Greetings from SC

[MacEntyre]

Welcome, Ted! Thank you for your service.

I'm from Jamestown, NC, and I've hung in Hell Hole Swamp, near Jamestown, SC, in Francis Marion National Forest! (One of the few places I've hung where a bugnet was mandatory!)

- MacEntyre

[LostCause]

Welcome to HF! The supershelter has been used by some on this forum with good results. What temps were you aiming for?

[Ted]

What temps were you aiming for?

Hi, LostCause. Sustained mid-30s. Anything much lower and I'm headed south.

[Hangin' Burrito]

Welcome Ted. Like Muskrat said, we'd love to have you join us at Goat Island.

(We're gonna have a low country boil Saturday night!)

[beep]

Summerville is a lovely town. I grew up in Conway, SC, another low country small town.

[LostCause]

Hi, LostCause. Sustained mid-30s. Anything much lower and I'm headed south.

From what I've read about the Supershelter, you should be good in that temp range. You can always get an IX UQ from MacEntyre to help supplement for anything colder. If you decide to go south, you are more than welcome in Texas! Though it does get cold sometimes down here too... just not nearly as often.

[Salty]

Summerville is a lovely town. I grew up in Conway, SC, another low country small town.

Beep, what's up with all you fine Carolina boys moving to Minnesota? We used to drive through Conway on the way to the beach every year before they built the bypass. I have some distant relatives that have a huge farming operation next door in Aynor, SC.

Salty

[beep]

Beep, what's up with all you fine Carolina boys moving to Minnesota? We used to drive through Conway on the way to the beach every year before they built the bypass. I have some distant relatives that have a huge farming operation next door in Aynor, SC.

Salty

Heh! Believe me, it wasn't part of a grand plan! I moved here for work/employment reasons in 1991 and planted myself (sinking roots!). I really love it here! The locals laugh at me because I still think snow is a novelty! My kids did most of their growing up here and consider it "home". My wife grew up here. Lotsa reasons to stay!

As I have no family left in the Carolinas, I don't have compelling reasons to travel back to that area any more. I have fond memories of backpacking in the early 1970's in Linville Gorge, Shining Rock, and parts of the AT...back when we carried HEAVY packs 'cause that's what we had! We used to spend Sundays rock climbing at Crowder's Mountain (in your back yard!).

[Salty]

As I have no family left in the Carolinas, I don't have compelling reasons to travel back to that area any more. I have fond memories of backpacking in the early 1970's in Linville Gorge, Shining Rock, and parts of the AT...back when we carried HEAVY packs 'cause that's what we had! We used to spend Sundays rock climbing at Crowder's Mountain (in your back yard!).

Given the heat, MN is starting to look pretty good to me, too. I was just up a Crowders not long ago. I took my kids to the secret cave.

Sorry, Ted, back to you...

Ted, there is a really neat bird sanctuary called Four Holes Swamp between Columbia and Summerville. Ever been there? I once did a canoe trip there with some friends, and the requirement for the trip was for "experienced paddlers only". We had two people that had never canoed before sign up, anyway. One was an older lady and the other was her friend, who was a gentleman on vacation from France, and he didn't speak English. After watching them go in circles for half an hour on the way into the swamp, we reshuffled, and I put the lady in my canoe and the guide took the Frenchman. After that, it was smooth sailing. But, very neat place down there. I think every limb we floated under had a snake sunning on the branches, and if there wasn't a snake, there were at least three spiders that dropped into the canoe. There is an old fishing club there with a static membership. The only way to get a slot is for someone to die and leave you the membership. Oh my, I'd love to have one of those slots. The water was alive with fish popping insects as the sun began to fade. I doubt I'd get much sleep, but I bet it would be very interesting to hammock camp in the swamp. I bet you hear all sorts of things at night.

Salty

[Ted]

Summerville is a lovely town. I grew up in Conway, SC, another low country small town.

Beep, I grew up in Myrtle Beach in the 1960s (MBHS class of '65) and had many friends in Conway. We were nearly neighbors! I just did Crowder Mountain last year and really enjoyed it...my former Navy Seabee battalion has its annual reunion at King's Mountain State Park, so I plan to go up a couple of days early to hike and camp.

Salty, I am very familiar with Four Holes...the Francis Biedler Forest in Four Holes is a gem of a wildlife sanctuary and reportedly a dynamite kayak experience (guided only, I understand). I haven't tried it yet but spend a fair amount of time kayaking the upper Ashley River. Only trouble is that there are no mountains down here. Last winter I took a kayak trip through the vast old rice fields of Middleton Place plantation on the west side of Hwy. 61, now overgrown with mature cypress, and wondered about slinging my hammock over water. Interesting, but you really have to remember where you are when nature calls at 4 AM. Incidentally, I'm really curious about your uncle...

Muskrat and Hangin' Burrito, thanks for the invite. Would love to attend but have conflicts that whole week...another time, maybe.

MacEntyre, glad you had a chance to sample the Low Country, but the bug net is not just for Jamestown..keep it close when you're out of the house anywhere down here. Incidentally, enjoyed your web site...interesting stuff.

My thanks to everyone for the warm welcome to the forum.