THE SPIDER LILIES
For
years now I’ve intended to visit Landsford Canal
State Park during the Spider Lily bloom.
The park is only a 45 minute drive from house, but somehow I always
seemed to miss it. Recently a one-day
job assignment in Columbia gave me the perfect opportunity. I would be driving right by the park on my
way home. I had no excuse.
The
Rocky Shoal Spider Lily is a threatened species, growing only in a few
locations in the southeastern United States.
The largest population is in the Catawba River, in Landsford
Canal State Park. The park protects a
stretch of the river and the remains of a canal that made the river
commercially navigable between 1820 and 1835.
The
lilies bloom in the middle of the Catawba River in late May and early June. A short trail leads to an overlook that
provides a view of a broad stretch of the river and (in season) thousands of
the lilies. However, it is a distant
view. The overlook does not provide a
close up view of the flowers. For that,
you need to bring a boat.
I
brought a boat. My friend Dave has been
storing his inflatable kayak-type boat in my garage for years, and I
occasionally put it to use. When I
reached the park, I headed for the southern (downstream) parking area. I paid the $5 fee (I think it’s normally $2 –
outside of Spider Lily season). Then I
grabbed the boat, which was stuffed in an old backpack, along with the paddle
and a water bottle. I hiked up the
trail, which passes some of the remains of the old canal. The hike was easy, or it would’ve been, if I
hadn’t been carrying a 30 pound pack on a 90+ degree afternoon.
It
was less than a mile up to the official overlook. I took in the view, which included the broad,
muddy river and thousands of blooming lilies.
Then I inflated the boat and paddled out into the river.
Most
of the flowers were on the shoals in the middle of the river. Getting there was a little tricky, since
there was a fairly strong current. I
managed to paddle upstream, before ferrying across several channels. This was fairly easy, although there were
lots of rocks lurking just under the surface.
I got snagged a couple of times, but managed to free myself each time.
Carrying
the boat, inflating it, and paddling it out into the river was worth the
effort. While the view from the overlook
was impressive, the close up view was equally enjoyable. The plants are huge – the stalks are probably
3’ high. The flowers themselves are
impressive, too. The park claimed that
they were at their peak, but I think visiting a week or so earlier would’ve
been better. While there were a lot of
blooms, some of them were pretty droopy.
I
managed to take a few photos, which was a little tricky in a moving boat. After paddling around to different groups of
flowers I was getting hot, hungry, and thirsty.
Initially my plan had been to return to the overlook, deflate and pack
the boat, and hike back to the car. As I
was paddling back, I realized that was a stupid plan. I was in a boat, and my car was parked downstream. Why would I walk?
I
paddled downstream. There were lots of
ripples and small rapids, but nothing intense.
That’s good, because the boat isn’t designed for whitewater. Despite this, the float down the river was a
lot of fun! Luckily the take out was
well-marked. Missing it would’ve been a
disaster!
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!