I will be teaching a technical course in mid-April in the Raleigh-Durham area. I was going to simply fly out, but if I can get them to pay my mileage I may load up the kayaks and spend some time kayaking with a couple of friends. Unlike Minnesota I understand that it is really spring in that part of the world! My friends are probably comfortable paddling at an intermediate level so we may need to stick to more sheltered coast or at least have a safe sheltered site to launch and land at the start and finish of the trip to avoid heavy surf. Any suggestions on some great paddles in North or South Carolina? We would probably also be limited to day trips or short trips of two or three days for overnight trips. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I will be teaching a technical course in mid-April in the Raleigh-Durham area. I was going to simply fly out, but if I can get them to pay my mileage I may load up the kayaks and spend some time kayaking with a couple of friends. Unlike Minnesota I understand that it is really spring in that part of the world! My friends are probably comfortable paddling at an intermediate level so we may need to stick to more sheltered coast or at least have a safe sheltered site to launch and land at the start and finish of the trip to avoid heavy surf. Any suggestions on some great paddles in North or South Carolina? We would probably also be limited to day trips or short trips of two or three days for overnight trips. --------------------------------------------------------------------- There are two places to rent kayaks in the triangle area. One is in north Raleigh and the other is in Cary, which is just sourth of Raleigh. If'n you are heading to the coast it is easier to get to the Cary store, which is REI. The north Raliegh store is Pro Canoe. Both rent sea kayaks. There is another store in Raleigh, between REI and Pro Canoe, that might rent boats, Great Outdoor Provision Company. I know there are places to rent from down on the coast but I don't have any idea who they are. Places to go... If you want to go to the coast and stay overnight, go to Bear Island. This is a state park near Emerald Isle and Camp Lejune. The USMC base is easier to find on a map. Bear Island is just a bit up the coast from the base. Bear Island can only be accessed by boat. The whole island is a state park, you can find more info at the NC state park web page.(Sorry, dont have the address). There are camp sites reserved for paddlers. The mainland to the island is about a mile or so depending on how you go through the marsh. The marsh grasses are high enough to protect you from high winds and waves. The only problem is that the park office, put in, and parking lot are right on the InterCoastal waterway. But I don't there is much traffic this time of year. I was down there on the 4th of July a few years back and the ICW was a mess. The camp sites, first come first go, are secluded and even on the holiday we were isolated. You must camp in the designated spots. There is a marker for the site and you have to pitch you tent within a given distance or else. There is a bathroom and fresh water showers on the island. But you really need to take your on water. The paddling campsites are a good distance from the bathrooms. The north side of the island has a little lagoon that puts you very close to a couple of the camp sites. The south side is supposed to be nice as well but I have not been there. The north side is near the inlet so be very careful of the current. You can get to the lagoon with no problem but with an outgoing tide a weak paddler can easily get into trouble if you leave the lagoon and head to the right, towards the open ocean. Stay on the west side of Bear Island. This is a very pretty spot, what the coast used to look like before development. I'm sure most of the new locals and the tourists visiting Emerald Isle and Bear Island, could never guess that the USMC used to practice assualt landing on both islands during WWII. You can see/hear USMC aircraft at times. Sometimes fairly low flying. In the Triangle you there are three large lakes nearby. Jordan to the south, Falls north of Raleigh, and Harris which is south of Cary. Jordan has a large population of Bald Eagles. Falls has a part of the lake that bans IC motorboats. Harris is the has a Nuke plant which dominates the lake. You can see the cooling tower from Lake Jordan as well if you know were to look. Hope this helps... Dan McCarty *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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