Cam & Tony McDade
Refreshing!
A tour on Lake Jocassee is amazing this time of year, when late winter melts into early spring. The mountains are resplendent with cool fresh air punctuated by the chatter of pine warblers and the call of a distant redtail hawk. The lake sparkles in the afternoon sunshine, amplifying the hoots of the loons and the cackles of the gulls. Here and there a secretive flock of grebes dance their way across the lake when we venture into their hideaways unannounced. This is loon season on Jocassee, the time when the Great Northern Divers spread out across the basin still waiting for their new mating season “outfits” to come in. Serendipities abound, whether marveling at the clear, cold-water lapping at a lovely beach near the Duck Pond, spotting Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Azures at Wright Creek Falls, or taking time to catch your soul’s breath in the peaceful ambience at Gaddy Falls Cove. Exhilarating! All of the guests on our recent tour were experiencing the wonders of Jocassee for the very first time. And in many ways, so were we! Even after guiding tours for four years, Lake Jocassee always offers something new and marvelous for us to explore. Come join the adventure soon! ~Cam and Tony McDade, JLT naturalist guides