January 1 - Enoree River - Lower Section

We may be late starting the blog, but we weren't late getting a start on our paddling tour. Our original plan for January 1 was the Santee River, but the water was too high, so, on a lark we took off for the Enoree. We had no familiarity with the Enoree, so we were flying blind, but somehow it felt like the right trip for the day.
After some quick research we decided to put in at Brazelman's Bridge Road near Blair, SC. It is a perfectly good landing for canoes and kayaks, but there is no ramp for trailered boats. There were about 12 parking spots, but we were the only ones there that day. We left the car there for about three hours without a problem.
The water level was around 1100, which seemed to be a little above normal, but still very manageable. We were initially concerned about deadfall, but we didn't encounter anything that required portage. I would estimate the main channel to be about 25 feet on average. Much of the run is bordered by national forest, so there wasn't much to ruin our experience with nature.
After a quick 10 miles, we were in the Broad. It is a great way to see two very different rivers in one trip. We did see a bald eagle on the Broad, which was a great way to end the trip.
The takeout was at Strother's Landing, just off of Strothers Road, which is southeast of the Hwy 34 bridge (Catawba Trail). Like our put-in, there is no ramp, but it was fine for a canoe.
The shuttle time was about 35 minutes. You can see the route by clicking the link below.
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> Name: Enoree River - 01/01/2014
> Activity type: Canoe
> Description: Brazzleman's Bridge to Strothers Landing
> Total distance: 20.63 km (12.8 mi)
> Total time: 2:40:43
> Moving time: 2:28:16
> Average speed: 7.70 km/h (4.8 mi/h)
> Average moving speed: 8.35 km/h (5.2 mi/h)
> Max speed: 12.24 km/h (7.6 mi/h)
> Average pace: 7:47 min/km (12:32 min/mi)
> Average moving pace: 7:11 min/km (11:34 min/mi)
> Fastest pace: 4:54 min/km (7:53 min/mi)
> Recorded: 1/1/2014 11:34AM