Paddle In Trash Out Event (Smith Creek)

We arrived at Baum Road boat launch in Chesapeake, Virginia eager to get started cleaning on of our favorite waterways this beautiful February Sunday afternoon.

We got to work right away on the shoreline and surrounding area near the launch. There was much to do immediately and we haven't even got on the water yet.

We filled bags and bags of trash. Spark plug wires, cans, Styrofoam cups, broken glass, pens, screws, bolts, and when your real lucky MONEY! :)

After a relaxing lunch, we loaded up and we are ready to hit the water for the paddle portion of this event.

Right away ,once again, we were hard at work collecting debris from the surrounding waterway. You never really know what your going to find on, or in, the water.

We are loading these boats up! Everything from hard hats to old socks! We always hope that we don't find all these things but find them we did! Which makes this effort so worthwhile!

We even had an audience as the turtles came out to see what was going on.

It's time to head back now. Our work here is done, I'm proud of this little girl and a paddle high five is certainly in order. The paddle back was a reminder of all the hard work we accomplished. A much cleaner Smith Creek than the one we paddled down just an hour ago.

We are back at the launch site. We were certainly blessed with a beautiful February afternoon for our cleanup.

Another day here at Adventure Kayak Tours exploring our world, and taking on pollution, with a paddle and a smile. Hope to see you all at the next cleanup!

Bending Branches Whisper Paddle Trial (Northwest River)

We were excited to receive the new paddle we will be phasing in for customers in the upcoming seasons, and as always we were eager to take it out for a trial run and give it a try.

The Bending Branches Whisper, 230cm,  2pc aluminum shaft, Polypropylene blade, and weighing in at 37 oz. This paddle is a great entry-level paddle, and I am geared up ready to hit the water with it to give it my final approval.

I"m off, and up ahead is the railroad bridge, the virtual "gateway" to the complete solitude of the upper Northwest River.

Traveling under the 168 Bypass to North Carolina, I am ready to get on the way. I have one geocache out here to check on, and two to possibly place in this area while I'm out on the water.

I can already feel the performance of this paddle. The E-coat oval grips are very comfortable with each stroke and I could tell there was very minimal flutter while pulling the kayak along.

It was a beautiful day for a paddle on the Northwest River. Anytime you are out on the water in February, in shorts, you have to feel blessed as a kayaker.

 Left or right here? Today we are traveling left, on a beautiful side creek that travels deep into the cypress swamp to check on a geocache.

I'm finally closing in on the geocache and the paddle is holding up very well. Extremely happy with it and its really lightweight and causing no arm fatigue.

All is well here! This little guy has lasted a long time in this location. Not many people get this far back into the cypress swamp unless they are on a tour with us.

I've reached the end of the "road" for now. Time to take a break, eat some gorp and relax for a minute. I could sit here for hours listening to the trees sway and creek in the wind. If you want to "get away from it all" this is definitely the place for you.

Its good to see the turtles are back out and about getting some sun. They are especially shy this time of year and you have to be quick to catch a photo in February.

If you look closely you can see Spanish Moss hanging from the Bald Cypress Tree. Virginia is the Northern most geographic point where this species thrives.

Stopping by this cove to place a new geocache  for the upcoming paddling season. Look closely and see if you can find it.

My work here is done and its time to head back to the launch. Sneaking in another day in February on the water is food for the soul. Another day spent taking on the world with a paddle. 

Twelve Months of Kayaking January Edition

We are heading out this crisp, cool January morning to continue our celebration of the Twelve Months of Kayaking in Virginia. Smith Creek in Chesapeake, Virginia is our launch destination for today. The temperature this morning is 36 degrees, but with the wind being 2mph from the SSW, and a warm up in store today, it was a perfect day to head out on the water.

The early morning fog created a mystical feeling as we headed out through the cypress trees. In the distance we heard migrating geese, and immediately saw a hawk take flight when we traveled to close for his comfort.

Turn after turn just continued to lead us deeper into the raw nature of this area. Beautiful solitude, amazing scenery, this place has become a favorite for us when we are searching for some peace of mind and much needed relaxation.

The morning sunrise began to show its self through the tree line and was a welcome warm up for us as we made our way down Smith Creek headed towards the Northwest River.

We have reached the Northwest River. The panoramic sky was an invitation to continue South towards the North Carolina border. Along the way we have plans to take over a previous geocachers water caches, along with placing a few new ones of our own.

Along the way into the smaller side creeks, we passed signs that the busy beavers were still hard at work this time of year.

The conditions on the water were perfect. The water was as calm as could be, casting a mirror image of the beauty that surrounded us.

 Breaking the complete silence, a flock of migrating geese passed by overhead on their way south, calling to one another along way.

In the center of the river we took time to enjoy a close up view of an Osprey nest. Kayaking is by far the best way to get an up close view of the natural world surrounding us everyday.

With the Sun beginning to descend to the West, we take our final look back towards the South. It has been an amazing day on the water. Everyone must be allowed to clear their mind from time to time, and we really can find nothing that surpasses the tranquility of the water ways in Coastal Virginia. Yet another day well spent, taking the world on with a paddle.

Smith Creek

After a quick call to the office at Northwest River Park to open the gate, we arrived at the Baum Road launch and within minutes we were set up and ready to go! We are headed out for an exploratory paddle on Smith Creek to observe the fall foliage, collect some geocaches, possibly place one, and to decide if this paddle was going to be a new addition to our Inland Adventure kayak tours.

And we are off! The water level is low at the launch area due to the strong Northeast winds but there is plenty of water to head out on this beautiful secluded creek.

Every bend and turn was just as beautiful as the next. The fall colors were beginning to appear as we approached the wider opening of Smith Creek.

We had some good luck finding most the geocaches along the way but this one had me stumped, until I realized it was right above my head. Look closely, its right there!

On the way out of this small offshoot creek I passed by many turtles sunning themselves on this beautiful October day.

The next one had us scratching our heads. We spent some time searching but now its time to move along.

I had to exit the boat on this one but its all a part of the geocaching experience, sometimes you have to get a little dirty.

We are off to stretch our legs and use the restroom at the landing park at Northwest River Park. Along the way we discovered a Needle Nose Gar that had met his early demise.

We have arrived at the landing for some much needed stretching and a quick bathroom break.

We are headed back to the launch at Baum Road now. On our paddle back we find something we love showing our customers to help explain the shallow root system of the Bald Cypress, an overturned large Cypress with large Cypress knees.

Returning we stopped at a beautiful offshoot of the creek to place our own geocache in a nice secluded area.

Its going to be named Hang Ten if its a successful placement, and you can see by this picture hanging ten on your yak is the only way your gonna grab this one.

 Well we could stay out on this beautiful creek all day but sadly we must head back to the launch. Along the way we got the pleasure of saying hello to a passing cottonmouth, out enjoying this sunny October day just like us.

Well we are back! Absolutely beautiful paddle, the seclusion here is priceless, and we are definitely going to be adding this trip to our Inland Adventure schedule and we look forward to sharing this place with clients for years to come.

  Another day well spent, taking the world on with a paddle. See you on the water!