Thursday, July 04, 2013 - Happy Fourth!! - Pungo Ferry - Spitzli Creek
Since we were all graciously given today and tomorrow off, we decided to see how much kayaking we could do in three consecutive days and still lift our arms at the end of it. :)
Today, we had planned to hit Stumpy Lake in Virginia Beach, but a scan of the comments from recent paddlers brought up lots of reports of snakes lurking in the trees so we decided to pass on that until the snakes are not so prevalent. Any herpetologists out there that can provide some advice on that?
So we decided to launch from Pungo Ferry road and go South through Spitzli Creek and over to Blackwater Creek.
When we pulled up to the launch, every single parking space (and then some) was full. Not a good sign for launching. But as we got closer, we saw that most of the cars belonged to bicyclists and they were loading up and getting ready to leave. So we only had to wait a few minutes and we were able to park and unload.
The water was EXTREMELY high on the North Landing River. Note how there is no "beach" exposed at the the launch. Winds prevailing from the south have brought us not only high temperatures over the past week but also have pushed up the water in the river.
There was an Osprey nesting on the platform near the launch. It was very vocal as we got closer. And there was a partner bird standing watch in a nearby tree. We gave them a wide berth. I don't need to find out first hand how sharp an Osprey's talons are. :)
The wind was about 10 mph directly in our faces as we paddled south. If you have been following along, you know that that's what happens when Kate goes paddling. :) But since we had the kayak sail with us, Kate was anxiously awaiting the trip back when she would get good use out of the sail.
There were a fair number of boats out which wasn't surprising considering it's a holiday. We gave them a wide berth, too. We tucked into the south oxbow where the boat traffic was less and the wind was blocked by the surrounding vegetation. We paddled through the fishermen's secret spot in the oxbow and exited into the other side of the oxbow.
The wind was a little bit greater and there was noticeable current (or at least some wind driven current) coming across the creek. We tucked into Spitzli Creek and winded our way through the marsh. Note to others, do not attempt this without a GPS. It's like a rabbit warren back there. Lots of side creeks and dead ends. Great scenery. Clear water. Nice paddling.
We came out of the creek and prepared to cross the river. As there was a lot of boat traffic, we were careful to time our crossing in between boats. While were were waiting, Kate and Sue were able to ride the waves generated by a BIG boat generating a HUGE wake behind it.
We crossed the river and turned up into Blackwater creek. We paddled a bit up Blackwater Creek and that turned back to head back to Pungo Ferry. Time to pull out the sail!!
Of course, once we got back out onto the North Landing River, the wind had diminished considerably. OF COURSE!! Dang it! So we paddled back up the river, and Kate was able to get some use out of the sail. The wind had shifted a bit to the east so it was coming somewhat broadside which made sailing that type of sail a bit tricky.
On the way back, I noticed that there was an Osprey (or an Osprey pair) nesting on every navigation marker pole. And again, they were VERY vocal as we got near. And even once we weren't near anymore. LOUD!
Two hours and 48 minutes on the water. 4.9 miles on the GPS. Scroll below the pictures to see the track maps.
First trip of the three days successful!! Tune in tomorrow.
Great day!!
Oh and even though Sue went kayaking, it did NOT rain. Not one drop. It was HOT. We could have used a little rain. ;)
