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Moosylvania


How long does it take to get to Mason Neck State Park? Apparently, five minutes more than I think. No matter how much time I allot to get to this park I always wind up a little on the late side. Well, today I wasn't actually late. I was on time. It's just that most everyone else had gotten there early.

It was a blustery morning (Small Craft Advisory in effect, winds gusting to 30 MPH) and I arrived just behind my friend Mark. We were numbers seven & eight to arrive out of a total of nine. No worries - I quickly unloaded my gear and find I'm ready to go well ahead of Kurt, the last arrival.

Let me say that whatever kayaking cojones I have shrivel up as the weather turns cold - I am a cold water wimp. So, looking out at the whitecaps and feeling the wind gusts, I suggest that we start our trip as planned but stop and assess our situation at High Point before we head out into the more open section of the river. My more adventurous friends grumble their agreement. Our planned destination is Leesylvania State Park, the name of which always makes me think of Moosylvania from the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. As we get underway we pound our way through some light chop and wind. At the point we decide it's not so bad and so continue on as planned. The only compromise we make to the weather is we chart a course that minimizes our open water time rather than our distance - though I have to laugh when I look at the track log because it's clear that 3/4 of the way across we say "the heck with it" and change course to head straight for Leesylvania. I'm paddling my Shearwater, which has neither rudder nor skeg, so I have to do a lot of sweep strokes to keep the kayak on course in the beaming waves. My left elbow soon begins to get really achy to the point where it's a challenge to stay on course. I make a note that I really need to develop better directional control of this boat. But I make it to Leesylvania without incident.

Lunch at the beach at Leesylvania is pure joy. We're all quite warmed up in our dry suits and so the wind doesn't bother us. It's sunny and about 50 degrees - quite pleasant, if you're dressed for it. The wind even drops off for a little while. My PB&J and green tea hit the spot. I could stay here all day.

The paddle back is more direct and faster. This time we decide to go straight across rather than hug the shoreline. Because of my achy elbow, my safety conscious friend Tom sticks close by me the whole time. I'm not keeping up with the fastest paddlers in the group, but I'm not lagging behind either. The wind and waves, still somewhat abeam, in the balance help rather than hinder us in this direction. Before we know it we're scraping through the hydrilla plants that choke the Mason Neck launch area and are back on land. Alas, no hanging out afterward. Everyone has places to go. We load our gear and get on the road.

Oh, and I should mention we see eagles - just two today. One circling above us as we launched, the other at the top of a tree. Both spotted by Cyndi, who has an amazing eye for bird-spotting.

(Photos: #1: Track Log; #2: Rob and Mihail launching)
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