Too Cold to Kayak

Wow, here it is December 28, 2008. I couldn't let the year end without a post. The posts are fewer and farther between now because it is too cold to kayak, at least for me. I know there are lots of true outdoorsmen who would never let a West Virginia winter keep them indoors, but I am not one of them, at least not yet. I do plan to participate in some indoor roll sessions in January. I feel I should get some "outdoor" credit for them because it does mean hauling the boat out, strapping it to my truck, going to the sessions, and then putting it all back. On a dark, cold Sunday evening, that's a lot to ask of me, especially when I have to go to work the next day.

Of course, yesterday, it did not feel like winter. I think it was 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I thought about heading for the river. We've had lots of rain lately and the water levels are nice. The other day, I noticed the gauge at Queen Shoals was at 12 feet. That blows my mind. It is 7.02 feet today. I would love to hit the Elk at that level, but the water is very cold right now. So, instead of hitting the river, I took the opportunity to wash my kayak. I wanted to make sure it was good and clean for the roll sessions. It has a lot of battle scars, unfortunately, due to the low river levels earlier this year. That will be a little embarrassing at the roll sessions, but hopefully I won't be the only one with a scratched up boat.

I will let you know how the roll sessions go.

October Day on Elk River

Queen Shoals Gage Height = 4.31

I have never seen the Elk River as clear and blue as it was on October 26, 2008. The wind made the surface of the water a little choppy. The sunshine made it sparkle. It was a good day to be on the river.

This stretch of the Elk River, from Blue Creek to Mink Shoals, has plenty of wildlife. I often see Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, and Great Blue Herons, as well as other waterfowl.

I took 60 photos that day. I will share some of them on future posts. I have to have something to post during December, January, and February. I do not anticipate being on the water much during those months.

Blackwater River

I was in Canaan Valley near Davis, West Virginia, on October 13, 2008. It was Columbus Day, and fittingly I took my boat to do some exploring on the Blackwater River. It was late in the day--real sublime. I had a great time. Below are some of the photos I took that day.

I have more photos from that day which I will post later. For more information on this section of the Blackwater River, click the link below:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_2333_

New River: Glade Creek to Quinnimont

Last Sunday, I whitewater kayaked on the New River again from Glade Creek to Quinnimont (Grandview Sandbar). I had a great run. No flips. No swimming. It was wonderful. I have now conquered Class III. Maybe conquered is too strong of a word; so let’s just say there was significant improvement.

Sunday at Sutton Lake

Last Sunday, Kathy and I went to Sutton Lake to paddle. We chose the Gerald R. Freeman Campground to put in because it has a marina and a couple of boat launches. The water was more than three feet below normal pool. I estimate it was at least five feet below normal. Still, it was a pretty day and we had a good time. We took some pictures which I will post later.

Big Coal River Trip: Cancelled

I do not have much to post this week. I planned to go with a couple of people on the Big Coal River, but the trip was cancelled due to the lack of rain and low river levels. My Plan B was to go to Upper Mud River Reservoir or Sutton Lake to practice rolling, but I went to the Marshall v. Memphis game last night, and chose to sleep in late this morning. Besides, I have lots of work to do around here today, including some I brought home from the office. Hopefully, we will get some rain, and I will be able to boat next weekend.

PS -- Marshall won. Go Herd!

New River: Glade Creek to Quinnimont

Yesterday, I went boating on the New River from Glade Creek to Quinnimont. I went with four others from the WVWA. It was my first real whitewater. This particular stretch has two Class III rapids: Grassy Shoals and Quinnimont. Unfortunately, they proved too much for me. I made it almost to the end of both, and then flipped. I have never attemped a roll, not even on flatwater; but I think I will start practicing after this experience. Rolling skills would have been handy. Instead, I had to bail and swim.

The first swim at Grassy Shoals Rapids did not upset me or embarrass me too much. The second one did. I really wanted to make it past Quinnimont to prove myself, but once again I ended up swimming. My companions instinctively went into rescue mode. I could have rescued myself both times, but they rushed over each time to check on me and offer aid. They were really nice people. One was a 67-year-old woman. I guess it was Mother Nature's way of feeding me humble pie.

Despite the two swims, I had a blast and feel like I accomplished something important. That section of the New is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I had a great time on the Class II rapids in the middle. I know this blog is supposed to be about flatwater and Class I-II only, but if you are like me and want a little taste of whitewater, this stretch is the perfect place for that.

Labor Day on the Elk River

Queen Shoals Gage Height = 3.82

I made the run from Blue Creek to Mink Shoals again, 10.6 miles. It took me four hours because I had to stop and portage four times. The river is extremely low right now.

I did not take my camera this time, but I wish I had. I had opportunities for some nice shots: a great blue heron which let me get within ten yards; a dragonfly which landed on my hand and several times on my bow; and a flock of 40 or 50 Canada geese which also let me get close. I also saw a hawk attack a duck, but it happened so fast there is now way I could have gotten a shot of it. If you are curious, the duck got away safely.

It was hot, and now I am tired, but I had a good time. Each time I go, I learn a little more about this particular stretch of the Elk. Each time I try different routes around Pleasant Island and the island at Big Chimney Bridge. As of right now, I recommended going left in both cases.

Since I did not take may camera, I will share a picture from a previous trip. This is a shot of the boat launch at the Blue Creek Public Stream Access.

First Trip on the Walhonde Water Trail

Tornado Gage Height = 10.26 Feet

As planned, I went boating on the Big Coal River with some others from the WVWA. We were supposed to do the Little Coal, but even after the rain the water level was too low. All three rivers: the Coal, the Big Coal, and the Little Coal are part of the Walhonde Water Trail. I had a great time.

By the way, I love my new spray skirt. I wish I had bought it earlier when first got the kayak.

I am looking forward to doing the Walhonde Water Trail again sometime soon--preferably when the Tornado gage height is 10.5 or higher.

Kayak Spray Skirt

I joined the West Virginia Wildwater Association this week. I am going on my first trip with them Saturday on the Little Coal River or the Big Coal River, depending on how much rain we get. I am excited about the prospect of having some kayaking buddies.

I bought a Field & Stream Kayak Spray Skirt from Dick's Sporting Goods this evening. It was approximately $52. I tried it on in the backyard and adjusted the suspenders. I am very eager to try it out Saturday.

Elk River: Small Island near Youngs Bottom

Below is another picture from last Sunday's trip on the Elk. It is of the south end of a small island in the river. I had fun exploring it. I will share more pics of the island on future posts.

Elk River: Blue Creek to Youngs Bottom and Back

Discharge = 288 cfs, gage height = 4.31, at Queen Shoals

I made it to the river yesterday, but not before it got hot. I know you are not supposed to go alone, but I did. I had no one to pick me up at Mink Shoals, my usual take-out spot. So, instead of floating downstream, I paddled upstream until I reached shoals where the water was too swift to go against.

There was an island which was quite a treat to explore. I took several photos which I will post later this week. For now, I will share just one. It is a picture of a damselfly which hitched a ride on my bow. I see damselflies and dragonflies all the time, but the dragonflies are harder to photograph. Besides, the damselflies are more lovely and photogenic. Don't you agree?

Another photo from Upper Mud River Lake

I did not make it to the river today. Perhaps I will go tomorrow for an hour or two early in the morning before it gets unbearably hot. We still have not had any rain. Consequently, the rivers are a little low now.

In the meantime, I would like to share a photo from an ealier trip this summer. This is a shot of my daughters and me at the Upper Mud River Lake boat launch. We had a blast that day.

Four Hours on Upper Mud River Lake

My wife and I got all our chores done early this week so we could both relax and have fun this weekend. She opted to spend her free time at the mall with our youngest daughter. I decided to go kayaking.

All the rivers around here are low right now. Plus, I had no one to transport me from the put-in and take-out locations. So, I opted for another trip to Upper Mud River Lake.

I went early and paddled all over that lake for four hours. I was the Michael Phelps of kayaking. I think I covered all 306 acres. I found a secluded marina. It was like a ghost town. Turns out it is a 4-H camp. I had the whole place to myself. Fortunately, they left the port-a-johns unlocked. I had packed a lunch in my little cooler. I ate it on their deserted marina. It was so pleasant and peaceful. Zen-like…

How and why I became a paddler

I have always loved water and boats. My father was an army officer. As a result, we moved around a lot. He was stationed for a time in Nuremberg, Germany. When that assignment was over, we returned home on a cruise ship. I barely remember the cruise because I was young, but I know I loved it.

He spent the last two and a half years of his army career at Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii. I remember the day he taught me to dog paddle. I remember thinking this is cool. When it was time to leave, again we went by cruise ship--this time from Honolulu to Long Beach, California. It was an enormous ship with elevators, swimming pools, and a casino. I remember stealing a ping pong ball and throwing it overboard. It seemed like an eternity from the time I let go of the ball until it landed in the water.

We moved back to West Virginia. For years I begged, whined, and nagged my parents to put a swimming pool in our backyard. They finally did. I loved it. Then, while I was in college, my father died and my mother was forced to sell the house.

I got married, got a job, and had kids. One summer, we went to Myrtle Beach. My wife and I rented a catamaran. The rental came with a one-hour sailing lesson. My wife was a little nervous, but I had a blast.

When the kids were old enough, we joined a local pool. It was great because my wife is a teacher and the pool membership gave her a great chance to bond with the kids during the summer. Then, the kids became involved in AAU basketball and Junior Olympic volleyball. So, we let the pool membership lapse.

Now that you know the history, it should come as no suprise that I turned to kayaking when my midlife crisis arrived. Last summer I was at a conference at Stonewall Jackson Lake when I had an opportunity to try kayaking. I had wanted to try it for years, but never got around to it. As I expected, I loved it. In fact, I bought myself one as soon as I could afford it, and I have been having a blast with it ever since.

Below is a shot of me kayaking at Stonewall Jackson Lake last fall. (Thank you, Tony, for capturing the moment.)

I Love It When We're Cruisin' Together

I thought I would devote a post to explain why I chose the name The Dragonfly Cruises for this blog. Take a close look at the picture I am including with this post. There are two dragonflies on the bow of my Swifty 9.5. For some reason dragonflies seem to love riding along with me while I am kayaking. Until I took up paddling, I never paid much attention to dragonflies, and never got a close-up look at any of them. I was a little surprised to find out how beautiful and colorful they are. Many of the ones I have seen this summer are bright turquoise or neon purple. Anyway, they were my inspiration for naming this blog.

Elk River: Blue Creek to Mink Shoals (Photos)

Here are some photos from my August 3rd trip down the Elk:

This one shows Canada geese getting ready to land on the river.

In this shot of the bridge(s) at Elkview, the new one hides the old.

If you click on this photo and zoom in, you will see a great blue heron (I think) flying away.

I came upon this Irish setter playing in the shoals near Pleasant Island.

I ran into this obstacle, but was able to paddle around it on the right.

Elk River: Blue Creek to Mink Shoals

Yesterday, I kayaked from Blue Creek to Mink Shoals again, 10.6 miles of paddling. That made twice now that I’ve done that stretch. The water was low, 4.09 feet at Queen Shoals with a discharge rate of 219 cubic feet per second. I will wait until it is higher before I go again. I saw plenty of wildlife: great blue herons, Canada geese, mallard ducks, deer, and--of course--fish. I even saw an Irish setter playing in some shoals.

I took a cheap, waterproof camera with me. I figured it was better to sacrifice a little quality than to risk ruining our good digital camera. Unfortunately, the cheap camera did not have a zoom feature. Therefore, I could not zoom in on the wildlife. Even so, some of the shots are nice. I will post some over the next few days. Hope you enjoy them.