I Have A New Kayaking Partner......

....Well a future kayaking partner, that is.


Meet my grandson, Jackson Robert.


Robbin and I became doting grandparents to a perfect 7 lb. 10 oz. bundle of joy on November 23rd.


I have a feeling that I probably won't be heading for the water every time I get a little free time. I have a new passion now.


Jackson with Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Layla.


"Perfect love sometimes does not come until grandchildren are born."
~Welsh Proverb

Nags Head/Manteo, North Carolina - 10/18/2010 - "My Intentions Were Good."

On 10/17, Robbin and I headed off to Nags Head, North Carolina to attend the wedding of my cousin Warren to the girl of his dreams, Callie. I figured that while I was down there I'd rent a kayak and do a little touring around the many waterways in the area. I solicited North Carolina kayaker/blogger Mike West, of Durhamblogger fame, for info on Outer Banks weather, rental opportunities, and even restaurant suggestions(Thanks Mike).

The Outer Banks are a kayaker's paradise. There are no fewer than 8 different "eco-tours" available that take you through various wildlife refuges, maritime forests, marshes, and bird sanctuaries.

This, however, is as close as I got to a kayak all week. I took a picture of someone else paddling at Manteo.

This is how I spent my week. I just couldn't put the book down and drag myself off the beach. I did wear my kayak hat in honor of my good intentions though......



.....and I did see some wildlife.

Robbin and I fell in love with the Nags Head area and are planning a return trip in late Spring. I will definitely be doing some kayaking then.

For info on Outer Banks kayak "eco-tours" go to:
www.coastalkayak.org
www.khsports.com

Sunset over the Manteo waterfront.

This was the best and most important part of the entire week. Warren and Callie were married on the beach, under a driftwood arbor, in the most beautiful ceremony that I've ever seen.

Back To Loyalhanna - 10/10/2010

The inflow end of Loyalhanna is a maze of large and small coves and channels that branch out from the main creek that forms the lake. A lot of these areas are narrow and shallow and can't be easily navigated by power boats or even larger paddle powered craft. This is why I love Loyalhanna AND my light weight, low profile, 10 foot 4 inch kayak. I can get into places that a lot people don't get to see. I started a little later in the day than I did my last trip (10/2). I didn't begin my journey until a little after 4:00pm. I wanted to experience the sights and sounds of nature on and around the lake near dusk.

I took a different route than I did during my last trip. This time I followed the main creek channel and explored the coves that I encountered along the way.

The access to this area was narrow and shallow......

......but opened to a cove that was nearly 1/4 mile long.

As the sun started getting lower in the sky the creek channel became darker, but in the distance it opened out into another large, bright section of lake.

As you near the entrance to the open water, the main creek channel branches off to the left. In this area you have a choice of three different areas to explore. It was getting late in the day at this point, so I decided not to follow the creek any farther.

To the left is a large cove......

......and to the right is an osprey nesting cove.

A sign in an old tree stump advises you to go no farther into the nesting area.



At this time of the year, however, the ospreys are long gone.

The cove to the left starts out as a large open area.

As you paddle to the far end, though, it becomes very narrow. These tight areas are my favorite type of places to paddle into, and are why I'll probably never own a kayak over 11 feet long. I had to duck under the the low hanging branches, make some sharp turns around some submerged logs, and bounce my kayak over another log that was just under the water's surface.

Navigating that obstacle course was worth it though. It opened out into this beautiful secluded pond-like area.

When the lake water levels are at normal stage I doubt that this area is even accessible. I felt very fortunate to have seen it and spent a while in there, taking in the sights and sounds.

As I paddled back to my take-out area the sun was setting behind the hills. The sensory experience was amazing. The sight of the red sky reflecting on the water, the sounds of the frogs,hooting owls, and carp splashing on the lake's surface, and the smell of campfire smoke in the air made it hard to call it a day. Loyalhanna never disappoints me.

Loyalhanna - 10/2/2010

"Commonly we stride through the out-of-doors too swiftly to see more than the most obvious and prominent things. For observing nature, the best pace is a snail’s pace." ~Edwin Way Teale

I ran across this quote and realized how true it can be. A lot of my paddling trips are more about seeing how much distance I can cover in "x" amount of time rather than just enjoying my time on the water and really observing the sights and sounds around me. This trip on Loyalhanna was truly taken at a "snail's pace" and it was one of the most enjoyable that I've had in a while.

At first I wasn't even sure that I wanted to take the kayak out. I had worked until early afternoon, the weathermen were calling for rain later in the evening, it was chilly, and I thought that it was too late in the day to get much of a paddle in. I finally decided that I might not get out again for a while and the weather was beautiful right now, so I'd break out the cool weather gear and head for Loyalhanna.

As soon as I got on the water I could tell that this trip was going to be different. I had never seen the lake that flat and calm, the only ripples on the water's surface were created by my paddle. The reflections on the surface were amazing. The only noise I heard were the sounds of nature. I even enjoyed that "nails-on-the-chalkboard" squawk of the very annoyed Great Blue Heron that I seemed to be following (I'm sure that's what he thought,anyway). I explored every little cove I came upon and sat motionless for long periods just to get a close up of that annoyed heron, or to see if the deer I could hear snorting above the cliffs would come into view. As it was nearing dusk I saw my first "wild" owl and found out that they really are silent when they fly, but are very loud when they hoot. Loyalhanna is a special place if you take the time to experience it.


The water's surface was like a mirror reflecting the sky......


The only way to tell what was water and what was sky was by a leaf on the surface.


I almost hated to put my paddle in the water and ruin the picture.










There are a lot of interesting features in the cliff faces.


This heron wasn't happy and was very vocal, but he did let me get close enough for a good picture.


A natural terrarium in a recess in the cliffs.

Moraine State Park - Hidden River Canoe Trail on Lake Arthur - 9/6/2010

Lake Arthur at Moraine State Park was another body of water that I had on my "Must Paddle" list. I'd read about an area in the north-west corner of the lake called Hidden River Canoe Trail that was supposed to be a great, short trip. Robbin and I loaded up the kayaks on Labor Day an headed north for the 1 hour trip to Moraine.
Hidden River Canoe Trail is located near McDaniel's Boat Launch at Moraine's North Shore. In addition to a regular concrete launch ramp, they have a floating launch ramp that is for canoe and kayak use only. You place your kayak in the recessed area, grab your paddle, give yourself a little push, and you slide right into the water. I wish more places had this set-up.

A brochure is available at the store/boat tour office at McDaniel's Launch. It describes Hidden River Canoe Trail is way: "Hidden River Canoe Trail was established during the Spring of 2000 by members of the Western PA Paddlesport Association in cooperation with Moraine State Park volunteers. The result is a system that winds through scenic coves, wetlands, and a spectacular stream hidden from view."


There are numbered post along the trail. The numbers correspond with those on a map and Points of Interest descriptions that are part of the brochure. I'm going use the quotes from this brochure as the captions to my photos.

Points Of Interest:


1. Hidden among the bays of Moraine exist complex wetland communities. Frogs, turtles, and other amphibians make their homes here. Strange and unusual plants, adapted to thrive in waterlogged conditions, are abundant.

Look for Skunk Cabbage, Cinnamon Fern, Cattails, and Spadderdock water lilies along the shoreline. Wetland plants such as these help to filter and clean the water.



2. Lake Arthur and it's associated wetlands are attractive to many species of waterfowl. Some, such as kingfishers, and both blue and green herons, and some species of ducks, make their homes here year 'round.

Aquatic environments also provide homes for a species of special concern. The boxes located in the bays on both sides of this marker are home to a duck so beautifully colored that it's Latin name, loosely translated, means "Waterfowl in a Wedding Dress". The Wood duck, a cavity nesting species, was saved from near extinction by the placement of boxes such as this.



3. Just against the shore to the right of this marker is evidence of a beaver family's home, only recently abandoned. This family elected not to build a traditional "lodge" for their dwelling, but have instead burrowed into the bank to set up housekeeping. The front door, however, is under the waterline, and is covered with a tangle of sticks and branches to discourage predators.



4. Head for that small, dark cove at the "top" of the lake. This deceptive little bay is the entrance to Hidden River, and while it's small, there is no other place quite like it in the park.

A glimpse into the past is visible from this point in your journey. Look closely at the cliffs on either side of the narrow passage as you paddle in. These Vanport limestone outcrops were originally laid down as sand on the shores of an ancient sea.

How low can you go? (This wasn't in the brochure.)

These limestone outcroppings support unique and fragile plant communities found in few other places at Moraine.

Dead end. (This wasn't in the brochure either.)

*Factoid*
Lake Arthur is a recreation of a lake that was formed here during the last great Ice Age. It was formed when a glacier blocked the flow of Muddy Creek. As the glacier began to melt and recede, it left behind the rocks, gravel, and sand that it had pushed before it on it's advance. This material is called "glacial moraine".


Paddle a little further, and around the bend you will encounter a footbridge which carries the North Country National Scenic Trail over Hidden River.

If the water is up, it is possible to paddle a little way further, passing under the bridge. As you enter the shallows, try to follow the submerged channel of the small creek that once flowed freely here before the lake was created.



5. On the southern point of this cove is an active Osprey nesting platform. To locate the platform, look up above the treeline, very close to the telephone pole, and directly across the lake from McDaniel's Launch.

As you paddle back to the launch area, take some time to ponder the richness and diversity of life around the shores of Lake Arthur. Though this tour is at an end, there are many other coves, bays, and inlets in the Park that await exploration, and each season brings it's own particular changes to the life around the lake.


Hidden River Canoe Trail is just a tiny part of what is a very large lake. I'm really looking forward to going back there soon. I definitely want to go back to Hidden River after the leaves change. It will be breathtaking. I have an "ace in the hole" to get Robbin to go with me too. With all our travels, we've become sort of soft serve ice cream "connoisseurs". Because of bridge construction, you have to detour past a Dairy Queen that Robbin rates as one of the 5 best for creaminess.
"Come on honey, let's go for an ice cream cone....I'll throw the kayaks in the back." :-)