A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner - English Proverb

July 3, 2000

Mt Vernon

11.5 miles

I'm so horrible with names. Sometimes I even forget my own - and I don't even want to discuss the time I drew a blank trying to remember my wife's name on our honeymoon.

So with this in mind I'll tell you about the trip from Ft Belvoir to Little Hunting Creek and back. There were 10 kayakers in 9 kayaks as we started off that morning around 8:30. Phil Smith was designated leader after getting a round of razzing for being so fast. I decided to try and keep up with Phil and see just how well my forward stroke was working.

From the launch to around Whitestone Point and further up to the entrance to Dogue Creek, we led by a large margin. I was working, but seemingly no more than usual. A few times we stopped for the others to catch up. Once across the mouth for Dogue creek we headed up by Mt Vernon and stopped at the home of one of the couple's parents house. Since it was still early, we didn't get out and continued on to Little Hunting Creek, admiring all the big houses along the way. After floating around in the mouth of Little Hunting we headed back for Mt Vernon and had lunch by the pool of the house we stopped at earlier.

After lunch Phil and I struck out again. I don't know if Phil was slacking off or if I was really feeling my oats, but I led the group by a HUGE margin. Normally I'm a middle to the rear of the pack paddler with a definite tendency to be in the rear on the second half. About a mile from the launch I waited for everyone to catch up, and decided to paddle in the rear with Bill and have a chat.

After getting used to the sprint I found it hard to paddle slow. Even taking slow strokes I found them so efficient they would push me quickly ahead of the back of the group and I would have to stop. I finally resorted to bending my arms and using my old stroke to paddle slow. This worked fine.

Back at the launch myself and one other practiced our rolls a bit and I watch some folks near shore, not part of our group, teach their kid how to wet exit. Probably the first time I've seen someone independent of the group I was in teach such a task.

In the last 3 days I've put on 1/3 again as many miles as I've done all year. My 90th trip in a kayak - I'm looking forward to find something special for my 100th...

Woody

Course plotted by Woody at July 3, 2000 8:30 AM
This Month's Poll:
No Poll Open
View Archive


search

last updated
May 04, 2008 08:35 AM

random image

kayak news
Dynamic Content:
Raw Kayak News Feed...

recent kayak trip reports
Up River - Apr 25, 2008
The song birds now wake me up each morning. As my eyes adjust from the sleep I look through my...
My First - Jan 6, 2008
It rained the entire trip to Leesylvania. But by the time I arrived it was just the occasional drip. Overcast...
The Beginning of Fall - Oct 28, 2007
Windier than I expected. Just the type of weather Patty likes. I hate the wind. I like the way it...
Sit'n and look'n - part 2 - Sep 6, 2007
Somewhere in between the planes passing overhead and the traffic passing over the Key bridge, I found an inner peace...

guest kayak trip reports
Returning to Winter, Part II - Feb 14, 2005
I owe Woody a trip report. That was the price of our very first kayaking trip out of Belle...
Meredith in Puerto Rico - Oct 28, 2004
On Tuesday night I got to experience something many paddlers will never see, even though they live just a few...
Georgian Bay - Franklin Island Trip Report - Sep 18, 2004
Jenny and I returned to Canada this summer for our kayak vacation. We've been going to parts of Ontario for...
Paddle with Pride - Jun 12, 2004
Trip Report by Meredith Peruzzi Pictures Waking up at 4:00am on a Saturday morning doesn't sound like fun to most...

trip archives

kayak links

local weather

Partly Cloudy Updated: 15:10
Temp: 75
Wind Chill: 77
Humidity: 36%
WSW Wind: WSW 12 mph gusting to 22 mph
Beaufort: 3 beaufort
Dewpoint: 46
Barometer: 29.62 in. Hg
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility: unlimited

Moon
Waxing Gibbous Phase: Waxing Gibbous
New moon: 06-03-2008
1st Quarter: 05-11-2008
Full moon: 05-19-2008
3rd Quarter: 05-27-2008

Area Water Temps
Warm WaterBaltimore MD: 62°F
Thomas Point Light: 61°F
Little Falls: 60°F
Washington DC: 59°F
Mattawoman Creek: 60°F
Cambridge MD: 64°F
Solomons Island: 64°F
Kiptopeke VA: N/A

suggestions

subscribe
Enter your email address and select the appropriate button below to receive email notifications of updates to this site or remove yourself from the list
Subscribe Unsubscribe


email

verified

You are visitor #
13 billion and 2


Over
and still going!
this year

Pirate & Blue Lake Designs by
BlogMoxie
All works posted here are Copyrighted © by the original author unless otherwise noted and may not be used without permission.


Kayak Tag