

The Lady Vols next opponent is the defending national title winners, South Carolina. Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley, who has already won a trio of championships, is welcoming the new opposing coach into the conference.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

“I’ve seen the style. Not by any team in our league,” Staley said. “They’re very consistent and persistent with that and they make you adjust. Which I think is good. It’s good for our league. It’s good for just different styles of play. And it’s good for if you have a team like that in the NCAA Tournament, it’s good to have played that style.”

Staley has taken the time to dissect what her team will need to do have success. With the shooting ability of almost everyone on the roster, it spaces things out and emphasizes the need to win one-on-one defensive opportunities.

She is also hoping to prevent turnovers on offense. In the inevitable situation that her team does cough the ball up, she’s just hoping they do a good job of getting back on defense.

“It’s great. It’s a great up-tempo style,” Staley said. “It’s fluid. Anybody has an opportunity to shoot threes. They space you out. It’s just really different. They rebound the basketball, as well. They pressure you. There’s certain things that we need to take care of. The ball is one. Two is defending our turnovers if we do turn it over. Three is obviously transition and the 3-point line. And fourth, we’ve got to defend. Although you’re not going to disrupt them so much because they space you out, we’ve got to be able to guard one-on-one.”

The result that Staley envisions is a close game. That’s what Tennessee has been able to do against other top teams its played.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Everything Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell said about birth, South Carolina

In clashes against top-10 opponents LSU and Oklahoma at home, it was just one-possession separating the teams. In another game against a top-10 squad, the Lady Vols fell by four to Texas in a game they led in late.

The difference Staley thinks will decide the game is simply who gets on timely streaks.

“I got to think it’s going to be a close game,” Staley said. “It’s at their place. Hard to win on the road. Different style will probably take a little bit to adjust to. We got to make them adjust to us and the whole objective is for us to adjust to them. And then somewhere in the middle, a team is going to have a run. I just hope it’s us.”

Spearheading the effective system for Tennessee on both ends of the floor is Talaysia Cooper.

Staley has a strong familiarity with Cooper with the Tennessee star beginning her career with the Gamecocks. Cooper spent her true freshman year under Staley before entering the transfer portal after the window. This forced her to sit out last season.

Despite the pair parting ways, Staley is happy that Cooper has found a situation that fits her. Cooper’s success is no surprise to her former coach, though.

“Great player,” Staley said. “We recruit great players. We have great players in our program. I’m happy for Coop. I’m really happy that she found her happy place and she’s in there and she can do it all. She can defend. She can score all three levels. She can play multiple positions. I think that style of play fits perfectly for her.”

Tip-off for the game is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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