Paddle: Janes Island

Tuesday October 5th was a very sunny looking day, but looks were deceiving! It was quite chilly (50ish) and the winds were quite blustery! Nevertheless, kayaks were loaded onto the trailer and 14 people loaded into the van and we were off for a paddle at Janes Island in Maryland. This is on the Chesapeake Bay side of the Delmarva and was chosen so that we could had a slightly different experience. Different it was! Our route was the yellow trail heading west then taking the red trail north, rounding the tip then back south to the parking area.

Everyone bundled up in long underwear, Gore-Tex and gloves and hats as we prepared to paddle off into the marsh.

See...from the dock it looks pleasant doesn't it!

Today, I was in the back, paddling as well as learning how to operate the rudder. What a great day for a newbie....NOT! The wind and waves were fairly constant and ruddering was difficult, Bobbie would holler to me "right right right", and I would holler back, "I am, I am"! I was pressing with all my might on the right foot, but it was horribly difficult (in these conditions).

Here we are only about 1000 feet from the dock and it took FOREVER to get this far.

Time for a mini-lecture, we were told to run up onto the marsh grass while Mark gave a little talk, couldn't really hear him over the wind though...

The marsh grass was abundant with tiny periwinkles! I just had to get a closer look!

So, with my paddle, I was able to lift a few off! Interesting....but, time to paddle on, reversing out into the wind was...tough. Bobbie and I paddled with all of our might and finally made it across the bay with 2 others (any time paddling was stopped, you were blown back 20-30 feet in a few seconds! So we paddled on and beached ourselves while waiting for the others. Whew, was I tired! But, they had come to the decision that it was too difficult and potentially dangerous to continue on battling 15+ mph headwinds and 1+ foot whitecaps! So, we got the kayak turned around and headed back into the dock. Going back was pretty easy! No paddling required, we simply laid our paddles across the kayak and used the blades to catch the wind and blow us back like a sailboat! Lunch was had on shore....that was some difficult paddling, and while eating the wind seemed to pick up even more! 'Twas a good lesson learned, don't attempt to paddle if you have to struggle to get anywhere, but was glad I found out that I could paddle against strong wind and waves if I needed to! After the ride back some hot cocoa and a hotter shower were just what I needed, as well as some lineament for my neck and shoulder muscles! What a workout!

Paddle: Mosquito and Cockle Creeks

On the morning of October 6th, we
departed for a morning paddle nearby on Mosquito Creek and Cockle Creek. It took us longer to get unloaded than to drive there as the private dock is only on the other side of the Navy base next to the NASA visitor center.



As we were preparing, we noticed an E 2C Hawkeye practicing touch and go's on the landing strip at Wallops. It was neat to see a plane this close! I have a feeling they were taking bets as to how many rotations it would take them to make before we got in the kayaks...all I can say was I had many chances to take photo's...and in fact I even waved a time or two...

Bobbie was trying out a single kayak today, so Linda was with me. It was a pretty sunny day, but a bit windy and chilly so best to bundle up, I guess I didn't need to pack my swimsuit and shorts after all.






Ailene and Bruce gracefully paddling along.








After making a turn into a wider part of the creek, we came along this warning...I stayed far far away from land.






Here's Bobbie enjoying floating after yesterday's rough paddle!









Guide Mark kept us away from shore and the explosion area!








Wow! Does it get better than this? I wish I would have started kayaking years ago!








We discovered some oyster beds that some local watermen had anchored for cultivation. I tried to peek in for a closer look, but I couldn't get close enough unless I wanted to go for a swim...not.





After a while another similar plane started to circle, a C 2COD according to neighbor Jim, and was also practicing take-off's and landings. They seemed to practice forever, I wonder if they ever get bored? Anyway, was a very pleasant paddle and the water conditions were great!

Sunet Paddle on the Assateague Channel

The evening of Wednesday October 6th we

departed the MSC after an early dinner to enjoy a paddle at sunset. The intended route was the Assateague Channel (route seen here in red) leaving Chincoteague (at the place the ponies swim to shore at the annual pony auction) and paddling northward past the Assateague lighthouse to a point near the northern part of Chincoteague.

Everyone bundled up as the skies looked threatening and a few drops of rain began to fall...and we were adorned with headlamps and a flashlight that hung on our back so that we would be visible to each other from nearly any direction. Linda and Larry had enough excitement and decided not to join the rest of us.

A view from the dock a few moments before pushing off. With so many clouds I certainly wasn't expecting much of a sunset...

In fact, I was worried with the darkening clouds that we would be caught in torrential rains!

But the skies to the east were a little brighter....at least the water was calm and wasn't too windy...and our distance was only about 2 miles...

Finally, it was mine and Bobbie's turn to get pushed off into the darkness....time to follow the other lights into the unknown...

Then I REALLY started to get excited when the beacon from the Assateague lighthouse illuminated the evening sky! It was rather difficult to photograph in darkness in a moving kayak! But...this was the least blurry..

After passing the lighthouse and under the bridge I looked over my shoulder and was amazed at the colors that were developing in the sky and how many of the clouds had scattered!

I in fact became mesmerized and really didn't want to keep paddling into the darkness, I only wanted to watch the reds and oranges that kept getting more vibrant by the minute!

You can see the headlamps of the others as they closed in on us.



Finally most everyone had passed us and when there was only Maggie behind us shepherding us forward did I turn my attention away from the colorful sky to the darkness of the night.



Paddling in complete darkness was an experience that I found to be quite peaceful! With nothing to stimulate the eyes (yet) the ears took over and the only sound was the drip drip drip of the water droplets returning to the water as the paddle was lifted out of the water. It was one of the most peaceful moments I have ever experienced. The peace didn't last too long, a heron started making noises after we apparently startled it, and soon after Maggie started shrieking (I didn't think anyone fell out there was no splashing) after a few moments she collected herself and informed us that a fish about 6inches long had catapulted itself into her kayak and was flopping around in her lap! I'm certainly glad it happened to her, I'm afraid that if it had decided to join me I would have wiggled around so much with surprise that I would have went for a swim! Not a good idea in pitch blackness! After we were finished laughing, we just sort of floated a bit with the current and gazed upwards at the heavens and the multitude of stars that were now twinkling. Mark gave us a wonderful astronomy lesson mixed in with mythology. How peaceful it was! I think this was by far my favorite thing about this vacation and definitely my favorite paddle so far!

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Hike

On a free afternoon Bobbie and I decided to explore Chincoteague NWR on a hike on the Woodland Trail near Tom's Cove. We pulled over at one spot to view one of the wild horses! I only wished I had the capacity to zoom in closer with my camera!




The trail was pavement littered with leaves and small twigs, was also suitable for bicycles!
In addition to the wild ponies, we were on the lookout for Sika Elk and the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel!











Found one! The Delmarva Fox Squirrel was introduced here in 1968. Native only to the Delmarva peninsula, its habitat was being destroyed.






Apparently, I still find fungi interesting..I think its a polypore of some sort.






At the pony overlook, we scanned the grazing field and did see a band of ponies a few hundred yards away....even with my binoculars they were quite distant. The Assateague Lighthouse also peeks out above the treeline.




Just when your walking along...the elusive squirrel runs out in front of you to tease!








The wildlife refuge also puts out nesting boxes for the squirrels, sort of unusual since they usually don't try to regulate nature. Apparently they have made an exception.











Another pretty (and large) 'shroom.










Here's Bobbie trying to capture an image of the frisky squirrel as it's playing hide and seek at the base of a tree!






After it scurried up the tree...I just waited for him to come down! He paused for a moment when he saw me...its not like I had a gun and had a hungry look in my eye...just a camera for cryin' out loud!




As I was waiting for the dumb thing to descend...Bruce and Aileen rode up on their bikes and were chatting with Bobbie when voila! I snapped this shot....with Bruce in it too!

After the close encounter with the squirrel, we were satisfied and decided to check out Tom's Cove visitor center, but on the way I couldn't resist pulling over for this resting Great Blue Heron! We would have explored for longer...but we had to be back to the MSC for our "cocktail party" in Pat and Geri's room before our 5pm dinner!

Paddle: Shad Landing

On Thursday October 7th, the kayaks and gear were loaded for the last time of the trip. Our original paddle was to go from Chincoteague across the inlet to a beach on Assateague Island at Tom's Cove. Mother Nature once again prevailed and instead of a beach day looking for sea critters in a seine net, we had to head back to Maryland and the Pokomoke River as the current, tide and wind at the intended site would make for a miserable paddle.






The paddle on the Pokomoke would prove to be a nice wide water trail at Shad Landing on Corker's Creek. The weather there was terrific! Bright and sunny, hardly a breeze!










So, we quickly got prepared, loaded the kayaks and waited to be pushed off by Mark and Maggie.

I 'm not going to lie, I was VERY disappointed that we weren't going to the beach....BUT when I started seeing wildlife like Red-Bellied Turtles sunning themselves...I quickly forgot about the beach! I was determined to get VERY close! But, usually when I did....they felt I was invading their space and slid into for the water, I need to practice stalking wildlife in a kayak!

The water was quite clean, but all the tannins gave it a brown appearance.

Here's some of the group taking a rest while Maggie and Mark give us an impromptu lecture on the trees of the area.

Another red-bellied turtle!

It was a very enjoyable paddle and even though I missed playing in the sand, I did stretch out on the dock after eating lunch to sun myself a little...if it's good for the turtles it's gotta be good for me!