Urban Kayaking

[dbodner]

Jodie and I took a short kayak trip along Four Mile Run, which serves as the border between Arlington and Alexandria.

We put in at Daingerfield Island, just south of National airport. Then we went north and and hung a left at Four Mile Run. Under the bridges, past the electrical substation, we then skirted the outflow of the sewage treatment plant. It was great. Fortunately, I resisted the temptation to surf the outflow. We made it as far as Mt. Vernon Avenue before it got really shallow. We could've beached the kayaks there and gone for pancakes at the Waffle Shop. It would've been perfect.

On the way back we slipped into an inlet leading through thick undergrowth into the backyard of an Alexandria slum. But, we couldn't see much of the shoreside scenery. We might as well have been in a bayou.

Next trip: Baltimore's waterfront industrial decay?

[Gene]

Sounds like lots of fun. Do your arms get tired and is it hard on the back? I was thinking about trying kayaking with my son, never know the wife might get involved. I think I can rent from the base at Andrews and Bolling. Keep me informed, everyday is Saturday for me.
Gene

[Matthew]

Karen and I kayak in Bladensburg regularly-- Hugh and Sallie sometimes meet us there-- it's only fifteen minutes from our house. They rent kayaks cheap... and cheaper if you are Montgomery or PG county residents.

See-- http://pgelegantsettings.com/nature/bladensburg.html

It's also like being on the bayou-- we sea eagles and herons and egrets and beavers and turtles all of the time.

Kayaking on flat water or up to class II rapids is pretty easy. Just have someone who knows how to paddle give you a demo of the push/pull tpaddling echnique. It's more abs than back.

Matthew

[dbodner]

My back isn't great, but it's never complained while kayaking. Doing it correctly, your arms don't really get tired; you're using your trunk. Do it like most of us, and your arms do get tired. But, then you rest a bit and start up again.

Next time we might do a point-to-point cruise down the Patuxent south of Bowie. At some point I want to go down the Monocacy to where it runs into the Potomac.

[Gene]

OK, I'm in to get started. Just need to find the time when my son is home (school, baseball, etc.). He is looking forward to this too. Thanks for the link Mathew, I did plenty of reading at the website and its links.
Gene

[Matthew]

Okay. We'll have to all get together for a kayak trip on a Sunday after we have some good flying on a Saturday. Also, one of our favorite canoeing trips is the Antietam on a miserable hot summer day. Didn't do it last year because of the drought. But it's a great trip with rope swings and swimming holes and it's about 20 degrees cooler down in the holler on the Antietam. We've done the river with Sparky and Craig, the Brauchs, Carlos, Mike C., Mike B., Christy and Rich, BVH, and other pilots. It's fantastic fun.

See-- http://www.antietamcreek.com/

Hope there's no drought this summer.

Matthew

[brianvh]

I've found out recently that you can put in at Redhook, Brooklyn, and circumnavigate liberty island, ellis island etc using the park-like governor's island as a resting point.

If you google earth redhook, New york, NY you'll see a canal at the bottom right. Follow this up to 2nd street where the put-in and parking is. The canal would probably be an industrial wasteland, but the trip across the bay would be amazing.

anyone up for renting canoes? i wouldn't like to try this in most kayaks.

[dbodner]

I'm not sure why you feel more comfortable doing it in a canoe than in a kayak. Though I'd feel uncomfortable doing it in either in anything but calm conditions, at least without knowing how to roll the kayak.

[brianvh]

I automatically think of white water kayaks when I say 'kayak'. A touring kayak would probably be fine.

[Matthew]

Hy All,

Can't figure out the foreast for this weekend either-- excpet that it's gonna be HOT!!! If it looks like crappy flying, anyone wanna hit one of the rivers??? Maybe do the Antietam???

http://www.antietamcreek.com/

Matthew

[dbodner]

I'm thinking Patuxent river. Putting in at Governor's Bridge Rd in Bowie, just south of US 50. http://www.pgparks.com/places/parks/governor.html

It's a lot closer in and, in some ways it's even more wild. The water tends to be deeper (and it's below the fall line), so I don't think there're any rapids.

We have a thing to do Saturday afternoon, so it would have to an early Saturday morning thing or (more likely) a Sunday thing for us.

[Matthew]

Went to the lake at Catoctin/Cunningham Falls in Thurmont on Sunday. Ahhhh!!! We just lounged on our floaties in the cool water. There are two beaches. Go to the North beach to avoid crowds. Swimming and floating areas are roped off because the rest of the HUGE lake is for paddling. Gotta bring the kayaks up there sometime for a combo kayak and swim day. We also climbed and sat under the waterfalls. Very refreshing!

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/ ... falls.html

Gotta check out Half Moon Beach at Strasburg sometime too....

And there's a lake at Cowans Gap-- right across from the Pulpit.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/ ... nsgap.aspx


Matthew

[mcelrah]

Not to forget the swimming holes north of Elizabeth Furnace in the Fort Valley behind Woodstock. - Hugh