First paddle of 2008......to Lake Drummond, March 22, 2008.  No pictures.

Today's paddle was only intended to be a short paddle combined with a little birdwatching.  It ended up quite different.  Looking back it was a paddle that served many purposes....

1.  I made a new rack setup for my truck since Maria now has a kayak and I wanted to be able to transport both kayaks on the roof.  Also I wanted the new setup so I could do shuttle kayaking with another paddler.  The rack has been in place since January 2008 but today was it's first real world test.  It passed with flying colors.  Now when I drive around I don't have two big cradles sticking off the top of the truck.  Much better looking and probably better on gas mileage too.

2.  One of the results of the new rack setup was a leftover piece of minicell foam.  This material is used to outfit kayaks (make seats, back rests, etc.) and is something I had planned to purchase long before now.  The leftover piece was just large enough to make a seat out of.  With my drill and two new sanding discs I began to carve the seat.  Five minutes in to the process and I just about gave up.  It was not easy and the sanding discs kept jumping and tearing new places in the foam.  I stuck with it though and was able to minimize the jumping.  I later learned (after I switched to the finer grit of the second disc) that the grit was heavier than was needed and greatly contributed to the problems I initially had.  But no worries as I managed to carve a decent seat from the block of foam.  So when I set out paddling today, it was with a new seat.  Man oh man, what a difference my crudely carved seat made!  I had absolutely no rear end issues while paddling, it was so comfortable.  So I say goodbye to my stadium bleacher cushion and plastic patio chair seat that I have used previously.  That will now be a back up system.  If you were to feel the minicell you wouldn't think that it would be so comfortable but it is.  Carving it to fit your own rear end is obviously the key to the comfort of the seat.  Many people make a seat with a back and sides and I can now see why they do that.  I will definitely be purchasing another block of this stuff so I can make a back rest.

3.  Another real world test was for my new paddling gear.  I purchased some cold weather gear and used some of it today.  Specifically the neoprene socks and boots.  They are not completely waterproof but damn near.  My feet were damp when I took them off but only because of sweat.  They were extremely comfortable and kept my feet warm even when standing in the cold water.  The day was warm (at first) so I didn't try out my paddling jacket and gloves.

4.  I forgot my GPS unit in the truck and so I could not test it out on this trip.  I've used it in the car and on some bike trips to the Dismal Swamp but I really wanted to use the trip feature on a paddle.  It will have to be on the next trip.

5.  When strapping the kayak down on the rack I felt prickles on my arms and realized that it was fiberglass. My boat is going to need some resin put on it.  I never officially finished the boat back in 2003.  The boat is still sea worthy at this point, it is only the top layer that is exposed in a few select places.  I didn't really slop the resin on in this area.  The wood below is encapsulated in resin so even if water was to get into the cloth, the boat will not get damaged.  A little sanding a few new coats will suffice for another 4 or so years.  Maybe that will be the shove needed to get the boat completely finished once and for all.......but not until 2008 paddling is finished.

Trip report....

As I stated previously this trip was supposed to be short and casual.  It started out that way.  I put in at the Ballahack Road boat ramp on the Dismal Swamp Canal at about 2 PM.  There were plenty of vehicles and I could tell I'd see some other paddlers.  The weather was nice but a little windy (10-20 mph from the west).  The temp was in the 60s and probably got up to almost 70 at some point.

I paddled south from the ramp and decided within a few minutes that I would go up the feeder ditch a mile or so since I felt I would see more birds that way.  By 4 PM I had casually paddled my way 3/4 of the way to the spillway.  I had only seen a handful of birds at that point, much less than I had expected.  Since this is the first time I have kayaked with the intention of birdwatching too, I had things to learn.  I should have learned from my biking/birdwatching trips that while you are pedaling (or paddling) the noise is loud enough to obscure bird sounds.  Also I can only catch the most obvious bird movements while pedaling or paddling.  I did stop a few times and was rewarded with hearing more birds and seeing some.  I am very new (and not so good) at identifying birds but there are some that are easy enough.  The belted Kingfisher is easy and I usually encounter them on every trip into the Dismal Swamp and at the Northwest River.  The yellow bellied Sapsucker is new though and I only identified it because my wife and I have one that frequents a tree in our neighbors yard that we frequently watch from our kitchen window.  There were grackles, cardinals and a few other species I could not get a bead on good enough to identify.

Since I had filed a float plan at home and had decided on the water to alter that, I called home.  It was 4 PM and I decided to go to the spillway/campground area for a rest before turning back for the ramp and the truck.  So I started paddling with more intent towards the spillway.  I encountered two folks in a canoe and two folks in kayaks.  The kayakers had indicated that the lake was rough.  I commented I didn't think I was going that far today.  I also didn't intend to go to the spillway either.  So I did go to Lake Drummond.  I couldn't resist.  It is just a little under a 1/2 mile from the spillway to the lake.  It was rough for sure.  I paddled only far enough to say I'd been in the lake and then got back into the feeder ditch as quick as I could.  There was a boat anchored at the mouth of the ditch with some guys and some boys fishing.  On the short trip back to the spillway, I began to hear a lot of new bird sounds I didn't recognize.  Unfortunately at that time I knew getting back before dark was going to be close.

I used the trolley at the campground to move the boat some of the way.  It is handy but slow.  I didn't use it for it's entire length because at some point it is easy enough to take the boat off and drag it to the water.  I made sure to leave the trolley at the high side so the boat of guys would have the trolley at their side when they returned.

It was now 5:12 PM and I called my wife to tell her I was OK and that I was leaving the spillway for the boat ramp and thought it would take an hour (I felt I was being overly optimistic about that) to make the trip.  My float plan said that if I didn't call in my 6 PM to call for help.  I indicated that I would call when I was on dry land and not to worry about the 6 PM call.  Both phone calls I made on the ditch (coming and going) were on a bad connection for obvious reasons but I at least got through so my wife wouldn't worry about me.

So at 5:12 PM I began paddling like a madman.  I kept paddling for the next hour and indeed made it from the spillway to the boat ramp in that time.  3 3/4 miles of paddling in one hour.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't think I could paddle that hard for that long.  My wife and I have been doing a lot of exercising in the last six months and it helped me with my endurance.  The last leg (from the ditch entrance to the boat ramp) was the hardest as the wind had really whipped up from a cold front that was very near.  The wind was now more from the north and I was paddling against it.  Very similar to my last trip up the feeder ditch, this one ended with me scurrying around to get everything in and on the truck before the rain came.  The temp had dropped about 6 or 7 degrees and the wind was really going.  I was on my way home when I finally saw the first raindrops.  Already my body was telling me I pushed it pretty hard.  When I got home I checked my book on the area and realized a paddled 8 1/2 miles.  That is a new record for me.  I don't necessarily want to do long paddles but I like to know what I am capable of.  8 1/2 miles in 4 hours gives me a lot of possibilities for other paddles.

I have signed up for the Paddle for the Border in May which I believe is a seven mile paddle.  It's not a race.  This year it starts at the Dismal Swamp Canal visitors center in North Carolina and goes north to the Ballahack Road boat ramp.  After today's paddle I know that I am ready to do this paddle.

So the first paddle of 2008 was a doozy.  But I enjoyed it.