It was a warm and sunny morning in early spring when we arrived at Awendaw Creek Canoe Launch, the type of day when better-known put-ins across the country would be swamped with paddlers. But we were the only two boaters in sight.

Looking around, I didn’t see much evidence of a topnotch paddling destination. The creek channel was engorged with inky blackwater that moved sluggishly upstream from the peaking tide. It didn’t look particularly inviting for paddling in our intended direction, toward the Intracoastal Waterway. 

The wooden boards on the walkway down the sandy bluff were warped and weather beaten. The floating dock was damaged, with one corner jutting skyward and the other underwater. A few reminders of recent hurricanes and that, in Low Country, first impressions can be misleading.

I’d studied the tide charts and knew that within minutes, the tide would start falling. The current would reverse