Sisters woman explores swamp

Sue Morgan paddles her canoe through the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. photo provided

When Sisters farrier Sue Morgan heads out for vacation time, she doesn't include resort wear in her luggage.

Morgan is a lifelong wilderness explorer. Her latest adventure was a five-day canoe excursion in October, exploring the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia with five of her closest buddies.

Contained within this wetland ecosystem is the 396,315-acre Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1937, which maintains 110 miles of canoeable waterways. Visitors may paddle for one to five days on marked trails, settling for the nights on raised wooden platforms.

Accommodations for one night are on an island.

Morgan said it was a nice change to be able to stretch their legs and feel solid ground for a few hours.

These gals are no strangers to backcountry exploration. Morgan estimates that she and her two sisters, plus a close family friend, have been adventuring together for at least 25 years.

Morgan started her adventurous life early. She climbed her first mountain -- Mount Lassen in California -- at age four.

Her last several trips have included local women Kim Meeder of Tumalo and Michelle Kappur of Bend, both clients and now close friends of Morgan. The trips have included horse packing, backpacking, mountain climbing, sailing, backcountry skiing and canoeing in the Everglades.

Morgan had paddled the Okefenokee in 1990 with one of her sisters and was eager to return.

When asked about the attraction of a swamp, Morgan answered without hesitation: "The warmth, solitude, and wildlife."

Okefenokee Swamp. photo provided

The adventurers left the Central Oregon cold and were canoeing for days in shorts, and never saw another person.

They traveled with bird identification guides handy and also spied deer, bear, turtles, snakes and many American alligators.

"One really fun thing we did was to paddle around at night with headlamps on; the alligators are more active then and their eyes glow orange in the lights. It was like, 'lets not tip over now,'" Morgan said.

"We never saw snakes on the sleeping platforms, though there were old claw marks on one of the platforms. But the water was low enough that even if a bear or alligator came by, they wouldn't be able to get onto the platform," she added.

Trips are by permit, which must be purchased months in advance. The permits specify which trails to follow. The system is designed for solitude and lessened impact on the environment.

The Okefenokee Swamp is dotted with islands and surprising open spaces where water-loving plants grow up through the peat. These open spaces are called "prairies" and the trails meander through several of them.

The predominant trees within the area are cypress, bay, gum, and maple.

Loggers and farmers hit the area hard in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Timber operations were extensive and profitable until the loggers cut themselves out of work.

A canal was built to drain the swamp but the project was abandoned when it was discovered that the water was flowing back into the swamp.

Part of the trail system that exists today follows the paths of the canals that were built during that era.

Other trails are winding and shallow boat trails and river and creek channels of the Suwannee River drainage. Morgan and her group paddled 50 miles total, all in still or very sluggish water.

They kept the same pairings in the canoes for the entire trip.

"Once you figure out what works, you get used to it," said Morgan.

They didn't always travel together, often spreading out in order to spot more wildlife.

The adventures these women have shared have created bonds among them that keep them coming back for more. They undertake several trips each year, usually planning at least a year in advance.

One of them will come up with an idea, and if the group wants to run with it, that person is in charge of research and planning.

There have never been any accidents or illnesses among them, which Morgan attributes to careful preparation, experience and age.

"We are all in our 40s, are well organized and fit," said Morgan.

She and her sisters are all involved in search and rescue and they don't take risks.

When asked what they find to talk about, Morgan laughed and said,

"We hardly ever shut up. We talk about life and direction and if we're becoming the people we want to be. We seek to bolster each other -- we're very supportive."

Each of the women is involved in her community, they volunteer and do public service.

Morgan uses Falcon guidebooks to plan most of her trips. Visit www.falconguide.com.