An Urban Boychick Takes on the Outdoors

I have met Linda* exactly once in person, but for the second year running she has loaned me her Bull Run Marina launch pass over the winter. Bull Run Marina is this odd sort of arrangement - it's a public launch, but you have to pay an annual fee to use it. It's not staffed, so your annual fee gets you a parking pass and a key which works the padlock (after a fashion - the lock is finicky) to a gated entrance. Having the Bull Run key is probably the closest I'll ever come to the gated community lifestyle. My usual kayaking crew hasn't been that active lately, so on one of the first warm days I headed down to the marina by myself. I always feel like something of a freak suiting up there in all my cold weather gear. Most of the ramp users are fishermen, who don't wear cold weather gear, and the few kayakers I've run into in the cold months either don't know or don't care about cold water safety. I've gotten some odd looks as I wrestle myself into my fu...