North Landing River trip, 7.25.2009

Disclaimer:  All pics taken via cell phone and edited with photo shop type software....quickly.....and incompentently......BUT....at least we have pictures!  

So I say that only to point out that it was sunny, it was hot and it was humid.....a lovely day for exploring this Va. Beach "bayou".

Okay, so Larry tells me he has a great idea for a paddle today but he tries to send me to the wrong place.  Well, so it seemed at first.  His instructions included a put in on the Northwest River but he spoke of a bridge on the North Landing River.  He called me just in the nick of time and we both arrived at West Landing Marina in Virginia Beach at the same time.  So it was to be the North Landing River.  But the man had ulterior motives that I would only find out about later in the trip. Hmmm....

Hey!  Howdya get so dang far ahead of me???

So, first picture.  Fast forward about 3 miles from the launch site.  There is a culvert at North Landing Road where it crosses the river.  We paddled through that culvert and found ourselves on a little offshoot of the river.  We were thinking that this may have actually been the original Indian River.  I seemed to remember reading that in a book.  No matter though, it was somewhere new to explore.  Now Larry had been here before but not for a few years and so it was kinda new to him.

"Hey, Tony, you paddlin today or what????  Geez, get the lead out already!

Look at this beautiful little offshoot!  What a great spot.  Now I had seen this little offshoot because North Landing Road is about 300 yards to the left off camera with tons of cars zooming by at 55 plus MPH.  Nice scenery but a little noisy for our tastes at this point.  So we continue on.

Larry pauses to watch me pass as a blur of paddles and splashing water.  Geez, some people just don't know how to relax!!

Another Larry shot, get used to it.  His camera batteries died 5 minutes ago and he forgot the Ronco, 15 mile portable extension cord that he has for it!

So Larry's memory of this part of the waterway comes back to him.  Seemingly, he paddles into the woods.  But actually this is a cool little water path through the trees to another part of the river that you can get to if you went right at the last fork (which we obviously did not).  We have officially dubbed this "Larry's Link" and will be setting up an honor system toll box on the tree you see to the left.  We've already started talking about the kayak touring company we'll start with the profits......or (more accurately we think) the possibility of being arrested by Fish and Game officials for hammering nails into a wetland tree.

Larry sporting his right hand turn signal or is that a pack of teenage otters with Glocks?  "Hands in the air now old kayak dude!"

Okay, so now we are in the freakin middle of nowhere (seemingly).  The noise from the traffic died long ago and the waterway has narrowed considerably.  This is the "bayou" portion of the trip.  We are encountering a decent number of fallen trees and doing a lot of "scooching" to get over them.  For those of you not familiar with that kayaking term.  Imagine the opening scene from the old TV show the Monkees where they are sitting on the ground, "scooching" along on their butts.  Ah, you get the idea now?  No? Yes?

Such photographic excellence, sheesh!  So here is Larry as he starts his one man, tour de force of moving a rather large fallen tree around in the water.  I "scooched" over it but as I would soon learn, Larry prefers to go around them even if it takes 15 minutes to get the tree in the right position.  In all fairness though, the time he spent moving trees around is still less time than it takes me to get my kayak from my truck and begin paddling at the launch site. 

Hey man, don't be camera shy.  Huh?, naw, that kayak doesn't make you look fat.

I'm getting smarter.  Let Larry go first so I can follow him AROUND the trees instead of over them.  By now I've brushed about 10 spiders off me that I acquired as I moved under limbs while trying to get over trees.  Talk about renewable energy sources.......one spider sets my arms flailing so hard I could probably power a toaster oven for an hour or so!

The "bayou" shot.  Who needs the Chesapeake Bay for paddling when we have this stuff???

Nature's pool table.  We just came through this patch of duckweed.  I mean, JUST came through, MINUTES ago and already it is back in place like we were never there. Like walking in a blizzard.

Yeah man, I'm dead serious, it's about yay long and it is crawling up your back, DON'T MOVE!

Right, so here we are sitting in the duckweed portion of the waterway.  There is a cluster of trees blocking the way (just off camera to the left) and we have seen two snakes thus far.  Not bad considering how much we crawled up in this waterway.  So if you look at a map of Virginia Beach on say Yahoo maps, and used the intersection of Indian River and North Landing Roads, you would look just off to the left (up Indian River Road) and see a small sliver of water that the road crosses over.  We are about 1/8 of a mile to the South of that right here.  If you pan down you should see the North Landing River and this offshoot kinda heading Northwest, then Northeast.  But the funny thing is we feel like we are in the deepest swamps of Lou-weez-siana at this point!  There is a lot of nothing in this area but, when I got home, I looked at the map and at this particular point we were only about 1/4 mile away from a new housing development to our west off Indian River Road.  Of course that would be a snake, tick and spider infested 1/4 mile slog (not walk) through water, mud and things we probably don't even want to know exist.  This is where Larry points out that if we really wanted to have some fun, we should come out here and pitch our tents for an overnight camping trip!  Yeah, I know, the dude is certifiable.  The only tent I'd pitch in this slice of suburbia disguised as a bayou is one that has "Holiday Inn" on the side and has ice machines, a breakfast buffet, hot showers, those little bars of complimentary soap, Internet access, pool........well you get the idea.  Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Larry's ulterior motive for making sure I had the correct launch site today.  If you haven't seen any other trip reports on my site, I will tell you that I paddle a wooden kayak and use wooden paddles.  Larry pointed out that should he become stranded out in middle of this suburban wilderness (after I die of fright--wimpering like a little girl as Larry interjected--after snagging my PFD on a tree limb thinking it is a snake or worse), my paddles and kayak would make great firewood till he is rescued.  Thanks man,  I'll pass on future paddling trips if ya don't mind!

Okay, check it out, we are on the North Landing River heading south towards the marina which is still some two miles distant.  The wind is coming at our faces and blowing at a measly 5 MPH or so.  In about a mile, I realize that I am gonna need to stop by the store on the way home for some marinara sauce to go with the noodles that I used to call my ARMS!  What a day.  Actually I have paddled way longer than this in one sitting but was getting a little worn out at this point.  Larry was "steady Eddy" on the paddling so I just fell into pace with him and we were back soon enough although he did arrive about two minutes ahead of me due to my previously mentioned pasta-like upper appendages.

So that was our little adventure for Saturday, July 25, 2009.  A great trip, lots of great scenery, lots of yappin about campin out, fishing, paddling the Intercoastal Waterway and many other various topics.  The boat traffic was light and for once, I did not see one Jet Ski or Ski Doo.  

Next time I have to plan the trip as Larry has done the last two.  Also I think I need to get my freshwater license as Larry has gone two trips without fishing for gar and I don't think he'll be ready for another long paddle until he's landed a few of those toothy creatures.

Until next time.....