kayaking this Sunday
So I went out kayaking yesterday, as I do every Sunday. I paddled down a couple tributaries branching off the main channel, something I hadn't done before.
The first branch I went down have amazingly clean still waters. The tide was rolling in and the current was actually pushing me gently down this tributary. There were several tiny islands of earth held together by trees and their roots. I paddled through two of these to reach the primary trough of this tributary. I paddled for a good quarter-mile. I had to circumvent several fallen partially submerged logs. The tributary widened at one point and became to shallow for my kayak . It also seem to head downhill, which was strange. I plan to go back and explore the area beyond the shallow part when the Creek is at high tide. Returning to the main channel and crossing over I went into another tributary. I saw a white heron and a woodpecker flying about. I took some photos of the white heron from a distance. Hopefully those will come out. I forgot to mention that before this I also took some photos of a gray crane. I saw this crane several times including as I paddled down the first tributary. Any, when the white heron flew out of sight, my attention wondered to the banks along this new tributary. I saw some flowers I hadn't seen before. Armed with my camera, I climbed ashore and took some close-up shots of this purplish flower. Hopefully I will have pictures available for you all next week.
At this point I ate the grapefruit I’d taken along for energy. It was getting rather hot and I was already dirty from climbing up on shore. The combination of the uneven ground, climbing out of a kayak still floating in the water, and the clinginess of the grass on the bank made the ordeal rather difficult.
I continued on, paddling down this tributary and then back out into the main channel. Peddling back towards white Bank Park, I went down another small tributary that went straight back at an angle and simply ended in a shallow spot. The water was still and stagnant and covered with scum. I turned around and paddled around and down closer towards white bank park and down another tributary to the right. Paddling through a narrow gap, I entered a vast field of marsh grasses. As I paddled into it, the grasses grew taller and I was soon surrounded by 5 foot high stands of grass on either side of a narrow snaking channel. As I paddled into the marsh, I spooked 20 to 30 black colored birds who appeared to have red shoulder markings. The channel I was paddling down started out between four to five foot wide and narrowed to two to three foot wide. At one point it became so narrow, I had to separate my kayak paddle and use just one end like a canoe paddle. I eventually reach the end of the snaking channel. It simply ended in a tall bank of grass. Fortunately there was enough room for me to turn around. I paddled my way back out. I was very hot dirty and tired at this point. I headed back to the white bank dock.
The first branch I went down have amazingly clean still waters. The tide was rolling in and the current was actually pushing me gently down this tributary. There were several tiny islands of earth held together by trees and their roots. I paddled through two of these to reach the primary trough of this tributary. I paddled for a good quarter-mile. I had to circumvent several fallen partially submerged logs. The tributary widened at one point and became to shallow for my kayak . It also seem to head downhill, which was strange. I plan to go back and explore the area beyond the shallow part when the Creek is at high tide. Returning to the main channel and crossing over I went into another tributary. I saw a white heron and a woodpecker flying about. I took some photos of the white heron from a distance. Hopefully those will come out. I forgot to mention that before this I also took some photos of a gray crane. I saw this crane several times including as I paddled down the first tributary. Any, when the white heron flew out of sight, my attention wondered to the banks along this new tributary. I saw some flowers I hadn't seen before. Armed with my camera, I climbed ashore and took some close-up shots of this purplish flower. Hopefully I will have pictures available for you all next week.
At this point I ate the grapefruit I’d taken along for energy. It was getting rather hot and I was already dirty from climbing up on shore. The combination of the uneven ground, climbing out of a kayak still floating in the water, and the clinginess of the grass on the bank made the ordeal rather difficult.
I continued on, paddling down this tributary and then back out into the main channel. Peddling back towards white Bank Park, I went down another small tributary that went straight back at an angle and simply ended in a shallow spot. The water was still and stagnant and covered with scum. I turned around and paddled around and down closer towards white bank park and down another tributary to the right. Paddling through a narrow gap, I entered a vast field of marsh grasses. As I paddled into it, the grasses grew taller and I was soon surrounded by 5 foot high stands of grass on either side of a narrow snaking channel. As I paddled into the marsh, I spooked 20 to 30 black colored birds who appeared to have red shoulder markings. The channel I was paddling down started out between four to five foot wide and narrowed to two to three foot wide. At one point it became so narrow, I had to separate my kayak paddle and use just one end like a canoe paddle. I eventually reach the end of the snaking channel. It simply ended in a tall bank of grass. Fortunately there was enough room for me to turn around. I paddled my way back out. I was very hot dirty and tired at this point. I headed back to the white bank dock.