September 14, 2003

Believing in the Weather Man

Janes Island 12-14 September

On Friday afternoon I left work in a drizzle and headed for Janes Island. The weather forecast was for heavy rain, followed by rain on Saturday, and rain on Sunday clearing late in the afternoon.

I've never put much faith in the weather forecast. The wind forecasts are usually fairly accurate, but rain forecasts are more often wrong, and even when it does rain, it often is only a quick shower. Over the years I've logged dozens of hours on the water that otherwise would not have been realized if I had let the rain forecast keep me home. I'm come to place 'the weather man' in the same category as 'the tooth fairy' and 'Santa Claus'.

But the outlook Friday night looked grim. It rained the entire 4 hours down to Janes, but miraculously stopped as I pulled into the park and set up my tent. After setting up the tent I placed the screen tent over the picnic table and raised my Kelty fly. The fly could provide a dry spot to assemble a tent if someone showed up after the rains came back.

Bryan showed up a few hours later. With the heavy rain I didn't really expect anyone to show up and I had been sitting around in the screen tent wondering what I would do all weekend at Janes if no one showed up and it rained all day. Bill showed up as Bryan was setting up his tent. We were now three. Bryan and I went for dinner in Crisfield. The special of the day was not available, they were out of crab cakes (what's up with that?!?!), and our waiter couldn't have been on the job more than about 5 minutes. We made note not to come back the following night.

During the night the rain fell hard, and we woke to a puddle over most of the site. Part of it taking up a corner of the screen tent. But our sleeping tents stayed high and dry. It rained on and off in the early morning. By 9:30 we were putting on the water, absorbing our last shower of the weekend. Because it was so overcast and raining, I passed on the sunscreen. Something I would regret before the end of the day.

Bryan, Bill and I headed south toward Crisfield. Flowing with the last bit of an outgoing tide and with the wind in our faces. We stopped on the south end of Janes to stretch our legs. Bryan and Bill both were grazed by jelly fish as they lounged around in the water. The sun came out, but I didn't think about the sunscreen.

The Jelly fish were numerous, and of different varieties. I hit quite a few with my paddle as we rounded the south end of the island and turned back north. The wind blew us along at a good clip and in short order we reached the channel through the island that would take us back to the park dock. Bryan's friends, Jim and Sharon met us half way through the island, and Bryan left us to join them as Bill and I continued to battle the winds on to the dock. Bryan decided a few minutes later that he would rather grab some lunch with Bill and I. About 9.5 miles for the morning trip.

Yvonne had arrived at the park while we were out and had gone for a short paddle. She returned shortly before us and we met up in the campground. After Bill and Yvonne put her tent up and we grabbed some lunch we headed back out on to the water. Passing back through the channel that divides the island, we again let the wind push us north on the outer, exposed side of Janes. We rounded the northwest corner of the island and turned east toward the mainland and the channel that separates Janes from the park. The wind blew against us, but at least not as hard as it had been blowing earlier. Another 4 miles for the day.

Back on shore we made dinner plans to meet up at the Streetside seafood market. Bill said his goodbyes to head off to see his niece. Yvonne and I ran around town gathering info for the Tangier trip, then stopped for dinner on the top balcony of the market. After dinner our group walked around town, stopping a few moments to listen to a Christian revival band on the dock, and making the mandatory visit to the ice cream shop.

Sunday morning woke Bryan and myself to thunder. We broke camp on the thought we were about to get pelted. But the rain never came. Bryan headed for home while I stuff a few remaining items away. After breakfast Steven Kim met up with us and accompanied Yvonne and I around the south end of the island. I made sure to slather on the sunscreen because I was cooked from the day before. Pretty much the same trip for me as the previous morning with the exception with the winds being lighter. With lighter winds, it felt pretty warm on the northern trek on the exposed side of the island.

Back again at the dock, Steven wanted more so he headed off to put in more miles. I had noticed Yvonne was zigging and zagging a lot considering her skeg was down. Now on shore we discovered the skeg wasn't working at all. We met up with Jim and Sharon, said our goodbyes and split up for the trek home.

A beautiful paddling weekend and excellent scouting trip for the Tangier trip next month. I just hope the weather man leaves us a quarter under our pillow.

Woody