Happy New Year!

y shoulder is still recovering from a pinched nerve, so my new years paddle will be later than I had hoped. But I've managed to use the time to install some neat things on the web server.

The first item is the Geo Paddle project, a map showing the Cheasapeake Bay that allows you to drill down to high quality arial or topographic maps from the USGS. The project is based on waypoints of points of interest around the bay, currently 900 and growing. If you have waypoints you would like added to the project, don't hesitate to send them to me.

The second is not yet ready for prime time, but will hopfully be ready by early spring - The Kayak Geo Cache will be a listing of semi-hidden points accessable by kayak. A GPS will make the caches easier to find, but will not be required. The details are still being worked out, but the basic concept is this:

a) Paddlers place a watertight container with a journal in it and note the coordinates of where they leave the 'cache'.

b) The coordinates are posted on the Kayak Geo Cache web page so others know where to look. The coordinate list will also be linked to the Geo Paddle Project so non-GPS owners can see the area the cache is located.

c) Paddlers visit as many caches as they can, leaving their name written in the journal of each one.

There are a few other behind the scenes things going on I hope to have time to work on as well. But this spring looks to be a busy one for me, so I need to try and get as many things done to the server before the weather starts to warm again...

Woody

Geo Update

ust a quick update on the latest Geo Services available on WKTR:

Geo Tide Finder puts Tide stations in the Chesapeake Bay area just a click away! Every tide station in the Bay area is displayed on the map. To get the latest tide table just click on the dot.

Geo Paddle allows you to click 'anywhere' on a Chesapeake Bay map to bring up high resolution arial photography or USGS topo maps. Need a good kayak map for an area you have never paddled? Then you want to check out Geo Paddle before you go!

After the new version of Geo Paddle is released I will turn my energies to implementing the Geo Kayak Cache. The Kayak Cache will be a game in which the objective is to visit as many Geo Kayak Cache sites as possible. Find the cache and add your name to the journal inside!

Warmth

t was the perfect forecast. In the 50's - no wind. It's been two months since I've been on the water. My paddle felt comfortable, finding it's place as it caught the water on each stroke.

I had spent much of the morning looking for my pogies. I was so obsessed in trying to remember where they were I totally forgot to pick up a pair of paddling gloves on the way out the door. So barehanded I paddled off from the car-top launch at Leesylvania.

Tundra swans were back in Powell's creek. Memories of a long ago encounter of these swans sweep through my mind. I didn't want to spook them so I turned to paddle out to the Potomac. This was a warm-up paddle - one to test my shoulder after so many weekends trying to recoup from a pinched nerve. Also a checkout paddle for my freshly repaired skeg. Both would be deemed seaworthy before the end of the day.

Paddling along shore toward the boat ramp, shots rang out in the distance. Duck hunters. I didn't want to get close so I stopped a few moments to decide where I could paddle and put the pogies on my paddle. Shots rang out from the four compass points. No place near shore to paddle so I turned toward the east and Smallwood state park across 2 miles of open water. I often won't paddle on Saturdays during hunting season but the weather was so nice, and predicted to turn cold again before tomorrow.

Not wanting to risk injuring my shoulder I paddled slow. Stroke stroke stroke glide - stroke stroke stroke glide. The air just a tad foggy, I struggled to see distant shores. Shotguns continued to ring out while I continued on my way toward Smallwood. Bits of ice, small in width but sometimes a foot or more thick looked like miniature icebergs, and increasing in number once near the eastern shore.

Worried that hunters might also be tucked up Mattawoman Creek, I turned south and paddled for a bit a few hundred yards offshore. Getting near the green buoy I cross the channel and hang out for a moment near the buoy to gauge the current. It is heading north, maybe at half a knot. I set a slightly southward ferry angle and head back toward the western shore. To the south a tug is pushing a barge full of sand up river. I'm nearly all the way back across when the tug passes the section of the river I'm on. He's moving very slow, probably taking it easy because of the ice and floating tree trunks that litter the water.

Having been off the water for so long I tossed in a few bow rudders and hanging draws. They felt like friends coming out to play. I had been worried that I'd be a bit rusty and unstable from such a long period away from paddling. But they felt solid and confident. My paddling felt sluggish from the lack of exercise I've gotten this winter, but the skills still felt sharp.

Back to the kayak launch. The day just getting underway. The swans are gone and in a few moments, so am I.

When Blood Turns Cold

t was windier than I expected, but I need to force myself to get some exercise. As I unloaded my gear I notice Tundra Swans in the small bay to the south. I watch them a while as another kayaker paddles past them and they take flight. I walk back to the car and grab my camera in hopes they will get close enough to get a picture.

I take a few more pictures and put the camera away. I need to remember to upload these and the few I took last weekend at Leesylvania up to the web server.

The wind has been building since I pulled up, and it would have been so easy just to load the kayak back up and go home. My dry-suit grows tighter on each passing day, and the new neck gasket was already feeling quite uncomfortable. Sigh...Well I've come this far I might as well go on.

I launched through some small wavelets. The fetch was small but the water dark with small debris and my bright orange sea kayak looked like it had taken a mud bath by the time I got away from shore and fastened my spray-skirt.

I turned the kayak north and headed wards Kanes Creek. I was winded, partly from the tight neck gasket, partly from the effort it took to launch. Another inconvenience I noticed that would grow through the trip was a lack of back support. I kept sliding down in the seat and it was fatiguing to keep pressing back against the foot pegs. I felt like I could just slide on in all the way up to the forward bulkhead.

High tide had been an hour earlier, so I had plenty of water back in the creek to paddle in. In the summer, the lilly pads mark the edges of the channel. But in winter it is easy to glide over a shallow area and become grounded in the silty mud. For the most part for now, there seems to be enough water to float me directly across the shallows. With the wind at my back, I used my paddle blades as a sail to carry me deep into the creek.

A few places I could feel my skeg drag bottom as I passed over shallow areas. I knew I'd need to follow the channel on the way out. Having reached the back of the creek I turned the kayak around and was greeted to the cold blast that had been at my back on the way in.

I swayed from side to side in the creek following the channel. The wind was biting, but the water was flat until I got back out to the mouth. Here, the waves were short and steep and my bow buried in them as I cut a path back into Occoquan Bay, and in short order arrived back at the launch.

As I hopped out of the kayak I pulled it clear of the water, tossed my gloves into the cockpit and took a much needed stretch. After dropping my paddle in the grass I shouldered the kayak and placed it on the grass too. In the short time since I had landed my hands had become bitterly cold so I quickly grabbed a few dry bags and my paddle and walked the 100 yards back to the car.

As I reached to unlock the car I see my hand is covered in red. It took me a few moments of looking at the bright red liquid to realize it was my blood. Dripping off the ends of my fingers I felt no pain, and had a hard time convincing myself it was really blood. The bright red color looked almost orange through my sunglasses.

I had a roll of paper towels in the car so I took one and tightly wrapped several fingers. As luck would have it I had carried up the first aid kit in one of the dry bags. After dabbing up the blood from my fingers I'm finally able to tell I had just scraped the skin off my pinky from my second knuckle all the way up to the fingernail. It sure looked painful but unworthy of all the blood that seemed to gush from it. I cleaned up the finger and put a band aide over it but it kept seeping enough that I had to wrap another paper towel over it while I loaded up the rest of my gear.

Back at the kayak I can see blood around the cockpit. How did I not see this before? I must have scraped it as I carried it back up the grass. I'll have something different to mention in the trip report... I cleaned up my wound and tossed the kayak on top of the car, took one last look around and headed for home.

I Can Breathe!

n Friday, I took off from work to spend a glorious day on the water. The weather was beautiful and warming to the soul. I had planned to spend some time fine tuning my roll a bit, but had forgotten my retainers for my glasses and didn't want to lose them in the bottom of the river.

I carried the boat and the gear to the water. This will probably be my last day in this very snug dry-suit. I had arranged to pick up an OS Systems dry-suit from Mike Aronoff in the afternoon. So rather than suffer through much of a day trip I spent an hour or so getting back in touch with my bow rudders, hanging draws - you know, all the fun stuff.

That afternoon Mike told me about his BCU to ACA crossover training he gave down in Georgia during the week. It sounded like a great time paddling with some of the finest paddlers in the US, all BCU 5 star paddlers including one level 5 coach/accessor 5 - truly a world class paddler!

I was anxious to get out in the new dry-suit, but driving from Leesylvania to Mike's I broke my glasses while trying to clean them. Blast! Luckily I had my prescription sunglasses with me.

Saturday night rolled around and I decided I had to go out on Sunday. The weather has just been too nice to pass up a paddling day like this. My sunglasses don't have as good of a prescription as my regular glasses, but I made do with what I had.

It was so nice sitting in my kayak in the new dry-suit and not feeling so constrained. I could move - I could breathe. It brought me back to a better place. On Friday I thought I was very out of shape, but today I know a lot of that was the tightness of the old suit. I *am* out of shape, but not nearly as bad as I had thought I had been.

The OS Systems dry-suit crinkled with every stroke like a plastic grocery bag. I remember my Kokatat being the same way when it was new. But I soon tuned it out and paddled across belmont bay and back - roughly 6 miles in the round about course I took. I even broke out the sail for a few minutes until I got bored and switched back to paddling. It just felt so nice being unencumbered by my old, tight, dry-suit.

I guess I should point out the differences between my 2 suits in the event it might help someone to decide what to buy when in the market.

The OS Systems (Spirit) suit is a thinner material. It doesn't feel quite as durable as the gore-tex Kokatat, but the lighter weight also makes it easier to move around in. It felt more like I was wearing a raincoat than a dry suit. The material may be just as durable as Gore-Tex - time will tell, but I do like the extra mobility it offers.

The neck wrap uses a zipper instead of velcro like the Kokatat. I 'love' this feature because I've often complained about the velcro wrap on the Kokatat catching on everything - hats, skull cap, string, rope, eye glass retainers - seems like anything it got near. But the neck wrap on the OS is a lightweight zipper, so it remains to see how it will hold up through the years.

Held up in each hand, the OS is noticeably lighter than the Kokatat.

I miss the waist pull of the Kokatat. It was nice to pull up above the waist and cinch it down to hold up the dry-suit. It wasn't a problem on the OS, but it would have been a nice extra.

The OS zips from the left shoulder to the right side - opposite of the Kokatat. It isn't any easier or harder with either side.

I only splurged on 2 options: relief zipper and breathable booties. The latex booties slide in/out of shoes easier, but my feet didn't get as clammy in the breathable booties.

The best part was the price! The OS suit uses a breathable fabric, but it isn't as expensive as Gore-Tex. Mike also gives a discount to ACA club members, so I came out a few hundred bucks cheaper than if I had gone with another Kokatat suit. If your in the area, give Mike a call at 703 264-8911 when you are ready to take the plunge and buy that suit for winter kayaking!

Stump Neck

was a bit surprised to see how windy it had already become before I launched. I had hoped to make the southern part of my trip before the wind picked up, then ride the southerly wind back to Leesylvania.

On launching I headed directly across the mouth of Powell's creek. The far shore, I reasoned, should keep me out of the wind until I passed Cockpit Point and headed out across the open water. This worked well, keeping the wind and waves at bay until it was time to cross the Potomac.

As I rounded Cockpit Point and headed out into open water the waves were barely a foot. But the wind blew in strong gusts and I stopped long enough to twist some feather into my paddle.

I started paddling 5 years ago as an unfeathered paddler. Over the last few years I've mentioned in previous trip reports that I've been teaching myself to switch up as needed - to paddle feathered into a head wind, and unfeathered when the wind is out of the other 3 quarters. Slowly, I've been adapting and in the last 6 months become comfortable switching at will. I need some additional rolling practice when paddling feathered, and maybe a tad more high brace practice on the left side.

Out in the center of the river, with a fetch of roughly 10 miles, the waves grew to just under 2 feet. This Sirocco turns easily into the wind, and in anticipation of running with the wind for the return trip I had loaded the stern heavy. I was glad as the Sirocco normally likes to plow directly into oncoming waves, but today she road easily up and over them.

Nearing the channel along the Maryland side of the river I checked both directions for approaching boat/ship traffic. A barge is a good distance to the south and moving slow so I crossed the channel and rounded the tip of Stump Neck. Looking back I see the barge is far out of the channel and heading for Cockpit Point.

I recalled seeing steam billowing out of the pipes from the long pier that sticks out into the water at Cockpit Point. It now made sense to me they were expecting to load or unload some cargo.

I fiddled around in Chicamuxen Creek a bit. I raised my Spirit sail and headed back into the creek. For a moment I entertained the idea of sailing back to Leesylvania, but this blasted sail is so difficult to raise and lower in a strong wind that I didn't want to risk getting back in the middle of the river with a very strong wind blowing me to who knows where. Once the sail is up, it is easy enough to control, but trying to set it up or take it down is an exercise in balance and luck.

I pulled ashore for lunch. Munching a sandwich in one hand I pulled my paddling jacket over my drysuit and PFD with the other. It was getting chilly and the wind seemed to cut through the drysuit. As I know from past experience that when I stop paddling in the winter, I chill down quickly in the wind and the oversize paddling jacket rides in my day hatch for just that reason.

After lunch I set back off for Leesylvania. Another barge had passed while I was in the creek, and a third one passed just as I left the mouth and began to cross the river.

The ride north was quick but mid river I couldn't recall placing my car keys in a dry bag. I worried all the way back that they might be in the river somewhere, having slipped off the rear deck as I was loading my gear into the boat. With the wind and waves coming from behind I surfed swell after swell. Working my timing to try and stay on a wave as long as possible. Speeding up to catch it, then slowing down to keep from out running it.

Approaching Cockpit Point I kept my eye on the barge now tied up there, making sure he didn't plan to leave any time soon. I crossed far out in front of him and tucked back into the wide mouth of Powell's Creek. Making a beeline for the cartop launch - would I have car keys?

On shore I found my keys in my paddling jacket. By some miracle they hadn't fallen out of the unzipped pocket. I tossed my cold, wet gear in the car and headed for home.

Assateague - Preamble

Katie and I just returned from 4 days at Assateague. Trip report to follow soon, but in the mean time I posted pictures from Day 1 and the last day on the way out of the park. The pictures from the backcountry are on the disposable camera, so it will be a few days to get those developed and posted.

Woody

Assateague

e arrived at the National Park around 2:00 in the afternoon. After checking in with the ranger to get our camp site assignment and back county permit, the two of us headed out to "Busters" for a crab sandwich and a burger. Katie loves to eat there, but the food is a bit pricey. They do have a large variety of food, and it is the local ice cream shop as well.

After lunch we headed back to the park and to our camp site. I started setting up camp while Katie ran off with the camera to get pictures of a small deer. After the tent was up we went out to watch some kite surfers, and Katie discovered a sea squirt that had washed ashore. To 'save' the squirt she took it back to the water, saving it from the small kids that descended on the beach a moment later.

We headed down a nature trail, stopping to read the signs and survey the area they discussed. Part of the raised walkway we were on was covered by broken clam shells. Katie asked why and I explained to her about the gulls dropping them to crack them open. She doubted that was really what was going on, but a few minutes later we got to watch several gulls crack open a few for our benefit.

Back at camp I made dinner while Katie took pictures of the ponies, then we headed back down to the bay to watch the sun set.

As we wondered back to the camp we sat on the picnic table as a guy walked toward the shower with (obviously) fresh clothes, a towel, and a toiletry bag. A woman passing him in the opposite direction said "Gonna get a shower?"

"No, I'm going around camp popping everyone with my towel"

"Here's your sign." My daughter thought this was quite funny, so we played this game countless times throughout the next few days anytime either of us did something silly or asked a question with an obvious answer.

Shortly afterward we turned in for the evening to get our rest for the paddle out to the back country site in the morning.

On day 2 we woke early, packed camp and headed over to Ferry Landing as a man in a yellow kayak was heading out. We spent a good half hour to 40 minutes packing everything into the kayaks. After stuffing our sleeping bags between our feet we paddled off.

We started out at low tide, and choosing the near shore track we had to push through some low areas during the 5 mile paddle to the Pine Tree camp site. As we passed Tingles Island we spotted the yellow kayak dude heading out into deeper water.

At Pine Tree we set up camp and had lunch. While finishing up our meal the truck came to clean out the porta-potty and Katie and I headed out for a walk to the beach.

On the road we found a dead raccoon, or at least what was left of what we thought to be a raccoon. Over at the beach the air blowing off the ocean was cold. Although the wind was blowing hard, the waves were tiny and all locally wind blown. It would have been a great day to paddle on the ocean if not for the wind.

On the walk back Katie spotted something leftover from a marine animal. Far from the beach, our best guess was that it was a dolphin tail that had been dragged up by an animal.

We walked to the old building near the camp ground, crossing a Small bridge and found a recently deceased raccoon. We walked around a little bit more and headed back to camp where we found the camp site now occupied by two more couples.

The first had been kayaking the entire length of Assateague. The next day they would leave and paddle to the National Park, and the following day end their trip in Ocean City. THe second couple arrived by canoe and after unloading 2 very large bags had their camp quickly set up.

For dinner we boiled water and poured it into Mountain House dehydrated food packages. Later in the evening we retired just as Katie spotted a tick crawling on the outside of the tent.

On day 3 we rose early to paddle some of the back country guts into the island. I was looking forward to this as I've always paddled point to point at Assateague, and have never taken the time to explore the interior waters. After slipping in to our dry suits we paddled off into the gut on the north side of the camp site.

In short order we were scooching across shallows using our hands. We'd find deeper water and paddle a bit, only to run aground a few minutes later.

We were treated to a show as a king fisher tried to find a mid-morning meal, and we paused for a few minutes to watch it hunt. We paddled on toward the north, spotting snowy egrets ahead.

We slowly approached the egrets so Katie could take some pictures, then paddled on toward a large pond we could see over the short grasses. On entering the pond the water grew very shallow. We got out of our kayaks and walked about 50 yards across the pond. Not finding any deeper water, we trekked across land about 250 feet and put our kayaks back into the water in a deep gut that led out to the bay near the south end of Tingles Island.

We paddled back to our camp site and all the previous day's campers had left. Katie and I had lunch, and with a full belly and a full morning workout Katie wanted a nap before we explored the gut on the south side of the camp.

During our nap a canoe couple paddled up and noisily poked around our camp reading our back country permit and wondering where we were.

After our nap the wind had picked up a bit. We put our dry suits on again and paddled around to the south side of the camp site and into the south gut. We paddled under the small bridge and a good distance toward the beach before turning to head back out. To our left the gut continued on and we followed it back out to the bay. Katie didn't want to paddle in the wind/waves so we turned our kayaks back in to the gut, retracing our steps back to camp.

For dinner we boiled more water for dehydrated dinners and later made some raspberry crumple while sitting around a small campfire before we called it a day.

When we woke on our last day we took our time tearing down camp and packing the kayaks. Once set to go we climbed back in our dry suits one last time for a paddle back to our car.

The paddle back was a little sad for me. I have such a great time paddling and camping with my daughter. The last time we did this trip she needed a tow part of the way in and back, but today she covers the miles like a pro. The time flew by as we guessed at the miles we had paddled. We weren't quite sure where the landing was, and we poked in and out of a few places near shore till we found the right place.

We unloaded the kayaks and loaded the car. Katie and I snapped a few more pictures on the road out of the park. We stopped at Buster's once again for lunch before heading home.

(The rest of the pictures to be posted soon)

ACA Basic Coastal Kayak IDW/ICE

ot knowing how long it would take me to get there, I left the house early for Lake Fairfax. This is the first day of an American Canoe Association Instructor Development Workshop followed by an Instructor Certification Exam. At the end of this course is the opportunity to certify as an ACA instructor at one of three levels:

Intro to Kayaking
Essentials to Kayaking
Basic Coastal Kayaking

My goal - my hope, is to certify as a Basic Coastal Kayak Instructor.

Day one starts at 9:00 am. Mike Aronoff, an Instructor Trainer Educator for the ACA, kicked off the class by having us interview our neighbor and then introducing them to the group. Our assisting instructors, Greg and Ciaran were introduced and Mike explained that to become certified, we need to demonstrate a wide range of skills, both on the water and off, correctly 70% of the time. It seemed like just a short period later we were sitting in recreational kayaks in the middle of Lake Fairfax.

Mike had a few of us swamp our kayaks to demonstrate the difference in emptying a recreational kayak with float bags, and one without. He also showed us a way to drain a rec boat easily that Ciaran had developed if it has a rear hatch by popping off the cover when performing a t-rescue to allow the boat to drain. I was shocked at how well this worked and filed that away in my bag of tricks.

Time flew by, and with 9 hours under our belt filled with student teaching sessions and technique demonstrations we called it a day.

On Day 2 we were falling behind with the huge amount of information we needed to cover, so we started at 8:00 am. We covered a wide variety of subjects from both the Instructors and the students as well as more demonstrations on how to demonstrate strokes and rescues.

I personally found it hard to think like an instructor. I found myself thinking of myself more as a student rather than an instructor. Mike kept reminding us we were there to become instructors, but for me I couldn't seem to make it sink in and I think that hurt my ability to contribute at times, or perform up to my own standards.

It had been 2 years since I taught much of a class at all. I helped last season with a rescue class, but even in that class I was more of an assistant than an instructor. But as we closed out day 2 after 10 hours of class and on water exercises, seeing Mike, Greg and Ciaran's enthusiasm for teaching caused me to reflect on the enjoyment I got out of teaching.

Day 3 started at 8:00 am at Mason Neck State Park. Mike separated the Basic Coastal hopefuls from the Essentials group so we could better work toward our goals and the Essentials guys could complete their certification exam.

Mike had us "coastal hopefuls" working on demonstrating basic strokes, keeping explanations simple so that we wouldn't overwhelm our students with too much information. It was a lesson I took to to heart as even within our more experienced group using less words were very effective in getting down the basics.

We ended the day paddling in the chop off the point near Mason Neck's launch. Several of us got some great rides in the large swells kicked up by the power boats as they raced by.

We said goodbye to the Essentials class, and I headed home tired, but feeling good.

The next day I would learn that none of the 5 in the essentials class certified at that level. There were 3 that certified at the intro level and one was pending a certification based on completing a few requirements.

Day 4 started out with us on the water and modeling strokes and our roll for the camera. Forward, reverse, sweep turn in place, draws all captured on video for our later review.

After the video session we headed off toward Smoot island. Mike ran through capsize scenarios and after I had performed several rescues Mike told me I was relieved from rescue duty and could only be a victim. Too bad as I was just starting to really have fun ;)

We split up in to 2 separate groups and practiced a few more scenarios. As our group continued on to Smoot one of the paddlers said to me that I must have something sneaky planned. When I asked why she replied I had a big smirk on my face.

But I didn't. The warm weather over the last 4 days had refilled my energy reserves, and on this last day it was starting to bubble out. Great weather, warming water, and just being out to play in it was forcing the corners of my mouth to reach skyward.

After lunch back on the beach, we paddled back to the park and watched the video recorded earlier. I actually looked better than I felt I had done, but there were a few things Mike pointed out that needed to be fixed.

After the video came a written exam. It was tougher than I expected, and some things I should have known, I didn't. We loaded our gear up as the tests were scored then Mike pulled us aside one at a time to give use the results of our overall exam.

It is a tough position to be in to tell someone they didn't pass. The rock of hurting someone's feelings is on one side while the hard spot of signing your name certifying this person as competent to teach others is on the other. I admire Mike and his assistants for being able to make the right call and not sacrifice quality for quantity

Of the 7 who were in the final day of class, 5 certified as Basic Coastal Instructors, and 2 certified as Essentials Instructors.

For me, I was disappointed in myself at not thinking more like an instructor. Even throughout this trip report I used the term "student" when I should have used the term "instructor candidate". It is a difficult change in frame of mind for me, but one I hope comes with time - and practice.

Kanes Creek

uiet morning on Kanes Creek. You can see the pictures here. Not a lot to write about as it was just a short trip.

Saw a few mature Bald Eagles, but never managed to catch one with the camera. Near the back of the creek I ran across some big carp running through the lilly pads. The first surprised me by flicking water in my face.

Note to those who want to paddle the creek at low tide: Hang along the right side - the channel runs down that direction. Once the creek narrows, follow the outside of the bends.

Woody

SK102 - 2004

A full trip report will come over the next few days, but I wanted to go ahead and put up the pictures. The Chesapeake Paddlers Association, in concert with the American Canoe Association, held the annual SK102 kayak training event this weekend.

This is Carolyn standing up in her Sparrow Hawk. You can see the rest of the kayaking pictures here, including Vince handrolling with a candle! With a little over 80 students and 27 instructors we had a fun filled weekend sharing skills and camaraderie.

Woody

Flying through 360

met Meredith on Saturday at Piscataway, but parking was scarce so we headed across the creek to launch at Farmington Landing. This often overlooked park only lacks a port-a-jon to be the perfect out of the way launch location.

Meredith is getting ready for a fund raising paddle on June 12th in New York. "Paddle with Pride" is a 24 mile journey down the Hudson river to raise money for the LGBT Community Center. You can find more info at the link above on Meredith's site.

From the launch we headed back in to Piscataway creek until we were forced to turn around because of dead falls. We paddled over to Atlantic Kayak to grab a quick bite then headed out into the Potomac, paddling north beyond Fort Washington and into Swan Creek.

I believe this is the first time I paddled in to this creek, and it went back further than I expected. We paddled past several house boats, and multi-million dollar homes on the waterfront. On the way out of the creek we beached our kayaks and went for a swim - with our paddles of course!

By the time we made it back to the launch we had covered 10 miles. Not the 24 she will face in a few weeks, but helping to stretch her limits a bit at a time.

On Sunday Katie and I headed out to Mason Neck to work on her skills. The flies on shore were horrendous so we quickly got in our boats and paddled off. Katie has expressed an interest in getting her BCU 2 star, and we worked on torso rotation, turns and draws. Paddling in reverse seemed to be her biggest challenge, but before we were done her reverse figure of 8 was coming along nicely.

Heading back to the launch I beached my kayak to help katie on her high brace. I held her paddle a few times while she hip snapped up. After a few times I let go of her paddle and a few more times later she was falling over and rolling back up on her own. Her off side needs some work, but she tried her best. I had her try going over several times while pulling her boat slowly through the water to work up to an "on the move" high brace.

Pictures link

Up until today, Katie's roll had consisted of only going down and back up on the same side. But her sweep looked good so I had her set up - explained the best I could the slight differences, and over she went, rolling 360 degrees on her first attempt! The second attempt I whipped out my digital camera and caught a crude video of her rolling.

Once she got that she wanted to do it 50 million times. I didn't think we'd ever go home.

I had told her if she rolled I'd buy her a new paddle. One of those pattern prints that Swift sells with Orcas on it. She tried at the end of the day at Lake Anna, but was too tired to roll up. Her first words after her first 360 was "Now you have to buy me a new paddle", and I had to admit I had already ordered it - a few days before Lake Anna:)

Woody

Herons!

oan drove up as I was beginning to assemble the Folbot. With her help we managed to get it together despite me forgetting a piece back at home. We improvised using a strap to replace the missing piece and then carried the kayak down to the launch. I went back and got the car and unstrapped my Sirocco and by 10:00 Joan and I were on the water.

We paddled down to Kanes creek. The water was way out and filled with heron, a few with fish in their beaks. If I were to guess, maybe 50 heron were in the shallows as we wound our way through the channel.

Around one bend we saw a snake feeding on minnows. As our boat passed we scared the minnows into a frenzy and the snake enjoyed the free meal rushing at him.

Back in the Bay we ran across Zak, Carolyn and Meredith. We paddled as a group back to the launch and swapped the double that Carolyn and Meredith were paddling for Carolyn's Sparrow Hawk and my daughter's Mystic.

After a short shore break we headed around the southern end of the Neck playing in the chop from the deep draft boats. Passing the heron rookery and paddling up the Potomac a short distance before turning around and heading back.

We had covered 7-7.5 miles by the time we got back to the launch. We said goodbye to Meredith and Carolyn and headed back out for a little rolling practice.

I beached my kayak and walked out a good 100-150 feet in the shallow water before it got deep enough to let Zak try her roll. After a good long practice it was time to head back and load up. I put the folbot away then loaded up the 2 hard-shells with the help of Joan and Zak. We chatted a bit more and at 6:00pm we headed for home.

10 hours at the park today. I'm tired...but scheduled to be back there again in the morning...

Pictures

The next day I took Katie to Mason Neck to try out her new Swift paddle. She wanted to try and roll with it but the overcast skies and cool breeze had her stay in her cockpit.

We paddled out to Conrad Island, soon to be called "Conrad Sandbar", about a mile offshore of the State Park. Waves were small heading out, but still making Katie worry.

From Conrad we headed south toward the Potomac but the waves grew to about a foot making Katie very nervous so we turned and headed toward Kanes Creek.

I've never explored the north branch of this creek. Heck, I've been back in this creek 50 times and always assumed there was no water in it. The entrance looks a bit hidden, but today we wondered around the right bend and found the north branch did have plenty of water in it to paddle.

We wound our way deep into the Wildlife refuge before the creek got too narrow to turn around. We headed back out to the main creek and paddled past the eroding sandy hills along the shore and back to the launch, about 6 miles total for the day.

Katie has been using the same sprayskirt since she started kayaking. A large yellow skirt from Necky and over the past 5 years has started taking on more and more water. I've been hesitant to replace it as it was loose enough to fall off if Katie capsized, but tight enough to stay on while she practiced rolling. As Katie wiped the scum lines off the boat, I brought down to the water a new skirt. Neoprene deck, and nylon tunnel. The adjustable bungee allows me to tighten it just enough to stay on, but fall off if pressed. I had katie dry fit it several times, and we'll wet exit test it next time we go out.

Woody

Butterflies for lunch

e ran in to Mike, Erik and Alison while waiting for the gate to unlock at Mason Neck. Erik was leading a tour back in to Kanes, and Mike and Alison were conducting an ACA IDW/ICE.

When Joan arrived we headed off to Kanes Creek to work on Katie's skills. Katie capsized while practicing her reverse figure of 8 and failed to roll up so I had to help her back in her kayak. The water was chilly so we paddled back in to the creek so she could warm up.

After a short paddle we headed out of the creek and down toward the point south of the put in. The plan was to beach near the point for lunch. Actually, the plan was to get Katie in some waves. She has this strong fear of waves of any size. Small boat wakes often make her panic.

Katie didn't want to paddle around the point, so I agreed to beach right before the point for lunch. Mike's class beat us there, and seeing no boat traffic coming we turned the corner around the point with no waves at all.

During lunch I took a few pictures of the butterflies and bees sharing the same flowers. A picture or two more of our boats and Katie's paddle and then Joan and I went out to surf the wakes of the boats as they crossed the point.

We waited 15 minutes for a tug pushing a barge full of sand, only to be greatly disappointed by the small wake it created.

We went back for Katie, who was playing in the water and quickly rounded the point as some decent size waves came through. Katie was scared and as soon as we passed through them Joan beached her kayak and called Katie over. She sat on Katie's bow and told her to keep her shoulders level while she rocked the kayak. This seemed to help Katie be more comfortable in the smaller waves on the way back to the launch, and she surfed a few after a practice roll.

At the launch I walked out in to waist deep water so Katie could practice her offside roll. After a few total failures I was ready to call it a day but Katie wanted to try a few more times. I had her go over and back up on the same side, and it took her 3-4 times to figure out how her paddle should move.

In this video, you see one of her early attempts. She sets up, almost makes it and falls back over. You can see the camera drop in the water as I go over and roll her kayak back upright (the camera was tethered to my pfd and the last image you see is my hand righting the boat).

But she finally did get it, so we tried the 360 degree roll on her off side. She struggled a few times but finally rolled up! (Notice the little victory
cheer at the end) It wasn't pretty, but this is her off side - I'm sure it will get better over time. A few more practice rolls on both sides and we finished before she could get too tired.

Joan practiced a few rolls and we went to shore and took a few final pictures before heading home...

Woody

Solemn Rain

resident Reagan took office two years before I joined the military. I cut my teeth on his military buildup and trained hard for the nuclear war that never came. It wasn't until the Berlin wall started to fall that I began to understand the true reasons I was doing what I was doing.

I remember sitting on my couch with tears streaming down my face as national news brought live pictures of the wall beginning to crumble. The tears flowed again as I heard of the president's death.

Many of the young people I know don't remember what it was like to live in the MAD world. Mutual Assured Destruction. In my youth I joined the military with the secret dream that if I served, maybe my children wouldn't need to do the same. Many people remember the negative things about Ronald Reagan, but what I choose to remember is the threat of total destruction is all but gone.

I watched on television as they carried Ronald Reagan's casket out of the Rotunda. As the hearse made its way to the National Cathedral I made my way to Mason Neck. When I got there I listened to the tributes given to him. I was so impressed with the words of Margaret Thatcher. I parked the car and waited for Carolyn to arrive.

It had been a gloomy day. Funeral weather. With the threat of thunderstorms Carolyn and I decided to head up the Occoquan instead of our planned route to Leesylvania. With many more options for bail outs if needed, we still kept an eye on the sky on our journey toward the Occoquan dam.

I had stashed my camera in the day hatch, and I regretted it the entire day. Large Blue Herons perched on floating logs, Osprey raising cries of trespass, 2 mature Bald Eagles and a beaver later I decided it was a bad idea for the camera to ride in the day hatch. I had opted instead to carry my vhf radio in my pfd to listen for weather warnings.

Ten and a half miles ticked away in a short 3 hours. As we landed in the light rain, Carolyn limped in to shore as I learned her leg had been cramped for over half the trip. I felt bad for not offering a 'stop and stretch' break.

It was a nice day to reflect for me: The quiet rain, a warm breeze, with a balanced mixture of conversation and wildlife. An afternoon paddle to prepare me for the 2 long days that are to follow...

Professional Instruction

efore I tell you about the weekend, I wanted to say a few words about professional instruction.

First, I want to tell you that practice is the only way to gain experience. But practicing things wrong can do much more harm than good. Instruction significantly shortens the learning curve, and can ensure you learn correctly. But don't be fooled - you still need to get out and paddle to build those skills!

I've recently had the pleasure of taking training from 2 very professional groups of folks and I'd like to take a few minutes to give my recommendations for those of you that may be looking for some professional training to help you along your way:

Mike Aronoff became a certified white water instructor way back in 1993. In 2000, Mike started Canoe Kayak & Paddle Co. after an already long association with the American Canoe Association. To steal a part of his bio from his web site:

"Mike is an American Canoe Association (ACA) Canoe and Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer Educator [ITE] and a BCU Sea Coach, canoe and kayak safety instructor. Additionally Mike is the Treasurer of the ACA.... "ACA Middle States Instruction Facilitator " for all ACA instruction and has been named to a second term seat on the ACA National Board. He teaches principally in the Mid-Atlantic; (Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. West Virginia and Pennsylvania) is an Adjunct Professor, coastal kayaking at George Mason University; is a super spouse, Dad, friend, Defender of the flag, champion of the weak..."

Besides all that, he's one hell of a kayak instructor and a great guy. If you need a class, go check out his schedule to see if he has something lined up that you need.

The second group is a brand new company - Carpe Diem Kayak Company. I recently renewed my BCU Canoe Safety certification and observed while my daughter took a BCU 3 star class from them (more on these classes later).

Mark Schoon and Mel Rice are the owners/partners of Carpe Diem and well on their way to making a name for themselves as they begin to open shop and offer classes throughout the region. Since their web site is under construction, you can check their 2004 schedule here. You can't go wrong by taking a class from either of these two professionals.

Check out the offerings from Canoe, Kayak and Paddle Co. and Carpe Diem Kayaking Co. and see if they have something that may interest you. And tell them Woody sent you!

BCU Canoe Safety Class

Last year I wanted to go to the Kayak Georgia Symposium, but I couldn't justify going for less than a week. To fill the week out I wanted to take some BCU Coach 2 classes, but I couldn't fulfill the requirement to be certified in BCU Canoe Safety as my certification expired a few months before and I couldn't find anyone local to re-certify me. So when I learned Mike Aronoff and Mark Schoon were in the process of getting certified to teach the course, I vowed to to take the class from the first one offering it.

Mark contacted me a few weeks earlier and let me know he was ready to teach and I trolled for a few more CPA'ers to take the class with me. On Saturday, Peter, David, Anna and myself arrived in Fredericksburg ready to take on the class.

After loading our boats on to a trailer at the Virginia Outdoor Center, we shuttled over to the small quarry to begin our class. As everyone in our class was familiar with rescues already, Mark and Mel had the time to show us some additional rescue techniques as well as some refinements to ones we already knew.

Towing always seems to kick my butt and I learned my current system had several drawbacks. The integrated harness on my pfd was difficult to shed - After opening the buckle the strap continued to hold well enough that I could maintain the tow! Even after pulling the tow harness out of several belt loops it continued to hold on more than I expected. But I hate paddling on flat water with a tow belt, so the system will probably remain unchanged for that venue of paddling, but I will add some other tow system for the nasty stuff.

By the end of the day we were worn out, but everyone in the class passed the assessment!

BCU 3 Star Training

When Mel posted that Carpe Diem was having a 3 star class on the CPA forums, I thought that might be just the ticket to take Katie to the next level.

The day after the Canoe Safety class I got up around 6:00am and Katie was up a little bit later. By 8:00 we were at the Virginia Outdoor Center getting ready for Katie's class.

Mel was teaching a 2 star class, and Mark the 3 star. There was only one student in the 2 star class, and only 2 in the 3 star class. Talk about personalized instruction!

Katie was nervous. I asked her to take the shuttle and let me take my car, but she insisted we ride together so I took the shuttle too.

Once we were at the quarry, everyone got in their boats while I pulled out a chair and a book to keep me busy for the next 9 hours. Mark went off to teach Katie and one other, while Mel paddled off with Greg.

From time to time I would glance out over the quarry to see how Katie was doing. From across the pond it looked like she wasn't edging her solid white boat very much. But when she was pointing directly at or away from me I could see she was putting some effort in to it.

The most significant event I saw while she was on the water was when Mark showed her the hanging draw - a stroke that she had seen me do a thousand times, but not one she had ever tried herself. She looked unsteady for a moment as she stuck her paddle in the water, but quickly recovered. A second later she was sliding sideways more than any kayak I've ever seen! I was impressed!

Another 'proud parent' moment came when Mark was teaching high recovery strokes (high brace). Mark told me later she wasn't tipping over very far and mentioned something to her about it.

Katie: "I'm used to just going all the way to the water"

Mark: "Let me see"

Followed by Katie going all the way down to the water and bracing up :)

At the end of the day Mark made note of the things she needs to work on for her 3 star: Reverse figure of eight, more speed in her rescues, but primarily more torso rotation in all her strokes. Mark said she was very close to being ready, and tackling torso rotation would take her to a much higher level.

I was one very proud pop at the end of the day and I can't wait to let Katie show me all she learned!

Pictures

Woody

Weekend wrap-up

Pictures are worth a thousand words and I'm too tired to write, so here are some pictures to tell the story for me:

Frank's Birthday at the Pirates of Georgetown on Thursday.

Saturday out at Sandy Point State Park. None of the pictures did any justice to how rough it was that day...

I'll try to remember to post the pictures from Mason Neck on Sunday sometime tomorrow.

Sunday's pictures now up with the Mason Neck pics.

Woody

Fishing stories

hen I was a boy growing up in Florida my father took me fishing as often as he could. We'd go down to the Intercoastal Waterway and fish off a bridge, or down to the St. Johns and fish from shore. We'd get up before daylight and hit the road to use large salt water rods that my father had laboriously wrapped multicolored string around to hold the eyes on the rod. He'd finish them off with a coat of clear fingernail polish to protect them from the salt water.

On occasions where we went down to the St. Johns river, I remember big cargo ships passing by. As a young boy I was awed by their size and how quiet they were as they passed. As the giant ships approached, the water would be sucked out a long distance from shore, leaving a lot of dry land between where we were standing and the water's edge. And as the ship passed, the water would return, washing up around our feet before returning to its normal level.

On Saturday, Caroline, Nelson, Ron and I launched from Sandy Point State Park. This is part of the group headed for Tangier Island later in the season, and we were using this as an excuse to paddle in some rougher water. We launched from the small craft launching area and headed NW toward Magothy creek.

Not a lot of wind, but a nice breeze and overcast skies to keep us cool. Over our right shoulder a heavily loaded container ship was zipping down the Chesapeake. I dismissed the ship after watching it a few minutes and began watching the wakes of the small power boats and the small wind generated waves.

Within a few minutes, several hundred yards ahead of us I saw a single, large breaking wave. I knew in that instant what had caused it and in my mind I thought "Oh shit", but out loud all I could manage to say was "whoa!". I knew in a few moments we'd also be dealing with the wave coming in on our starboard side and suggested to everyone they might want to turn in to it.

The wave rose up out of nowhere, and as everyone turned toward it to try and paddle over or through it, for a second I thought of turning away and trying to ride it. But I thought it better to stay close in the event someone capsized so I started paddling hard to get up and over the wave. I was closest to shore so when we turned I would be the last to go over the wave. As it approached I could see it was steeply pitched, the top very sharp and on the verge of breaking. For a moment everyone disappeared from my sight as they passed over the wave leaving it between me and the rest of the group. Did anyone capsize? Would the wave break before it reached me?

I dug in harder with the paddle to pull me up and over. My bow slamming down the back side I see everyone is still upright, and I warn everyone to just keep an eye toward shore because I don't know how much will be reflected back from the sea wall that lines the shore. In a minute it comes back as a series of much smaller swells, but stronger than the clapotis we had been paddling in.

My best guess in size was 3 1/2 - 4 feet. Ron thought maybe 5, but in the quick excitement I was not thinking of how big the wave was, but was already thinking of the capsize recovery steps I would need to take if there were overtured kayaks once I crossed the wave.

I was irked I had put my camera away before the wave. It would have made a great photo!

With the excitement subsided we paddled down to Magothy Creek and after spending a slow paddle exploring the quiet of the creek we headed back into the Chesapeake. Heading SE we stopped on a small beach for lunch before launching back toward Sandy Point. The boat traffic had picked up, causing much more wake to contend with, but the gentle breeze kept us cool, and the water looked glassy on the chop. As we neared Sandy Point the chop became more organized, almost developing a gentle swell to ride on.

We ran our boats on shore and clamored out to avoid the small waves breaking against the sand. After packing up we said our goodbyes and I left with the thoughts of my father taking me fishing as my company for the ride home.

More pictures

Woody

Firsts

here were a lot of firsts tonight for Katie, so I thought I would make a quick note of them so I don't forget:

1) Her first (and my first) TX rescue.
2) 1st seal launch (off the deck of my kayak, no less)
3) First roll using only a floating paddle for support (her goal is to learn a hand roll before I do)
4) First Hand of God rescue (I was shocked when she rolled me up!)
5) First time sculling for support as she laid on the water.
6) Re-enter and roll. She got it on the 1st try. She also tried to reattach her skirt before rolling up - good effort, but the skirt wouldn't cooperate.
7) Learned to dog paddle up for air while waiting on an eskimo rescue.
8) Rolling practice with the paddle not in a setup postition - I had her capsize in a bunch of strange paddle positions. She rolled up every time.

A few other things she practiced, but were not firsts:

1) Eskimo rescues (bow and paddle presentation)
2) Torso rotation - still needs work, but showing improvement.
3) She attempted a static brace, but never got it.
4) High brace, and first time underway at normal paddling speed - on both sides.

I think I'm missing a few...

Pictures...

Woody

Almost 3

atie and I arrived at Mason Neck a bit early to work on her 2 star skills. Some last minute scrambling to make sure she remembered everything. We played around a bit before Joan showed up to lend some moral support and Mark paddled up to do Katie's assessment.

While on shore I was chatting with Vicky, a student who was getting one on one instruction from Mark, and found out she had learned about his company from my web site! Vicky had said she learned a lot from Mark and couldn't wait to practice everything she learned.

Mark, half owner of Carpe Diem Kayaking Company whispered to me while we were talking about the test, "You want me to give her the 3 star assessment?"

We briefly discussed it and I asked Katie if she wanted to take the 3 star assessment and she said yes, so 3 star it would be.

Mark put her through the paces, and I cringed when he mentioned draw on the move - I had forgotten to teach her that... But after a try or two she nailed it.

On her reverse figure of eight, when she started off I thought "Man, she's gonna make ME look like a rookie", but half way into the first turn she got too aggressive and capsized her kayak. She tried to roll up but banged her head on something and wet exited. I think this shook her up a bit - she would tell me later she was very embarrassed by it. I noticed the rest of her moves didn't have an edge to them like I knew she was capable of doing.

She repeated the figure of eight, this time knocking it out, albeit without the edging I knew she had the ability to do.

The weather had been iffy all morning, but at this point it started to rain very hard. Thunder began to rumble in the distance and Katie and Mark started on bow rudders while paddling their kayaks back toward the launch.

From a distance I could tell she was having trouble. She became confused on which side to put her paddle, wasn't edging, nothing was working right. A maneuver I've seen her do dozens of times before.

We headed in because of the storm and Mark debriefed us on shore. The bow rudder wasn't up to 3 star standards, but everything else was there. He said she was well beyond 2 star and just a smidge from 3 star.

Tomorrow we'll work on her bow rudder and maybe sometime this week finish up her assessment. She can do it, of that I'm confident. We'll work on nailing down how to demonstrate it.

On the ride home I tried to get a feeling for what she thought. I think she was a bit disappointed in herself, even though she blew through the 2 star and most of the 3 star assessment. I know she was embarrassed about the capsize and I think that may have affected both her concentration and edging for the bow rudders. She was fairly nervous although she had been hiding it well.

But man was I proud of her. She'd struggle with a little thing here and there only to do the next thing flawless. I think Mark was very surprised at her high brace on the move. Joan and I kept saying, "wow, look at that!", out of earshot of Katie. I keep having to remind myself she is only 13 years old...

She'll get another shot at it later this week. Worst case I'll schedule her for another assesment in August to give her plenty of time to iron out her bow rudder, but I really doubt she'll need it...

Woody <- the proud dad

Katie Makes 3

fter a full four hour workout on Monday, Katie re-took her BCU 3 star assessment today, with special focus on edging through the bow rudder. She passed :)

I took off work so we could meet up with Mark at Mason Neck State Park. But after unloading the kayaks and katie getting on the water, it got dark and thunder rolled. Katie practiced a quick couple (30?) bow rudders and then got off the water as it started to rain.

I had Katie sit in the car while I put my kayak away. I was sure the predicted heavy thunderstorms were about to hit and knew the assessment would cancel. But 20 minutes later the sky lightened up and the thunder went away.

Mark pulled up a few minutes later and was quickly on the water. I chose to stay on shore - I didn't want to put any more pressure on Katie by scrutinizing her moves ;)

Katie and Mark paddled off and I could see her going through bow rudders. I took the car up the hill and parked along the overlook near the water. I decided to walk down the trail and watch them from a distance. Without her glasses on, she'd never know I was watching...

I watched them run through eskimo rescues and towing, and Mark spent some time helping her perfect her roll. The re-test didn't take long but it seemed like forever for me waiting on shore.

They paddled back to the launch and I asked Mark if I could still call her a two and a half star. He told me that no, now I have to call her a 3 star ;) Katie's face brightened on hearing those words. She was pleasantly pleased. She would tell me on the ride home with all the practical questions Mark asked her that she was afraid she had not passed.

Katie has worked hard this season on improving her skills. I'm very proud of her. Maybe she'll let me sleep in this weekend instead of getting up early to go paddle ;)

Pictures...

Woody

Friday Paddle

uch nice days are not meant to be viewed from the inside of an air conditioned office building, so after the morning rush I headed for Mason Neck. The solid blue sky and hot sun began to recharge my soul from the second I snapped my skirt in to place.

First the kayak took me out to Conrad Island so I could scoot across the narrow channel there. Then south past Deephole point and on toward Featherstone Shores.

On days like today I feel like a battery being trickle charged by the sun. Gathering energy as the sun fills my body, and like a battery, building up heat as I'm recharged. After a while I tip over and feel the water pull the heat out of my body. I hang out there for a few seconds and then roll back up and begin paddling again.

A breeze came up out of the west, and as I paddled across the western side of Occoquan Bay, it blew in clouds to give me a little shade. My blue sky slowly disappeared, first behind the clouds, and then behind trees as I paddled back in to Farm Creek.

A tree was across the creek near the mouth, but with some determination I managed to pull the kayak over it. Some small birds were hanging out in a tree by the water and all took flight as my kayak passed under.

Before long I reached the limit of the creek from this end - the creek covered with water lilies and limited me from going any further. I turned around and headed back toward the launch, taking a more direct route.

On the way out I had seen a green buoy that I had never seen before - very close to a red buoy, so I decided I would cross the channel there. When I go close the buoy appeared to be a temporary type and I could see it was really there to mark a large piece of pipe that was sticking just barely above the water.

The 6 inch steel pipe looks like it must have fallen off a barge and jammed into the sandy bottom at an angle. For a boat this pipe would easily rip out the hull if one were to run over it. At low tide nearly 4 inches was visible above water. At high tide it would be an accident waiting to happen if not for the buoy.

Back near the launch I rolled a few more times to cool off again and then went ashore. The solitude, sunshine and peacefulness recharged my mind and soul...at least for a little while.

Woody

It's Red

t has been no secret I've been looking for an NDK Explorer HV to try on for size. I _really_ liked the standard Explorer except the thigh braces pressed deep into my legs. It has also been no secret that if I could fit into an HV, I intended to buy one.

Mark suggested I contact Appomattox River Company and see if they had one in stock. He mentioned to me they were very friendly and helpful.

I emailed their contact address and Tom responded back that they did have one in stock, but not in the Richmond Store. He also said if I wanted to try it he would move it up from the Tidewater store to the Richmond store - over an hour away!

I arranged to go down to Richmond on Saturday, opting to take highway 522 instead of I-95. What a great choice that was! Driving through the country instead of gridlocked on the interstate, I highly recommend this route if you are coming from west of D.C.

The store was easy to find, and when I sat in the kayak I knew this was my boat. And the price was certainly right at about $300+ less than the local asking price! So I paid the very nice people there and they carried the boat out to my car. By 1:30 I was back in Manassas and after checking on where the family was I headed out to Mason Neck State Park.

As luck would have it, Zak and Mark were there for a lesson, but blew it off just to play. I played myself with pushing the kayak to my limits, trying to find the extremes before I would capsize. It will take me a bit to get as comfortable in it as I am with the Sirocco.

Mark showed me a butterfly roll, and on the second attempt I managed to roll up. But the hand roll is still a bit away. At almost a foot longer and 2 inches more narrow than the Sirocco, the kayak felt easy to accelerate and I was anxious to take it on a trip. After wearing myself out with bracing and edging I loaded up for home.

The next day, I headed out to Sandy Point State Park. I really need to find a different place to go. By 8:00 the small craft launch parking lot is full, and no one is launching small craft! The parking spots have filled with people picnicking on the beach. At the small craft launch are kids swimming in the water. Imagine trying to beach a catamaran with kids in the water. Over the last 4 weeks it has just gotten under my skin about kayakers having to park a good distance away...

I dropped off the boat and left to go park the car, driving back out to the main road and over to the next parking lot. I almost made it back to the kayak when I realized I forgot my hat and had to go back for it.

Once I had the kayak ready to go I picked the boat up and carried it down the beach a little so as not to smack the small kids in the no swimming zone. After launching I dipped down in the water to cool off and headed down toward Magothy Creek after paddling outside of the swim area buoys. As I paddled on a boat came by well inside the buoys, and I tried to get their attention but they didn't hear me yelling at them.

Magothy Creek is a destination I knew as I've paddled down there a lot the last few weeks. In the following seas the boat seemed to fly. But the fuller bow will take me a bit to get used to. The Sirocco plowed through waves while the Explorer tends to rise up over them, making it a bit more bouncy.

I deployed the skeg just to make sure it worked, but immediately raised it back up because it simply wasn't needed. First boat I've owned that hasn't needed one (so far). In no time I made it down to the creek, and after a short exploratory tour down one side of the creek I headed back toward Sandy Point.

The wind wasn't blowing, but the swells from the boat wake was running between 1.5 - 2 feet. Occasionally the bow would bang down the back side of the wave with a splash. For most of the trip back I paddled in close to shore to be in the clapotis.

Over the last few months I've been playing with paddling straight-legged. Legs out straight instead of bent up touching the thigh braces. It seems to transfer more power from my stroke into the kayak and practicing in rougher water has done wonders for my balance. As I tried this in the Explorer, I quickly felt at home and by the time I reached Sandy Point I felt up to the level I had achieved in the Sirocco.

Edging the boat caused it to easily turn when I needed to correct course, although at nearly a foot longer than the Sirocco it turned a bit more slowly.

Back at the park I rolled a few times to cool off, and practiced my new butterfly roll. While playing a power boat cut through inside the swimming area buoys. Sigh.

Woody

Hopping fish and a pile of crabs

think it has been a few years since I've paddled down to Jug Bay from the Rt. 4 put-in on the Patuxent River. My plan was to put the new kayak in and paddle down maybe as far south as Selbys Landing. Since I got there early I took the time to refill my tubes of sunscreen from the massive bottle I carry in the car.

An older couple arrived and unloaded a long rowing canoe. After outfitting it the woman paddled off and the man asked me if I was waiting on someone. He told me he puts his wife in the water and then drives down to the park to wait on her while fishing.

Joan arrived and we followed the ebbing current down toward the park. There seemed to me to have been a lot of restorative work in the plants as the channel north of Jug Bay was well defined. Joan recalled the time we had paddled there and poled through thick mud, unable to find open water. But today little fences held in the bulging vegetation and the unfenced area was deep water. At least deep enough to paddle in.

Near the edges, these tiny little fish would start jumping across the water like a skipping stone. Often they would bump into our kayaks before skipping off somewhere else. Once I managed to catch one in my hand as it skipped up to my boat, and I came close a few other times.

When we got to the park I could see the older couple loading up their canoe. Joan suggested we paddle over to the far side of the bay. Neither of us had ever paddled there. We crossed the 1/2 mile to the other side while watching herons, bald eagles, and osprey. The far side was filled with wildlife and more of those little hopping fish.

We headed on south, and on reaching Selbys Landing we decided it was too early for lunch and continued on in to Mataponi Creek. The outgoing current didn't seem to bother us much and we kept ourselves entertained by watching the hopping fish all the way up to the Fenno road bridge.

By the time we got back to Selbys I was pretty hungry. We beached our kayaks and walked out to the end of the dock. Two men were trying to launch their power boat but couldn't get it off the trailer. Two kids were in the boat hanging their heads over the edge watching what was going on as the men discussed the fact that the tide must be too low.

But that wasn't the problem. their boat was still firmly strapped down to their trailer. I pondered if I should tell them and decided that if they couldn't figure that part out, they probably didn't need to be on the water anyway. Eventually they gave up, telling the people next in line to use the ramp that it was to shallow to launch.

As Joan and I ate our lunch, the second boat was backed down the ramp. The water was shallow and they had difficulty getting the boat off the trailer. But at least it wasn't strapped down so I offered to help them out by putting an extra 230 lbs behind the people trying to push the pontoon boat off the trailer. The boat slid in to the water easily and they motored away as Joan and I got back on the water.

We had passed a few skiers on the way down and a few more were playing as we launched. They were pretty courteous as they passed, often swinging as wide as possible away from us or stopping and turning around before they got to us. One entertained us by doing flips in the air and another by skiing backward on his bare feet.

The current had not changed but had slowed to the point we didn't notice it. The wind seemed to be nil at first, but after we rolled to cool off it picked up and gave us a gentle push back to the put in.

On paddling up the small ditch - or I should say - poling our way up the ditch as the tide was low and the grass very thick - we noticed a bunch of dead blue crabs on top of the grass. Just a few at first, but getting thicker as we approached the dock. At the dock were several hundred dead in a pile just beneath the water surface. Bright blue, they couldn't have been dead for long and they weren't there when we left. The water here isn't salty, so I wonder if someone dumped them here and they died from the fresh water? I don't know, but the big concentration was right at the dock as if they had been dumped there and a few of the live ones tried making it down the ditch before they died.

I tried to take a picture of them but the batteries in the camera were dead. We finished putting the kayaks away as a couple were launching. One boat looked familure to me and a few minutes later Joan explained it was Brian's old pintail. Small world...

Woody

Green Paint

hen I dropped the kayak in the water at Leesylvania, I couldn't help notice the color of the water. It looked like someone had poured a bucket of bright green paint over everything. As I shoved off I dangled my feet over the side until the green thinned enough to rinse off my shoes.

The Cheapeake Bay Program has been reporting a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus since 1985. Actual measurements by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that there has been no decrease at all over the years, and in some cases there has been an increase. Today emphasizes just how wrong the Chesapeake Bay Program has been.

The weather was a misty fog, but not very thick. It rained lightly from time to time as I paddled across Powells Creek and headed toward Cockpit Point. A stiff wind is blowing out of the north so I paddle out a few hundred yards from shore to let the wind carry me south.

The tide is rising, causing the waves to steepen and give me a few good rides every now and then. The Explorer behaves well in following seas and I enjoy racing with the wind toward the high tension power lines that stretch across the river from Virginia to Maryland.

I kept some distance from shore as I passed the Possum Point power station, but quickly turned in to Quantico Creek. It had been a quick ride and I thought about exploring the creek, but the current would be changing in the next hour and a half and I didn't want to fight against the wind and the current all the way back. The Explorer handled the following seas very well and although I'm not yet totally comfortable in the boat, I'm getting there.

I floated a bit while eating some trail mix. It will be a tough fight back. I spun the kayak around to head out of the creek. I paddled wide around the power plant. The waves have grown to 2 - 2 1/2 feet and the going is slow as I head directly into the wind and waves.

Once I clear the power plant I head toward the lee shore to take advantage of the lighter wind there. The going is easier, but I'm also back in the thick algae slinging green in exchange for being out of the wind.

There are a lot of dead fish in the slime. Most appear to be catfish. I paddle briefly back into the wind as I round Possum Nose and then again as I round Cockpit Point.

The shore line is interesting as I paddle toward Cherry Hill. I feel the full force of the wind but I'm paddling at right angles to it so it isn't slowing me down. Trees stand out in the water through here and parts of the shoreline is made up of solid rock. The green water splashes up on the rocks as if someone is throwing buckets of paint on them.

There are a lot of bass boats in the mouth of the creek and it makes me wonder what they could be catching. With this much algae the water is probably all but dead.

Near the railroad bridge I cut across the creek to head back to the launch. I land in the green water and pull the kayak up on shore. After getting the car I strap the kayak down and head off to the power boat ramp parking lot to eat my lunch.

Woody

Getting comfortable

'm still certain I will need to take the Explorer HV out in to some surf before I admit to being comfortable with its performance. But having said that I spent some time putting it on edge at Georgetown last night.

The biggest thing I noticed is the shakiness is almost gone now when I put it on an extreme edge. When I first got the boat it was obvious, at least to me, that I was pretty unsteady with the boat on edge. But that is very close to disappearing.

Another thing I've noticed is just how easy this kayak is to brace up with, and how natural and relaxed my low brace is becoming. As I edge the boat to the point of no return while doing a bow rudder, I find it very easy to slip out of the rudder on one side and low brace on the other to recover from the impending capsize. This boat and I are going to become good friends...

But until I learn how this kayak side surfs, how easy it is to get window shaded, what conditions it will take to knock me down - I just won't feel totally at home in her. Soon...

Bow rudders: There is a point when on edge this boat really starts to spin in a circle fast. But that point is just on the dry side of capsizing. Don't get me wrong, for a kayak 17.5 feet long, it turns plenty fast, but I like the extreme :) Maybe in time I will be able to hold it in that zone more reliably.

Last night a few of us played by the dock with our rolls. My butterfly roll is only there about 2 out of 5 times. When I hit it right I seem to know it will work before I even start to hip snap. When it doesn't I seem to know that too. The problem is in my setup. Sometimes it feels right, other times it doesn't.

After playing around a bit we headed out for a paddle after everyone was on the water. Down near Washington Marina we stopped to let the stragglers catch up as a plane passed over to land at the airport. As we were sitting there 3 mini waterspouts appeared on the water and we watched them dance a little before dying out. Someone mentioned the plane and it wasn't till that moment I made the connection.

We paddled back to Jacks through the Boundary channel. I landed on the dock and after putting the boats away headed for home as others walked in to Georgetown for dinner.

Woody

Galesville

owed Joan a paddle out in Galesville, having canceled on her the week before. As I waited for Caroline and Joan, a vulture landed on the chimney of the restaurant across the street and spread its wings.

Creepy.

Once on the water we headed toward the Rhode River, with plans to paddle down the creek overseen by the Smithsonian (Muddy Creek?).

It was a cloudy, hot day with a nice breeze at our backs. When the sun was out it was too hot, but when the clouds gave us relief it was quite pleasant. It was early so the boat chop was minimal.

We turned in to the Rhode after passing Cheston Point, and paddled past Big Island and in to Muddy Creek. We passed a canoe with 3 women paddling about on our way in.

It had been a few years since being back here so it took us a few moments to find the gated entrance to the creek because a catamaran platform was in front of the gate. The gate was open so we squeezed through between the gate and the catamaran.

After entering the gate Joan and I were reminiscing to Caroline about a very territorial swan that chased Brian once back in here. Almost on cue 2 adult swans appeared with little ones in tow. They squawked a bit but left us alone.

The creek quickly narrowed and on rounding a corner I was treated to a mature Bald Eagle taking flight just feet from my kayak. It had been sitting on a log in the creek and didn't hear us approach. Other than seeing them in cages, this was the closest I had ever been to one, as they are very skittish animals.

On the way back out of the Rhode we stopped off on Flat Island with some boaters and jet skiers to have lunch. A family nearby of all ages were skiing and enjoying the sun while we watched.

Back on the water we headed back out to the West River. Because the wind had picked up we kept closer to shore to angle slightly off the wind.

At one point I paddled through a lot of clapotis which allowed me to compare the Explorer to the Sirocco in this type of water. The Explorer went through smoothly but it felt like I was mired in mud. In the Sirocco, I've often felt it could gain speed in clapotis.

As we neared the marinas it felt like our speed picked up. The one thing about paddling open areas is the scenery changes slowly, so it was nice to get close in to the boats where distance seems to slip by faster. We landed on shore and carried the boats to the car.

Caroline said good by after we chatted for a while in the parking lot. Joan and I continued to drip dry as we watch a catamaran capsize and the operator try to right the boat. It took a while but he finally did get it back upright.

Pictures

Woody

Geo Paddle Update

hanks to a tip from Rich, I updated Geo Paddle to show the Teraserver "Urban Area" high resolution photos if available. This is mainly just the DC area on the Potomac between Algonkian to Mason Neck. I'll add more water related urban areas as they become available.

Sample (You need to disable popup blocking software for this to work)

Woody

Tangier Island Part 1 - The Arrival

bout 5:20 pm we started to gather at the city dock. Caroline and Nelson Labbe, Ron Barnett, Yvonne Thayer, Katie Woodard (my famous daughter) and myself were standing under the dock overhang when Carolyn Schoelles drove up. We went inside the restaurant and ordered dinner while discussing the weather and route for the next day. As we were wrapping things up someone asked our group to use a cell phone so that he could call "Robert Woodard". This marked our introduction to Mark Woodside, who managed to be able to make the trip after some last minute shuffling at work.

We were 8 souls bound for Tangier Island. Six of us would paddle, while Katie and Caroline (who graciously offered to escort Katie so that I could paddle) would take the mail boat.

After a quick stop by the ice cream shop we headed to the Motel (Carolyn headed for the State Park where she was camping) for a good nights rest.

We agreed to meet at 7:00 am at the boat ramp. At 6:00 am I made a quick trip to McDonalds to grab Katie some breakfast and then headed over to the ramp to unload my gear from the car. I wrote the distance and headings on my deck in grease pencil and the others soon started arriving. We quickly got ready and shuttled our cars back to the motel, which had offered to allow us to park while we were away on Tangier.

We waved goodbye to Caroline and Katie at 8:00 am after rafting up for some pictures. We were off. Heading out of the port toward our first waypoint - Great Point, about 2.5 miles away.

We took a pretty direct route, staying to the left of all the channel markers. We watched several boats head out of the port and near 8:30 we spotted the mail boat heading in to Crisfield.

Great Point is separated by shallow water from Cedar Island. It was a rising tide and I decided to try and cut across the shallow water to save some paddling. We just cleared the shallowest water between the island and point and after checking to see if anyone needed to stop we headed for waypoint number two.

Our second waypoint, Great Fox Island lay just 4 miles away. We were paddling against a slight current, as evidenced by the water moving past the crab pot buoys.

We had a small open water crossing between Cedar and Clump Islands of about 1 mile. As we approached Great Fox we prepared to beach but the day marker I remembered on the corner of the island was in a different place. We continued on toward the day marker and after rounding a point I realized there was a small detached piece of land just in front of Great Fox.

We took out at the day marker a few minutes after 10:00 am, fueling up on an early lunch. The bugs found us quickly so out came the bug spray. I think everyone was feeling good and by 10:30 we were ready to take on the final and riskiest portion of our trip.

Up till now we had been using 'dead reckoning', navigating from point to point by heading toward a distant point we could see. But now we switched to 'piloting', a much more difficult method of navigating. We steered a course of 214 degrees for 40 minutes, heading toward the eastern side of the deep water channel. We could feel the current pushing us off course, and I found myself frequently turning a bit more south to compensate. The water began to grow darker and we turned to approximately 240 degrees to cross the channel. We used the Tangier water tower which we could clearly see as a point to navigate toward.

After the water began to lighten again, we started watching the work boats entering the Tangier harbor. We picked a new object on the island (a large communications tower) to navigate toward to bring us in closer to the dock while staying out of the approach channels.

On entering Tangier, Nelson, Yvonne, and myself headed to the dock while the others headed on to the B&B. I had told Nelson we'd have a nice low dock to take out on, but on getting there the dock was much higher than I remembered. In hind sight, last year there was a nor'easter blowing and the island was mostly flooded, which explains why I remembered no difficulty getting in from the dock.

The mail boat arrived right at 1:00 pm, just moments after we arrived. But the dock is well over my head and I had to sit there a few moments pondering how I would manage it. I should mention there were a LOT of people sitting around on picnic tables watching us try and work our way out of this predicament. I asked Nelson to come over and support my kayak and once he clamped on I wiggled out of the cockpit and stood up in my boat. From here I easily pulled myself up on to the dock.

I met Caroline, Katie and Wallace Pruitt, the proprietor of the B&B. We took Katie and Caroline's baggage to the golf cart (the "truck" as Mr. Pruitt called it) and took the kayaks off the mail boat.

Now we had a dilemma. It was easy for me to get up on the dock, but another thing for the 3 of us to get back down. I quickly scouted the shore and found a fairly low sea wall below which had water only 6 inches deep. Nelson and Yvonne took all the kayaks over to the sea wall and we hopped down into the water and were quickly off in our kayaks.

We paddled through the harbor and turned in to the creek that leads to the B&B. We easily slid under the first bridge but it was still near high tide and we had to limbo under the second bridge, just barely sliding under.

We climbed out through some mud as the others carried our boats into the yard of Shirley's Bay View Inn. After dripping off a bit I went inside to check in. Within moments we were checked in and starting to get settled having covered 14.3 statue miles on the water.

Pictures!

Continued in Part 2

Tangier Island Part 2 - Relaxing in Comfort

he day before leaving for Tangier Island I found out the company I work for did not win a re-compete on the contract I work on. Change is stressful and after 12 years in the same place I wasn't looking forward to the upheaval that is about to begin. Although I probably would have canceled going on this trip if not for being the trip leader, I needed to get away.

We checked in the B&B and Katie and I dragged our stuff to the room. We placed our wet gear about the long porch outside our room so it could dry and talked to the others about meeting up for dinner.

In our rooms Katie found Animal Planet on the TV and a few minutes later Yvonne came by to tell us one of the restaurants would close at 5:00, and another at 6:00 because tonight is 'homecoming'. We learned the one closing at 5:00 is under new management and decided to meet up at 4:30 to go there for dinner.

I grabbed a shower and in no time 4:30 rolled around and we were off to the other side of the island for dinner. Although a bit pricey the food was good. The waitress apologized for putting the chairs up on the tables around us while we were still eating.

Ron learned that the owner had promised to let the workers go early to get ready for homecoming, but was told we were welcome to sit here as long as we wanted. We were asked if we planned to go to the festivities tonight, which we said yes to. "This is the biggest thing that happens all year on the island," we were told.

After dinner Katie wanted to look in a gift shop so we split up from the others. The gift shop was getting ready to close also, but the lady let us look around. Katie found a refrigerator magnet and some postcards to buy, along with a Tangier hat. I found a book on the history of Tangier. Our booty paid for we walked back across the island to put things away and head over to the airport to see just what this 'homecoming' was about.

As we walked down the road toward the airport we were continually passed by golf carts and bicycles. I would have never known there were so many on this island if not for seeing them all in one place. There were even a few cars present, which to this day still amazes me that there are cars on an island this small.

At the airport we went in and paid admission: $2 for Katie and $5 for me. It wasn't until we had paid admission that we really looked around. Katie said "Dad, this is the biggest thing that happens on the island all year."

There was a small food booth, 2 or 3 booths where you could throw something and win a prize, an inflatable slide for the kids and 2 or 3 'moon bounce' things for the little ones. There were two small sets of bleachers, I think 2 rows high that were filled. A small stage where the band is set up but not playing. That was it. I tried to get Katie to get some food to somehow justify the $7 I had spent getting in, but having just come from dinner she would have no part in it. We made a loop around the pavement where the things were set up and less than 5 minutes after entering, we left.

I'm sure things got moving once the band started playing. Probably some dancing after we left. But it had been a long day for me, and Katie found nothing to perk her interest.

As we left Katie took a picture of a kitten that had taken up a spot in a baby stroller parked out with the golf carts and bicycles. It was getting close to sunset and back at the B&B Katie took some more pictures of the nearly full moon rising.

We found the others back at the inn, and I broke out the 'grape juice' that came over with me in a bag in the rear hatch of my kayak and had by now chilled nicely in the refrigerator in our room. We talked a bit in the fading light before heading to our rooms for the evening.

A bit later in the evening Katie and I heard what we thought was pounding on our door. We got up to look and just caught sight of a second volly of fireworks marking the end of homecoming.

In the morning Katie and I went for breakfast in the dining room and found it almost full. We were asked to wait outside on the porch while some places were cleared and a few others met us outside as we waited. The all clear was given and inside we seated ourselves around one of the two tables. As my coffee was poured Mrs. Pruitt brought out 2 cans of something that she said was just for me. I didn't recognize them at first but the light went on in my head as I saw the Japanese writing on the cans. Mark had smuggled over to the island some 'canned' coffee that is sold in vending machines in Japan. What a thoughtful surprise that was!

We feasted on bacon, eggs, potatoes and fried bread. I gulped down orange juice and coffee (saving the canned coffee for a treat back home). We chatted about our morning paddling plans and went outside to get ready to launch.

As we gathered around getting ready I briefed the bad news - A hurricane is coming in to South Carolina and the next day it is expected to head north rapidly after making landfall. By noon it was expected to be over the Virginia/North Carolina border so I called off the paddle back to Crisfield the next day. We would all be taking the mail boat.

Yvonne and Mark decided to paddle north in the creek back out to the harbor to circumnavigate the island. The rest of us paddled south to paddle out to the famous sandy 'hook' - a very large spit of land on the south end of the island.

The first bridge we managed to just squeeze under while the second bridge offered plenty of room. We wound our way through the short creek coming out near some crab shacks and entering the bay created by the sandy hook. Overhead many Pelicans flew coming in close to check us out and occasionally to dive in to the water.

"DAD! Look over there!!!" Katie shrieked as she pointed to a object just under the surface of the water. It was a skate gliding along and Katie was thrilled to have seen it.

The water got choppy as we neared the tip of the sand spit so I suggested to Katie that we paddle back in to more protected waters. I think she wanted to go on, but not knowing what it was like on the other side of the spit she agreed to paddle back into the calm. Carolyn and the Labbe's continued on to circumnavigate the island. Ron decided to stick with Katie and I and we paddled back close to the main shoreline.

In the middle of this little bay I stopped to get at my medical kit to retrieve Katie a Tylenol. After putting everything back away we caught up with Ron and paddled up close to the harbor. Katie and I decided to paddle in to the harbor and Ron continued to the NE tip of the island to see if he could catch one of the groups coming around the outside of the island.

Katie and I paddled in through the harbor. The tide was high so we had plenty of water to go where we wanted. At low tide the harbor is a giant mud pit with the exception of the dredged channels.

As we passed the main dock we saw many of the island's men hanging out. I assume this is their hangout while their wives are in church. We paddled past toward the western side of the island and met Carolyn coming in from the opposite direction.

The three of us turned in to the creek leading to the B&B and paddled up to the second bridge where we had to take out and carry across the road to get to the other side. The water was just too high to paddle under.

Back safely at the Inn Katie and I headed off to clean up and get ready for dinner. We had agreed to meet about 4:15 to walk over to a place I hadn't eaten at before - Hilda Crockett's B&B.

Continued in Part 3...

Tangier Island Part 3 - Departing from History

atie went for a walk close to the B&B and ran in to part of our group portaging around a bridge. After giving them a shove back in to the water, Katie discovered a sparrow trapped in an exposed crab pot and managed to set it free.

Around 4:30 we gathered for our walk to the other side of the island. Crossing one of the 4 bridges that span the small creek that cuts through the island we strolled through this small piece of land in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.

Tangier is about 11 miles from the nearest mainland - Crisfield MD about 11 miles away on the eastern shore as the crow flies. On the western shore lies Reedville VA about 14 miles away. I learned from the history book I had bought the day before that most of the history claimed on the island's historical marker is incorrect.

For example, the historical marker claims the island was visited and given its name by John Smith in 1608, but according to the history book I bought, John Smith never actually landed on Tangier, and called the island chain from Smith to Tangier the "Russels Isles" after a traveling companion of John Smith. It was almost 100 years later before the first reference to 'Tangier' can be found.

There is also the claim that the island was settled by John Crockett in 1686, but the first Crockett to settle on the island was Joseph Crockett sometime between 1744 when he disappeared from Smith Island and 1778 when he purchased 450 acres on Tangier.

At Hilda Crockett's we went inside for a family style dinner. The menu for lunch/dinner has not changed since 1986 - Dinner consists of clam fritters, baked Virginia Ham, potato salad, coleslaw, pickled beets, apple-sauce, green-beans, hot corn pudding, two Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes, home-made rolls and fresh daily baked butter pound cake. All this for $17, which is a bargain compared to the other places to eat on the island.

After dinner we walked back to Shirley's down the school road. In the church yard we paused at the graveyard for many of the island's past residents.

Between the late 1700's and the end of the war of 1812, Tangier was used as a base for the British. The island often hoisted the British or American flag depending on what ship was visiting at the time. Pirates (picaroons) loyal to the British ran rampant through this section of the Bay and it was from Tangier that the British launched their attack on Washington and burned it to the ground. It was also from this tiny isle that the British launched their attack on Baltimore and were repelled after the commanding Admiral was killed.

Back at the B&B we decided on a moonlight paddle, but as the evening grew closer we indivudually all decided not to go, something that as I sit and write this, now regret. As dark approached we reddied our gear for the trip home, putting our stuff in the hatches of our kayaks.

On my Explorer HV I strapped on the cart then stacked Katie's boat atop mine and strapped it in as well. One less trip in the morning.

We socialized on the deck a bit that evening but soon we all turned in for the night.

In the morning I got up about 5:45 am. After getting dressed I pushed the 2 kayaks on the cart out to the street and started toward the dock. The cart pushed sluggishly because the tires were underinflated and by the time I got to the mail boat I was covered in sweat.

One of the helpers on the mail boat was already there and helped me load the kayaks. The Explorer we loaded next to the rail while the Mystic we set on top of the boxes of crabs on the stern of the boat.

The air was thick with humidity as I walked back to the inn. Mark had come out and it looked like Ron had already headed off with another cart and kayak. Mark and I strapped 2 more kayaks to my cart and headed down the road again. After unloading the kayaks I hot footed it back to the B&B to wake up Katie for breakfast. I passed the Labbe's and Carolyn along the way. Carolyn was having problems with the weight of the kayak because of the stern attached cart she was using. I told her to get my cart from Mark when he came by and off I went to get Katie.

After waking Katie all the kayaks were gone so I sat on the porch and watched the rain start to fall. As everyone gathered for breakfast I stayed on the porch chatting with Wallace about the rebuilding of the island after last year's hurricane. The rain became very heavy at times but let up as folks finished up their breakfast.

After some last minute rushing we headed off to the dock to board the mail boat. Wallace had warned that the boat sometimes leaves early and at 7:55 am the captain fired up the engines and we were backing out from the dock.

I snapped a lot of pictures on the way out of the harbor. It was amazing the amount of rebuilding that had taken place in the last year. We all gathered on the rear deck and watched the island slip away as the rain came back along with some strong wind. In the distance lightning flashed and I was happy to be on the mail boat and not in the middle of crossing by kayak.

Forty minutes later we slipped in to the Crisfield dock. The kayaks and luggage were unloaded and we piled in to the Labbe's car to shuttle us back to the motel.

One of the streets back to the motel was heavily flooded. We slowly made our way through the water and picked up all of our vehicles and headed back to the dock. After I parked the car Katie and I loaded our kayaks and reluctently said our goodbyes.

End

Return to Part 1

Engraved Silence

n Friday I drove down to Westmoreland State Park and after checking in to the cabin I headed off on a planned scouting trip.

Westmoreland State Park is near George Washington's birthplace on the Potomac River, but my scouting trip was a bit west - On the Rappahannock River.

The first stop was Wilmont Wharf, about 12-13 miles north/northwest of the park. It was as I remembered it - fair amount of parking, porta-potty - no one else there. Certainly on the 'to do' list. No signs disallowing a night paddle.

Stop #2 on my StreetAtlas software was Smith Mount Landing, so I programmed that as the next stop and blindly followed the GPS and laptop computer, letting it tell me when I needed to turn ("turn right, SR 678 - 52 seconds"). As I got close I found the landing is really called "Harts Landing". A small parking area - maybe 4 cars, less with trailers. Muddy and cramped, I hoped to find a bit better spot. Signs expressly forbade using the park after dark.

I again reprogrammed the laptop to guide me toward Carters Wharf and headed off being told by a quite animated voice what my speed and time to next turn was.

Carters Wharf was a great surprise. Even more parking than the first stop, but no porta-potty. There was one car - a woman sitting on the small dock and a man heading off to look for sharks teeth at a nearby limestone cliff. No signs prohibiting a night paddle. Another site added to the 'to do' list.

Ron showed up at the cabin later that evening, and although we started moving around early the next morning, it was 11:00 am before sprayskirts were attached and we were underway. We launched from Wilmont Wharf and headed north. I had never been this direction and Ron and I had discussed passing through Green Bay and exploring Portobago Bay, with a primary destination being Portobago Creek.

Both of us were caught a bit off guard as Green Bay came in to view. The bay was large, much larger than we would expect to see on a river this narrow. We paddled with the current moving along at a good clip past Devil's Elbow, seeing only a boat or two along the way.

The bay invited exploring, but we had distance to cover so we continued on around North Bend and in to Portobago Bay. If Green Bay was big, Portobago was HUGE. It took us some time to paddle to the back of this bay, skirting out near the channel to avoid some shallows. We searched along the bank for Portobago Creek, finding it near the very back of the bay.

The creek had a fairly strong current running and we paddled back as far as we could go before the vegetation became too dense to go any further. We worked our way back out noting to each other that we had seen more Bald Eagles than boats.

We stopped along the shore after exiting the creek for lunch. Neither of us managed to get any good pictures on this day, but a picture or two of a gnarled tree where we stopped survived.

As we paddled back toward the launch, in the distance we noticed a shape on the horizon. Funny shaped house on a distant shore. The house grew closer until the shape turned in to a tug pushing a barge full of gravel.

The tug chugged by us in slow determination, rounding bends in the river as we paddled out of the bay. We watched the top of the tug glide above the low vegetation as it rounded North Bend. The tug was just another surprise for us today we had not expected to see.

We paddled back to the launch - some of the time in slack water, some time against a slight current. As we beached two jet skis flashed by. We facetiously commented how they ruined the day as we were still reeling from everything we saw - or didn't see. Or heard - or didn't hear. The silence of the day spoke volumes and had made it a very special day indeed.

Back at the cabin we met up with Carolyn and decided to grab dinner before a night paddle. After piling in to Ron's car we headed off in search of dinner, stopping at a gas station to ask for recommendations. Back on the road we navigated to Coles Point for some seafood.

On the ride back the yawning was pronounced, but we managed to stay awake to get our things down to the water. The wooden boat ramp was slippery but by walking on the metal part down the center Carolyn and I managed to launch. Ron took a different approach by getting in his kayak and seal launching down the slippery wooden slope.

We paddled east along the cliffs for about a half hour, passing a flashing green channel marker that appeared very out of position. Turning around we headed back toward the boat ramp, pausing long enough to allow a boat coming in to get clear of the boat ramp.

The next morning we arrived at Carter's Wharf and was on the water about 10:00. Again we had taken our time in the morning having coffee and taking our time checking out of the cabin.

On the water we paddled south, soaking in the sunshine and marveling at the lack of power boats on the river. It was as if we owned the river having it to ourselves as we headed for the southern tip of Paynes Island. Around the tip we looked for a place to to land and stretch, and finding nothing, Carolyn and myself hopped out in shallow water to walk around a bit while Ron scouted ahead looking to find the entrance to Occupacia Creek.

Up the creek we went, gliding gently through waters we continued to own. We saw a car go by on a road on the island to our right - the only one we would see. We ventured far up the creek but knew we had to turn around before getting even close to the end. We reluctantly turned, but let our hunger drive us back down the creek to a place we could haul the boats out and eat lunch.

We ate lunch in near silence as I think we all felt this place a bit magic. A few fish roiled the water's surface and we watched some high altitude clouds roll across the sky. I finally had to make a comment about the silence as I've become so accustomed to noise that I actually felt anxiety - expecting something to happen any second to shatter this piece of heaven. For me it was almost a relief to get back in our kayaks so I could hear the splashing of my paddle.

As if we had paddled back through time, before the advent of mechanical engines. We finished our trip out of the creek and headed out on to the Rappahannock. We beached for another break before crossing the river, soaking in the cool water as the sun beat down on us a bit.

A few boats were out, we saw maybe 6 or 7 in the hour it took us to work our way back to the launch. We crossed the river and walked along in the shallow water under the limestone cliffs, looking for fossils. Finding none we turned to the launch to end our day.

We loaded up our kayaks and said our goodbyes. I couldn't help being sad it was over. The weather had been perfect. Friends with whom to share the experience. The water calm and mystical in its aching to be explored. Nothing I could say or write could capture the impression this place left on my soul. I will be back...

Pictures

Woody

Things left unsaid

here are many times when I paddle that I don't ever get around to writing a trip report. Oddly, even after almost 6 years there is almost always something interesting that happens or that I see on every trip. There are over 150 trip reports on this web site yet when the mood hits I still manage to crank out another one every now and then. You'd think I'd run out of things to say by now. But kayaking is special in that way - you always meet an interesting person, or see something you haven't seen before - or see old things through new eyes.

Sunday Joan and I met at Fountainhead Regional Park. I got there early after missing a turn...twice. It isn't an easy park to find. Joan called me after I got my gear ready to tell me she was running late. I didn't mind - I pulled out my monocular and watched the geese and the sea gulls for a while. I also found out that I can get a season pass for all the regional parks (for kayaks) for $30! Another $10 key fee will get me access to Bull Run Marina, some great paddling I did when I was first starting out. The season starts in March, so I can't wait to re-explore that area next season.

When Joan arrived we got underway - heading down to Bull Run Marina to have lunch. There was a stiff, chilly wind in our face but we managed to take advantage of the lee provided by the upwind tree-lines.

Over the years Joan and I have talked about many things - mainly our our jobs, our families, our lives. One talks while the other listens. We usually don't have much advice for each other except when really needed. I think it is our need to be heard - a sounding board - a chance to say out loud what we tend to keep internal that we value most about our paddling relationship.

About half-way to Bull Run ahead of us and most of the way across the water I saw a flutter as though a broad maple leaf flipped over on the water. It was too far away to know for sure and I dismissed it until a few minutes later as we drew even I thought I saw a bird in the water weakly moving its wings. I asked Joan to hold up a moment while I paddled over to check it out, expecting to find a bird in distress. As I got closer I realized it was a squirrel swimming its way to the far shore. As I approached I edged my boat over to offer the deck as a place for the squirrel to climb up on. To my surprise he actually tried, but he missed it and continued to swim toward shore.

Joan and I guided him the remaining distance, his little legs visibly paddling like mad until he hopped up on a branch along the water's edge. He stayed there a moment, probably trying to regain a little warmth before he moved on.

We continued on to Bull Run, taking out on the low docks used by the rowing shells. After making the trip up to the bathrooms and finding them locked, we wondered back down to the picnic table for lunch. A bee was beeing a pest, which ultimately cost him his life. Near the end of lunch a second bee escaped only because it was time to go.

The wind was at our backs, and we would make good time heading back to Fountainhead. We shaved a half hour off the return paddle although we were generally letting the wind do most of the work. I probably asked 3 or 4 fishermen along the way how much luck they were having. It always varies a great deal, the answers I get to the question, but today it seemed the closer to Fountainhead we got, the less luck they were having catching fish.

The fall colors are starting to peek through the green canopies. The Blaze Maples bright red under most of the other trees. With all the water we've had lately, we may see the leaves on the trees a bit longer this year. Next weekend and the weekend after aught to be spectacular.

The Red Wing and Red Tail hawks got our attention today. One Red Tail hawk chasing a Bald Eagle away. We watched a Bald Eagle, just getting it's adult feathers attempt several times to land in a tree and fail. It was determined to land on a branch too small for it, and eventually gave up.

Back at Fountainhead we helped each other put the kayaks away. We finished our discussions we had started on the water and talked about plans for next weekend.

Winter is coming much too fast for me. It will be here too soon. But with cold water and the dangers it brings, comes the chance to paddle in places where boats become almost non-existent and quiet solitude becomes the fuel that keeps me warm.

Woody

Contrasting Colors

've complained about this before, but when I drive 40 minutes to a put in, I'm a little irked to find it closed. Mason Neck seems to be the only park I have this problem with, finding it closed 2-3 times a season. This time it is for a Halloween party.

So 15 minutes later I end up at Leesylvania. I park behind a pickup with a bumper sticker I recognize but I can't place who it belongs to and get on the water. It is a bit foggy, so I stay close to shore and head north toward Neabsco creek.

The water is high and I scrape the bottom of the kayak over a bunch of rocks covered in wire mesh I didn't notice. Seeing now a few more of these things near shore I move a few more yards out. At the marina I cut though on the inside of the breakwaters and then swing back out and back close to shore. The leaves are in full color though here and I don't try to break any speed records as I move along the shore.

There are people fishing from the pier so rather than swing out wide I check for lines off the side and cut through close to shore. An elderly man is fishing on shore so I head back out to avoid his line, which he is reeling in. As I pass in front of him he cusses me and then tosses out his line, the weights falling about 25 feet away and an even distance from shore as my kayak. I guess he couldn't wait 30 seconds for me to finish moving through the area. For a moment I think about going to shore and 'discussing' his anger, but knowing my temper decide it best I ignore him.

As I round Freestone Point I remember coming out here to play in some waves after an aborted river crossing some years back. The wind that day was blowing hard and after failing a roll I had to wet exit. I blew a re-enter and roll and a few paddle float rescues before I finally made it back in. The wind rushing against the point and the reflected waves made it very difficult to get back in and I forever after gave this area the respect it deserved when windy.

But today was nice and calm, and what little wind there was came out of the SE. Looking up in the trees I see a mature Bald Eagle so I pull out the camera and take a few pictures before I decide to leave him be and move off.

I moved closer to the railroad bridge and cross the channel coming out of Neabsco between two channel markers. and passed a few fishermen before heading back into Farm Creek.

The colors were even more intense in the creek. I paddled back a short distance until I found a large number of geese hiding along the shore. Not wanting to disturb them I turned around and headed back.

The fog had cleared a bit so I head out further from shore and cross the channel at the outer markers. After passing the pier I crossed outside the breakwaters and headed back in to Powells Creek.

As I passed under the train tracks I noticed a bunch of young girls in double kayaks. I paddle along the south side of the creek to avoid them and work my way back in to the creek. The creek quickly narrows and I twist and turn further and further back in, occasionally flushing a duck or two. But under the power lines I see I can go no further so I spin around to head back to the launch.

At the launch I can see the girls are now putting the kayaks away in the shed. I carry my stuff up the little hill to my car and get everything ready to put the kayak on the car. By the time I'm ready to tote the boat most of the people have left and I toss the kayak up on my car.

After tying everything down I decide to take one last look at the water to see if I can see the owner of the pickup I noticed earlier in the morning. Across the mouth of the creek is a small image that I can just make out is using a Greenland paddle. As he gets closer he stops and rolls a few times and I can tell from the painted bow that this is Greg Welker, testing his gear before calling it a day.

Greg and I chat a few minutes before I have to rush off. Greg had planned to paddle from Mason Neck as well but also found it closed. For my own benefit, here are the closure dates (for paddling) for 2005:

# 4/23/05. Elizabeth Hartwell Environmental Education Day.

# 10/21/05-10/22/05. Fall Festival: Halloween in the Park.

Pictures...

Woody

Last Grasps

s I drove in to Mason Neck, a leaf drifted out of a tree toward my car. I saw it the moment it started to fall and as it fluttered down the twisted brown leaf wrapped itself around the bow tie down of my kayak. I drove on toward the parking lot thinking how this leaf was trying its best to hang on for just a few more moments. If this leaf could just hold on it could somehow prevent the cold winter from coming.

When I came back from the bathroom, the leaf was gone. Nothing is powerful enough to stop winter.

In Kanes Creek I took a few pictures. The ducks took flight before I even got close and the two eagles I saw headed deeper into the refuge as soon as they saw my red kayak.

Much of the vegetation is now gone from the creek and finding the channel a bit more difficult. A few times I had to back out of where I had paddled to look for deeper water, but I finally made it to the back of the creek and turned around.

I took a few more pictures along the way, and as I rounded a bend found myself face to face with a buck and doe. The doe moved to the edge of some trees and stopped, while the buck froze in place switching his attention between the doe and myself. They both managed to stay like this while I pulled my camera out from under the deck lines and took a few pictures. Looking back up from securing the camera I found both were gone, as if they had never existed.

Back at the car top launch I waded out knee deep to wipe the scum off my kayak. The icy water stung my legs as I moved around the boat with a sponge. I think it is time to switch to my dry suit. I've held on to trying to stop winter long enough and like that leaf, it is time to let go.

Pictures

Woody

Deep Gasps

paddled north around Occoquan Bay to get out of the wind. There wasn't a lot, but it was cold. As I neared the mouth of the Occoquan River I came across a large tree firmly grounded on the bottom. I took a few pictures and headed on in to the river.

By paddling near shore I avoided the wind altogether. The mirror smooth water was a pleasure to paddle in and I couldn't help but paddle with a smile on my face today.

Ahead some waterfowl let me paddle in close. A few looked like they were going to swim right up to me, but finally turned the other way. When I got too close they would take off, their feet running like crazy across the water until they got just a short distance away.

I paddled past several of the marinas in the river then came about and headed back to Mason Neck. This is my first trip back in my dry suit this season and I need to give it a test. A hundred feet from shore I tested the water depth and found it too shallow to roll so I back paddled until the water was deeper.

I had forgotten my eye glasses retainers in the car so I took my glasses off and tucked them away in my pfd pocket. I sculled down on my side to the water. The boat felt good and I held my face above water easily. I slowly sculled there a few moments then took a deep breath and allowed the kayak to fully capsize.

The water was shocking. I won't go so far to say I panicked, but a strong sense of urgency was foremost in my mind. I started my roll a bit slowly and about 2/3 of the way up I noticed I was sculling like crazy to get up the last bit. I wasn't going to make it. I took a deep breath again and allowed the kayak to tip over again.

While upside down this second time I told myself "Woody, I'm really going to be embarrassed if you have to bail." I took my time and set up, but the cold water was urging me to hurry. I tried to roll again, this time getting up just far enough that I knew I wouldn't fall back over.

It was at this point I remembered I had left my neck ring on and the cold water was trickling down my neck. I reached up and popped it off and put it under a bungee. My breathing was deep and hurried, as if trying to catch my breath. It took over 30 seconds for it to return to normal. I reached in to my pfd for may glasses then paddled to shore.

After beaching the kayak I walked a hundred feet or so from shore to get in water deep enough to float in the suit. I floated around for a few minutes to check for leaks then went back to shore to pack up for home. After securing everything I changed out of my dry suit and found I had about a 4 inch damp ring down from my neck from leaving in the ring. Considering the two dunkings I took and the side scull, not too horribly bad. I finished changing and headed off for home.

Pictures

Woody

Cold Water Practice

ave Biss, Nelson Labbe and myself held a small 'dive in to the cold' workshop for folks going out in their dry suits for the first time. Yvonne, Oona, Mary and Vitas came out to play in the cold water and we had a good time comparing cold water re-entries to their warm water counterparts.

Big thanks to Dave and Nelson for coming out and standing in the water for a few hours!

Pictures!

Woody

I'm Not Lost, I'm Exploring

haven't posted any trip reports in a while, but not because I'm staying home! I just haven't found the time to write them up although some interesting things have been happening.

The Weather, Moon, and Water Temps listed along the margin has been going through some changes. I'm still not happy with it, so expect some additional tweaking over the winter months as I find time to write some more code.

We had another cold water practice outing with Mary, Vitas, and Sally. The water was an additional 5 degrees colder and the difference was dramatic from just two weeks before.

One of the Mason Neck regulars, John, was paddling around Highpoint a few weeks ago when he heard a cry for help. As John paddled in close to shore a guy flagged him down. His fishing boat had capsized 100 feet from shore and he was safe on land, but cold. John didn't have a cell phone so he paddled back to Mason Neck and alerted the rangers.

When the rescue boat found the guy, he was very hypothermic. They were surprised to find '2' people, not one. The one was in a bit more distress, having inhaled water when he went overboard. John didn't find out about the other boater till later as the first boater didn't mention him. Both were taken away by ambulance when brought in.

I have a few new pairs of gloves I'll be testing over the next few weeks. I'll post a review when the testing is complete.

The water's cold folks. Be careful out there.

Woody

The sound of Ice

wasn't motivated this morning, but forced myself all morning to make little adjustments that finally led up to me walking out the door. The drive to Mason Neck was mellow with DMB singing 'The Christmas Song'.

No one was at the park and the wind was sharp on my face as I carried gear down to the water's edge. It took me a long time to get my gear squared away, as it always does in the winter, but before long I was pushing away from the ice that had formed on shore.

The water was shallow, being close to low tide, so I headed out several hundred feet before turning north to follow the shore. I leaned over for some sweep strokes to see how far up on edge I could get the boat. I felt constricted and held back by the clothes I was wearing. How I longed for the warm water of summer. But despite the layers of clothes under my dry suit I headed towards Kanes creek for a short paddle and to get out of the wind.

Nearing the creek I could tell the water was too flat. Ice extending 50 feet or so beyond the wide mouth of the creek and as far back in to the creek as I could see. I paused outside the ice which suprisingly was over a 1/4 inch thick along the edge. The ice creeks and groans against the waves coming in along its edge. The sound grates against my bones, in a good sort of way, but in short order I decide to see if I can get out of the wind along the north shore of the bay.

The wind bites my cheeks as I head north and before reaching the shore I reach up to pull the front of my hat down closer to my eyes.

Only it isn't there. In the winter I wear a skull cap to protect my head in the event I go into the water, and pull on my normal kayaking hat over that to help keep the sun off me. The down side is I often loose my kayaking hat without realizing it.

I turn back to the launch, sweeping the water with my eyes looking for my hat. It wasn't till I was about 50 feet from the launch before I saw it - washed up to the edge of the water and partially frozen to the ice and sand.

After retrieving the hat I played near shore with my paddle and spending some time evaluating 3 new pairs of gloves (in Gear Reviews). In the end I spent more time loading and unloading gear than I did paddling.

Woody

Another Year - Another Season

ne of the great rewards we have in life is the time spent with our children. I guess if I could sum up this season it would be the season I spent on the water with my daughter.

It started in early April, when we spent four days kayaking in the back country of Assateague Island. Wrapped in our dry suits and dragging our kayaks through shallow water we explored places we had never been. We enjoyed the ponies and trying out different types of dehydrated foods. The days seemed short and the four days went too quickly.

In mid-April I took an American Canoe Association Instructor Development Workshop and Instructor Certification Exam and certified as a Basic Coastal Kayak Instructor. During the four day course it was difficult for me to transform out of the role of student into the role of instructor.

In mid-May Katie went with me for the three day SK102 event down at Lake Anna. I played instructor and Katie took some classes from other instructors. She learned a lot and it was here I first saw the spark in her to learn to be a skilled kayaker.

By late May Katie was expressing interest in getting a BCU 2 star and mastering a 360 degree roll. I made good on a promise to buy her a new paddle when she learned the roll.

We continued working on her other skills in to June, where she picked up her off side roll. In mid-June I took a BCU safety class and the following day Katie took a BCU 3 star class.

A 'proud parent' moment came when Mark Schoon was teaching high recovery strokes (high brace) to Katie. Mark told me later she wasn't tipping over very far and mentioned something to her about it.

Katie: "I'm used to just going all the way to the water"

Mark: "Let me see"

Followed by Katie going all the way down to the water and bracing up. We had worked hard over the last few months on her rolling, and the high brace came naturally to her. I knew from what I saw while she was taking the class that she wasn't too far away from surpassing her 2 star goal.

On the first of July Katie kept pushing me to learn new things, and in a single session she did her first TX rescue, her first seal launch, first roll using only a floating paddle for support, her first hand of god rescue. She managed her first re-enter and roll, laying on the water while doing a side scull, but the most shocking thing I saw her learn was her first high brace on the move on both sides - another large stepping stone toward a BCU 3 star.

On the 4th of July Katie went to take her BCU 2 star test and at the edge of the water we decided to let her try for her 3 star. She did well but became shaken when she capsized while doing a reverse figure of 8. Bad weather moved in and reluctantly we finished the day without her making her 3 star goal.

But 3 days later after a lot of practice she was back on the water with Mark Schoon and when she returned to shore I learned she had earned her 3 star.

A few days later I picked up another kayak - and Explorer HV which I'm currently enjoying every minute of. I spent the summer getting comfortable with the boat and at the end of August took it on the open water crossing to Tangier Island.

I explored the Rappahannock in the fall along with my usual paddling grounds, watching the trees turn from green into an exploding multitude of rich colors and finally watched the leaves fall and the water turn cold.

Today was my last paddle of 2004. As I pushed my way through a little slushy ice I stopped a few moments to look back on the events of the year. The people I've paddled with, the new friends I've met. Reflecting back on everything I saw over the year made the 4 bald eagles sitting in the trees above my head seem almost - routine.

It's a good routine to be in.

My best wishes to everyone in the new year.

Woody