First Paddling to Riley's Lock/Seneca Creek Aqueduct

About two months ago I started planning a fall paddling tour for people at the office to join. And today (Saturday) is the day. (Yep. Me. Setting up a social event. Never done that. ha ha. Paddling really takes over me.)

The wind is at NE 9 mph and the temperature is 68'F high. Mostly cloudy with a bit of sun.

After Brian, my instructor from CKAPCO, introduced everyone to a kayak and the basics of paddling. We took off from Algonkian Regional Park heading toward east to Riley's Lock on Maryland side. It felt a bit strange when Brian told me to lead, I am still a newbie paddler! He told me to look for a flag (which...um...wasn't there today) at the golf course, which is the landmark on Virginia side that tells us to cross the river. Another landmark is a stone bridge with two arches (the third one was blown off) across Seneca Creek.

We parked our kayaks near the launch ramp at Seneca Creek Aqueduct and walked along C&O canal to the Seneca stone cutting mill, which provided the red sandstone for the Smithsonian Castle, to have lunch. Unfortunately the building is not well maintained even though it is a part of history.

The fact that Miss Sandy (a hurricane) will wipe out all the fall color with her 50 mph wind gust in a couple days makes me appreciate a simple good day much more. And just like the old says "if you wait for a perfect day, you will never get anything done." So just do it whatever you have in mind.

I am quite sure that this will be my last paddling of the year but my instructor says no way. So we'll see. :)

And even though it is the last one it is definitely one of the best. We have nice weather, beautiful cloud, fall foliage at peak, everyone is smiling, everyone is curious about how to maneuver the boat, willing to learn and try, my favorite instructor leading tour and everyone respects him as I do. I couldn't ask for more. Who knows I might get some new paddling buddies next spring!

Check out the rest of the photos from the trip below or just click this link to my Shutterfly page.

Until next paddling.

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First Paddling at Goose Creek, Leesburg, VA

After working so hard and beating the deadline early in the week I was able to take a day off today without losing my PDO (paid-day-off). So I decided to revisit a whitewater class and it was probably my last class of this year. Wow, time flies, doesn't it ?

Right at the edge of the dam.

My instructor, Mike Aronoff at CKAPCO, took me to Goose Creek in Leesburg, Virginia, after we recapped some maneuvers at Lake Audubon for an hour. We started at Goose Creek dam and ended the trip at Kephart Bridge Landing at Elizabeth Mills Riverfront. (I'll tell you more about the place later.) Goose Creek dam is a little hidden place since it's not open to the public. Mike got a special permit from the city so he had an access to it. (Lucky me!) The creek has series of class I-II rapids and flatwater in between so I think it's suitable for a newbie. The water was at 2.08 at the time we paddled. Along the creek there were old mills, residential area, golf course, bridges and a stone quarry (never imagined that). 

NO. We did NOT go down that fall!

And guess what ? I did NOT capsize today even though I got stuck on or between stones a couple times. My butt didn't even get wet at all. What an improvement! (in my opinion. :))  Good scouting and using rudder stroke were super helpful to go through the rapids. It's all about observation, feeling the moving water and the balance.

Taking a break at an old mill. Great view isn't it ? :)

Paddling straight forward is probably the hardest thing to do on a whitewater kayak. I was pretty confident about my forward stroke on a touring/sea kayak but it's because of the structure of the touring kayak's hull and a skeg that help me going straight. My whitewater boat, on the other hand, turned at its will from time to time and was super sensitive to any lean I made. This is because of its clean/round hull shape.

And I always turn my torso when I paddle but still not enough in Mike's opinion. Eww...(But it's good now. :))

Golf Course Rapids...because it's near a golf course.
I think these golf courses should provide a launch ramp on site.
It's a sin to not have access to this creek!

I felt a bit better about my low brace and high brace today. Just a bit. I definitely need a lot more practice so they become natural to me. I couldn't help thinking of those kayakers I watched at the races. Their braces were amazing. Powerful and very effective.

Now I think a whitewater kayak is a good boat to have for practice. (oops! Did I tell you I am still looking for my first touring kayak ? I am darn picky.)

There are always something to learn. So don't let anything stops you from learning and being open-minded in any circumstance. Ever.

Map of the Area

A trip tip from Mike. If you would like to paddle around here, you can launch your boat at Kephart Bridge Landing off Riverpoint Road. This is in a residential area so it might be hard to spot. There are about 10 parking spaces. It's free but the gate closes at dark. Then you can paddle to Algonkian Regional Park. I am told that there is no rapid. So it could be a good day tour. Wait until I get my boat, Potomac! (I don't have a suggestion about where to launch if you want to paddle through rapids though. Sorry.)

Washington and Old Dominion Bike Trial

Who would think Route 7 could be this pretty from down here ?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos. See the whole album from the slideshow below. I didn't have a chance to take many since it's not a good idea to take photos while going through the rapids.

Until next time. Hopefully not too long. The weird weather will hit the area this weekend and my 6-hour trip at Jug Bay got cancelled. Better have a nice weather soon. I haven't witness fall foliage at peak from the water yet.

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My First Paddling at Riverbend Park

Dear Readers,

Riverbend Park has become my most favorite place to paddle. (Did I say something like this on the previous posts ? ha ha.) Last Friday when we got the blue moon I joined a canoe tour provided by the park. We got a perfect weather and sky. The Potomac River looked all lovely. The tour started about 6 pm and lasted for 2 hours. So we saw the sunset and the moonrise in one trip.

We had two paddlers per canoe. I teamed up with the tour guide. I was a bow paddler. We paddled upstream toward the pump house. The water here was super flat and clear although our guide said it didn't mean it was clean. But once we passed the pump house we got a bit of small rapids here and there. They were not considered as whitewater. However knowing the principle of ferrying helped me a lot and of course I was glad that I still remembered how to canoe since I hadn't done it since last year.

And good news for a newbie with no boat like me. There is a boat rental here but you can't rent until you attend their tour or their classification class which I did earlier this summer. If you attend a classification class you can rent a kayak for 3 hours for free. The instructor will sign a paper and a member card for you. Don't lose them! :)

If you own a boat, the launch fee is $5 per boat as of the day I am writing this blog.

Well, don't want to bore you anymore with the text. The photos are way more interesting. (And I have 2 more blogs to finish! I shouldn't have paddled at 3 different places 3 days in a row, should I ?!)

Enjoy! And see the detail about the park and the tour below. :)

If you have a trouble seeing photos hosted by Shutterfly, please drop me a comment.

 

                     Click here to view these pictures larger

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General Information about the tour:

Riverbend Fairfax County Park Official Events Website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend/kayaktours.htm

Where to meet: near boat launch ramp (with Restrooms at the Visitor Center which is just steps away.)

How to register and make payment: Online before the event, accept only Visa and Master Card.

What are provided: boats (depending on the tour but canoes, solo, tandem kayaks and row boats are available), paddle, PFD, helmet (optional)

What to bring: water 

Riverbend Boat Rental Information:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend/fishing.htm

My Morning Kayak Tour at Algonkian Regional Park, VA

Our boats for today

Algonkian Regional Park is the only park in the area that doesn't have a boat rental at the moment. (They're working on the insurance and hope to have it next year. :) ) So for now you need your own boat or join their tour like I did this morning. :) I am sure once they have it set up it is going to be so popular. It is so close to the city.

I love the cloudy sky.

We couldn't even see the edge of the water.

This is why I love the cloudy sky.

This is a 4-hour tour starting from 8am-12pm. (I think I am getting better!) I was a bit anxious this morning if we were going to get lightening storm but we didn't! And the best part was the lovely cloud through out the trip.

After signing all the liability form and reviewing the basic (repeat...paddle with your torso. :)) we headed out onto the Potomac River. We had 7 people total. The youngest kayaker is 11-year-old boy. The paddle was too long for him but he handled the trip very very well.

The water here is so flat that I got scared. ha ha. Because it means everything depending on your paddling...only.

The impact of the heavy runoff. Notice the sharp cutoff bank.

Our tour guide, Rob (if I heard correctly), used to be on IT business and got tired of being a cube all day so here he is...on the wide open river. He led us to the creek, the polluted area and mentioned that he will try to set up a clean-up day. He also expressed his concern about the heavy runoff in the area. I read about a runoff for my LEED exam but never really witness the impact or the damage of the heavy runoff until now. 

A view from the island

Another great thing about paddling here is there are a bunch of islands you can hop on and off or have a long break. You can also get onto the trail on Maryland side without driving on the beltway. You also have creeks and coves along the river. I feel like a little explorer. (ok...The islands are not that big and I know we're still in a city.)

Some flowers on the island

And some froggy

He needs my ride. :)

Don't want to bore you all with my writing. Just try to paddle here if you can get a boat. Or just join the tour. (Please see the link below.) But you probably won't see me next month because I am going to see all the canoe and kayak celebrities at Deep Creek Open!

Until next paddling~

Check out more photos from the trip here. (Please note my photo sharing host is closing down their service. I am testing Photobucket and Shutterfly at the moment. Let me know what you think.)

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General Information about the tour:

Algonkian Regional Park Official Events Website: http://www.nvrpa.org/park/algonkian/events
Where to meet: Boat ramp (with Porta Potty Restrooms only)
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 for sure. You may need to ask the staff over the phone about others.) paddle, PFD

What to bring: lots of water, snack, sunblock bug spray (I don't need one. :) )

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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