First Fall Paddling of 2012!

It was a lovely day to be outside. So I drove up to Riverbend Park and used my free kayak rental voucher that I got from the certification class a couple months ago.

It was very crowded at the park but I managed to find a parking right near the river. (There is an option to park at Nature Center if the parking at Visitor Center is full.)

The river was gorgeous. Not many people on the water so I basically had the river by myself. :) The fall color started to come out a bit. We got some rain earlier so nobody was allowed to paddle toward east which was toward the dam.

As I mentioned on the previous post what I love about the river at Riverbend is that there is a mix of moving and flatwater which is a perfect place for a beginner like me to fool around. I played with the rapids by trying to stay on it like I learnt in the class. (And I did! But I couldn't go pass it though. Coz of my wimpy stroke ?) I even snugged my boat behind the rock in the middle of river and had my snack there listening and watching the water running around me. :)

Anyway, it is going to be a busy paddling season! Enjoy the photos!

Click here to view these pictures larger

A Night Tour at Fountainhead Regional Park, VA

I finally got back on to the boat again yesterday for a 3-hour-long night tour at Fountainhead Regional Park. Well...it's dark. Very dark that you could see lots of stars. Unfortunately my knowledge in astronomy is zero so I couldn't tell you what I saw. We're lucky that we got a very clear sky as well. The water was very calm that I think you could just float your air mattress on the water and stay there all night.

It's quite different from the tour at Pohick Bay since the water here is wide open. We visited a couple coves not too far from the boat launch and came across deers, birds, frogs, submerged concrete structure with spiders, etc. The paddling was relaxing. All you can hear was the paddle hit against the water which was very loud when you had 15 people on the tour. (ha ha I could see my instructor clutching his head.) If you just want to paddle away, here is your place.

The moon rose above the trees line about half hour before the tour was over so it's rewarding.

Meanwhile you can check out the photos I took last year by clicking here. It's really pretty in fall. I am sure I'll be on a boat for hours here later this year.

Stay tuned for a tour at Algonkian Regional Park next week. I promise some photos since it's a morning tour!

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General Information about the tour:

Fountainhead Regional Park Official Events Website: http://www.nvrpa.org/park/fountainhead/events
Where to meet: Marina boat rental building (with Restrooms)
How to register and make payment: Registration is required, over the phone only, accept only Visa and Master Card.
What are provided: Boats (single-person kayaks, tandem kayaks, canoes - for the tours, more options for rental) paddle, PFD, headlight
What to bring: water, bug spray (I don't need one this time. :) It's breezy.)

Mattawoman Creek, Indian Head, Maryland

I heard about Mattawoman Creek from a kayaking group in the area. They mentioned about the lotus blossom which I had never known that the flower even existed in this country and the best part is that there is a boat rental! So I just have to see it!

The lotus blossoms are along the creek. So just paddle toward East or you reach Occoquan Bay. The rental office has a map showing the location of the blossoms for you to look at. 

My paddling path. A little short today.

To see the flowers up-close you just need to paddle though the weed. I hardly saw one right on the edge of water trail. Not easy but it's a good exercise for your torso (as all the experts say you shouldn't use your arm or shoulder muscle). Just paddle with low angle so you don't spoon the heavy weed out of the water.

Isn't it weird to see a trail on the water ?

 

Hello there!

Fishing

Today was so warm (and the storm never came) that after 2 hours of paddling I was pretty much drained and grilled. I wish they opened at 7 am instead of 10 am. Next time I'll try to go further down the creek. Just want to see more of it.


More photos available on my photo page.

Check out this funny slideshow from their paddling at the creek. Unfortunately I didn't see any froggy today.

Another interesting place nearby is Mallows Bay Park where over 100 ships were sunken and tons of wildlife to see. Definitely on my wish list. And stay tuned for my next night paddling tours at Fountainhead and Algonkian on the two upcoming weekends. Who said there is nothing to do in DC area ?!

OH! Have you tried Young Lotus Root Salad from Four Sisters Vietnamese Restaurant in Fall Church, Virginia ? Very refreshing. If you like Papaya Salad at a Thai restaurant, you gonna love this dish. If you have never had it, just give it a try!

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Let's talk about the rental a bit. I rented a kayak from Up the Creek. The staffs were so nice and kind. The lady at front desk let me look at the "Hobie kayak" at the back of their store and explained how I could put a propeller on the back of the boat. Then showed me the map of lotus blossoms locations. She even cut the plastic package of the ice pop for me I bought before I left (so I don't have to bite it off. ha ha.)

Their kayak, my junk, my lunch bag and their paddle.

Since it's a very active launch site and today there was a group of at least 20 kayakers about to take off when I got there. A young staff came to tell the front desk I might want to get ready soon otherwise I might have to wait for a really long time to launch.

THE launch pad (or whatever it is called...)

The reason is that this rental has a fancy launch pad for a kayak...at least it's fancy in my opinion. :) The lady at the dock walked me through since she probably noticed I have never used it before. It's basically a big plastic tray with handrails and series of rollers at the bottom so you don't drag your kayak on a hard surface. 

General Information about Up the Creek:

Website: http://www.upthecreekrentals.net/
Rental Hours: Friday-Sunday, 10am-6pm
Good to Know: 
- Concrete boat ramp is available for your kayaks, motor boats, paddle boards etc. The office has their kayak launch pad.
- The park closes at dark.
- Mattawoman Creek is a great place to fish.
- I would say the kayaks and all the gears here are in great care. It seems they are kept indoor. Sit-in and Sit-on-Top are available. You can have a propeller attached to the boat too!
- If you're small and have short legs like me, make sure you ask for a smaller boat. (But I am not sure they have one.) My feet couldn't reach the foot rests unless I stretched my legs damn straight which is very awkward to paddle like that.
- Many selection for ice cream at the rental office. Perfect for a hot day like this. (or any days actually)

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My First Night Kayak Tour at Pohick Bay, Lorton, Virginia

Check out more photos from my photo page.

Just about an hour drive from Reston, Virginia, Pohick Bay is a great place to paddle for a beginner. A safety tip from our tour guide is if you capsize, just stand up. (I love it!) The water is pretty shallow but doesn't mean you can be careless. Wear your life jacket (and tighten it up) anyway.

Paddling toward sunset

I highly recommend this night tour. I am not sure you agree with me but I think it is a nice way to spend your evening before going to bed. It costs you only $30. The park main gate closes at dark so this tour gives you an exclusive access to the bay at night. If you're not a big fan of bugs, put some spray on before embark. Brushing them away while paddling is not fun. (I learnt it hard way.) Bring a flashlight with you since it's pitch-black after the sunlight is gone. There are very few artificial light at the bay.

Our tour guide who has done this for 8 years.
(No raft-up required here!)

Unfortunately I have no photo from the second half of the tour for you since my camera can't handle 'no light' environment. (^^) It's actually the fun part of the tour because we went through narrow path where the water was covered with plants and debris in some areas. It's like going through a maze. I have no idea how our guide knows his way around.

Oh I learnt that there is one, only one, resident at Pohick Bay. Her 3 houses and her 5-acre land right on the waterfront (if I remember correctly) is here before the park. Lucky her! She still lives in one of the houses and rent the two to others.

Great scene. Don't you think ?

The tour lasts about 2 hours excluding the introduction and launching parts. Though the park says no paddling experience is required for this trip I personally think the trip will be more enjoyable for you if you have some.

Definitely do it again. (Actually I already registered for another one!)

Trust me the red moon was big and gorgeous.

My next paddling is going to be a whitewater lesson! Stay tuned!

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General Information about the tour:

Pohick Bay Official Website: http://www.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bay/
Where to meet: Marina boat rental (There are about 20 parking spots including ADA ones.)
How to register and make payment: Registration is required, over the phone only, accept only Visa and Master Card.
What to bring: water, bug spray, a flashlight

I wish I had these in my backyard!

Also good to know: A boat rental is available. There are canoes, kayak, tandem kayak, paddle boards and Jon boats. Launch-your-own-boat area is a bit further down on the same road. You just need to pay the fee. Restrooms and vending machine are available. 

Check out more photos from my photo page.

Prone to Trouble ?

I usually avoid double post my blog but this one is so specific to my paddling that I decide to post on Newbie Paddler anyway. (The original post is on my 365 project Day 174.) 

My story today starts here!

"I thought talking to a stranger about Thai food, Japanese food, travel, Arizona, cars and dogs for over an hour while waiting for my car to be serviced would be a highlight of my day. (I didn't have a chance to know her name but she was a very nice lady who recognized my super long Thai last name called by the staff at the service. She's working for a government and used to live in Arizona and Japan. And she was in Thailand over two weeks for her vacation not long time ago.)

Anyway...Nope! The highlight of my day was my paddling at Lake Anne Plaza. I hope my little comic strips telling my story pretty clearly!

Happy ending with all the boats safely returned and were securely tied to the dock.

I'll post photos from today paddling some time soon!"

*2012/06/22 Photos are up! Just click here.

The summary - Image from My 365 Day 174

Let's see some of the photos!

Paddling on a stormy day

A bit nervous but it's also fun.

If you're lucky, you could run into geese xing.

...umm the boat...there

Happy paddling and don't get into trouble!

Lake Anne, Reston Virginia

If you are close to Reston in Virginia and just want to paddle for an hour or two, I recommend Lake Anne Plaza. The boat rental is on the plaza side. It opens on Thursday and Friday evening and part of the day on the weekend due to the limited number of staff. The ticket can be purchased at the bookstore a few steps away from the dock. The rate is $6 per hour. Rowboats, paddle boats, kayaks, 2-person kayak(s?) and canoes are available. Afterward you can have a dinner or stroll around and enjoy the lake. 

There is also a small natural ramp on Inlet Court off Wiehle Avenue on the opposite side of the plaza where you can launch your own boat (with no motor) at anytime.  

I update photos of the lake on regular basis. You can check them out from my photo page.

Fletcher's Boathouse, Washington DC (Round 2)

We've reached Chain Bridge today! :) I paddled tandem kayak for the first time with my friend. Get there early if you want the tandem because there are very limited numbers. 

Check out more photos from my photo page.

"I am touching you." - from My 365 Day 148

Mission accomplished!

Gorgeous Cloud

Ta da~

DC Playground

Lunch Table

View during Lunch

Until next paddling~

Riverbend Park, Great Falls, VA (Teaser Version)

Looking West

Check out the rest of the photos from my photo page. 

When your hobby is depending on the weather condition it could be frustrating. Today is such a gorgeous day, sunny, cool and breezy with bright blue sky and white cloud.

T_T

But we got too much water from the rain early this week so we were not allowed to be in the river.

Isn't that sad ? The river, the boats, the paddles, PFDs were right there in front of me. Oh and a snake too.

But safety comes first. I suggest call the park before you come in. :)

Anyway, I took a Rental Classification class with Riverbend Park today because Riverbend Park allows only people who participate their class or tour to rent their boats (kayaks, canoes or row boats). Since I don't own a boat, I'll do anything to be able to rent a boat. ha ha.

Canoes and row boats

Sit-on-top kayaks (Regular ones are also available.)

This was supposed to be a 30-minute class but the instructor was kind enough to extend it to over an hour just to make sure he covered the topics as much as he could since we couldn't go into water we just had class on land. (Warning: I don't recommend you to learn how to paddle just by mocking like this on land. You should to be on and in the water, feel it, work yourself around it and try to get into trouble as much as you can when your instructor is with you.)

Honestly I took two 6-hour kayak classes and still learnt new things.

After you finish this $26 class you will get a two-year rental certification signed by your instructor and a free half-day rental for this year.

You can find a rental rate from here. (Half-day rental for a single kayak is only $15!)

Looking East

In case you don't know much about this park like me Riverbend Park belongs to Fairfax County. There are trails connecting to Great Falls and I was told that it connects to the Occoquan River as well. (Search Fairfax Cross-County Trail.) I was also told that the parking is free unlike Great Falls. Oops, we'd better support the parks, right ?

My water shoes were little dry today.

Check out the rest of the photos from my photo page. I promise I'll be back here soon! Thanks for checking in. 

Have a happy and safe paddling.

Fletcher's Boathouse, Washington DC

What a great Sunday here in DC. After getting lost last week I decided to give Fletcher's Boathouse another try. I got there right at 8 am. I am so proud of myself! (ok the parking lot was already packed.)

How to get to Fletcher's Boathouse - my 365 Project Day 134

I strongly recommend driving north to Fletcher's Boathouse. You cannot make a turn into their entrance by driving south unless you ride a motorcycle. Trust me. Backing up your car on Canal Road is not what you want to do. (And yes you may need to stop in the middle on Canal Road when you drive north and wait for the incoming traffic to die down but it seems to be understandable by the drivers there.)

The dock

The rental rate at Fletcher's Boathouse for a kayak is $10+tax per hour and $28+tax per day. Canoes, Jon boats and bikes are also available. I suggest getting there very early. By 10 am it was getting crowded.

GW Memorial Parkway and the Potomac River

Gorgeous landscape

Reflection of the sky this morning

Chain Bridge

This part of the river is really calm. But keep in mind that it's still a river not a lake. I had a difficult time paddling upstream when I approached Chain Bridge even though I paddled like a hamster. I was probably just about 30 feet from it but moving at half inch per stroke was quite discouraging so I didn't reach the bridge as plan. :(

A lot of people were fishing either from boats or at the shoreline. There are parking lots at the foot of Chain Bridge underneath GW Memorial Parkway, along Clara Baton Parkway and also at Fletcher's Boathouse itself.

Let's talk about the parking at Fletcher's Boathouse at bit. There are numbers of parking spaces near the entrance which on the left hand side when you drive in but if you continue driving straight along the stone wall onto the wooden bridge (with a stone tunnel right on the right hand), this road will take you to the bigger parking area near the river.

After checking with the map I think I paddled about 2 miles in 2 hours today. :)

Anyway, hope you enjoy the photos from my paddling and try it yourself when you have a chance. :)

*Check out the rest of the photos from this trip from my photo page.