u/crater-lake

I previously posted some ink drawings that I from my hiking trip to Big Bend this spring. Here are some oil paintings from that trip.

Congaree

I finally made it down to Congaree NP this week with my dog. It’s the closest national park to where I live but my first visit in my quest to visit as many NPs as possible.

We had beautiful weather, sunny with low humidity and a light breeze. The mosquito meter was sitting at zero, and I didn’t see a single one. We hiked about 5 miles, including the open portion of the boardwalk and the Weston Lake and Sims trails.

This is a great park to visit for a day or two during nice weather. I have been to many swamps, bottomland forests and similar wetlands in the Southeast. This is not the most outstanding example, IMHO, but definitely worth preserving. The Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia is probably the finest example and protected as a national wildlife sanctuary. The Black River Swamp in North Carolina is also outstanding but currently unprotected. An effort to preserve the Black River was stopped by local opposition and the usual politicians. It has the oldest known trees in the eastern United States and among the oldest in the world.

While we were in the area, we also visited Landsford Canal State Park near Catawba, SC. It has the largest known population of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies, a rare and spectacular flower species. They are in full bloom now until mid-June. You cannot get very close to the flowers unless you’re in a boat or don’t mind wading in the Catawba River (which might not be safe). My last photo shows the lilies from a viewing platform in the park.