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