I’m happy to say, I made it with time to spare!
The Marshland Boardwalk Trail is one of our favorites short hikes at Santee Coastal Wildlife Preserve. 
The trail begins through a canopy of gnarled old moss-covered oaks that have been around since the preserve’s Eldorado Plantation days.
The boardwalk is half mile long with a couple bends that block sight lines. We always wonder, how do you know if you are the 4th person to be on the boardwalk or the 24th, which could, apparently, mean disaster! The good news is, we’ve never met more than two other hikers so I guess we’re safe.
After passing a few more cypress sculptures...
The trail begins through a canopy of gnarled old moss-covered oaks that have been around since the preserve’s Eldorado Plantation days.
Not far along, it becomes one with a dike, an old road for transport between rice fields now overtaken by an extensive cypress swamp.
Soon the path veers off to the right onto nearly a half mile of boardwalk, passing through a natural sculpture gallery of tall, straight cypress lines and cypress knee sculptures on both sides, as far as the eye can see.
The boardwalk is half mile long with a couple bends that block sight lines. We always wonder, how do you know if you are the 4th person to be on the boardwalk or the 24th, which could, apparently, mean disaster! The good news is, we’ve never met more than two other hikers so I guess we’re safe.
The milky blue of this water was pretty. I wonder what makes it milky.
Here, it’s milky green...
But mostly the water is clear and blue as the sky.
After passing a few more cypress sculptures...
...the boardwalk ends at the panorama of an abandoned rice field where osprey wheel overhead, seeking fish for lunch. It’s a lovely place to linger on an old bench in January, no biting insects to torment you, hungry for your own lunch waiting to be served under the big oaks, next to the car to block the cold wind.
(There are no pictures of lunch because we were so hungry we forgot!)
Cynthia, congratulations on meeting your goal. What a lovely walk. How neat to be able to walk through an area that without the boardwalk you'd need hip boots to navigate. Lovely spot on a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful - thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful area, and congratulations on meeting your personal goal. That's great! Interesting how the Cypress trees grow so close together. I have no idea what would cause the water to be milky!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all congratulations on covering the distance on your new knee, Cynthia. It looks like a spectacular place to walk and I would have really enjoyed being with you. Your binoculars mark you instantly as a kindred spirit and the kind of picnic lunch you describe is right up my alley. I hope that you will have many more great experiences.
ReplyDeleteWell done. An excellent goal for you to achieve. So glad your recovery is going well.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! Nice to hear that you set a goal and met it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you were able to walk a mile on your new knee. That's wonderful. It is so pretty there with all the Cypress trees. Daddy used to tell us about an Alligator that chased my uncle up a tree when they were fishing at Santee Cooper.
ReplyDeleteGood for you to get out there and walk a mile with your new knee. You also gave the usual good history from your walks.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got to go on your hike! I was wondering the same thing about the 10 people limit maybe that is 10 at one time:)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and well done on your achievement walking along the pathway - well done and I bet you are just so thrilled you did it without pain.
ReplyDeleteThe little bridge looks good to walk on with side rails, so much better to hang onto if need. Always lovely to have a picnic.
Thrilled you managed to get out for your hike, you did really well. It was a joy to come along with you and admire the stunning sculptures/trees they were a delight.
ReplyDeleteThat is a special landscape there with the trees in the water. Glad you managed the walk with your new knee, huray for you!
ReplyDeleteThat's an impressive place. And an impressive feat for your new knee - keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you are out and about again, getting a good dose of restorative nature. It's mid summer here, so I tend to be catching up on blogs all in one hit.
ReplyDeleteGreat to read and see the evidence that your knee is now OK.
ReplyDeleteHowever that walk in those swamp lands would not have been my pick.
I can still smell the horrible smells when first driving into Charleston SC.
I was told that when the tide changed the smell would go by my hosts.
Plus you would get used to it.
After a week in Charleston, I could still smell the most unpleasant "Aroma" !!
Colin
So glad to hear your new knee is doing so well and I can say the same. I've set my cane and walker behind and then motoring around the house quite well. Since I live in the land of ice and snow will have to wait till spring for me and Lily to take mile-long hikes but it will happen. Unfortunately my vertigo left me with a damaged left by and an internal bleed fortunately there my 20+-year-old artificial knee managed to avoid any serious damage and as soon as the unhappy muscle on that side stops complaining it will all be good. My big plans for next year include as part of my new normal without my beloved Barb I will be doing the battlefield tour in Virginia and mid-summer and then a trip to Churchill Manitoba or some up close but not too personal photography of the polar bears. Life goes on and we make the best of what we can still do....
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! I’m so glad you’re making such good progress with your new knee.
ReplyDelete