June 26, 2006

Rain

The new plastic dock at the Leesylvania car top launch has a great quality: It is so slick you can seal launch off of it with ease.

What appeared to be fog was rolling in quickly up the river. But it wasn't fog. A solid sheet of rain ran over us as we pointed our kayaks toward Farm Creek. The rain ebbed and flowed as we paddled north, but for the most part it left us alone. With the slight wind at our backs it was on the muggy side of comfortable. I had placed my paddling jacket behind my seat. With no apparent wind and a warm rain it felt nicer without it.

Farm Creek was full of water and pleasant sights to enjoy. But the northern end of the creek was filled with tall water lilies and made passage back out to the Potomac through the north entrance impossible. We back tracked through the creek and paddled in to Neabsco Creek, stopping to watch the train rush by on the trestle over the creek. We paddled up a branch of the creek until the current ran so fast we had to stop and turn. Then explored another branch limboing under a dead fall before once again running out of navigable water.

We skirted the shoreline back to Leesylvania, watching momma duck and her little chicks, the Great Blue who seemed extraordinarily agitated at our presence, and paddling around the rock that appears to be sitting on top of the water. At Leesylvania we stopped on the beach to refuel and found a concession open with Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

As lunch came to an end, distant thunder motivated us back on the water for the final leg of our trip. The rain fell hard and beat the waves flat despite the gentle breeze in our faces. It was one of the true Zen moments of kayaking and we were only motivated to keep paddling toward the launch because we knew the rough stuff was getting closer.

We landed on shore as the next round of thunder let us know we had arrived just in time. But the plastic dock would first call me for another launch off the end before the kayak would see the top of my car.

As we strapped down our kayaks lighting hit so close that I instinctively ducked as the loud clap of thunder rang in my ears. But it was too late to drive the smile from our faces. We had enjoyed the rain. It was as much a part of our trip as the eagle or the fragrance of the little pink flowers we enjoyed along the day.

Woody