Kayak Virginia Beach

Route Change - North Bay - Shipps Bay - Back Bay - Ashville Bridge Creek

I was originally going to do a trip around Long Island form Horn Point,because it looked real good on paper. The weather report was for 8 to 10 out of the west, and not 14+ out of the Southwest gusting to 20+.

I was starting to cross Shipps Bay, and was just getting hammered pretty bad by the swell, and putting a lot of effort just to maintain a straight line, and bearing, so much so that my left shoulder started bothering me. SO instead of fighting I thought I would head into the wind, and turn when I was perpendicular to the point I was heading for, then turn and essentially have a beam reach (Sailing Talk) to the point I was heading for, much better dealing with straight lines then angles in my book. The shoulder was not really feeling better, so I adjusted my plans, and never made the left.

I took a nice leisurely trip through the marsh, as the water was high enough to clear the low points. I had one of those I gotta pay attention moments, when I was taking a picture of an old duck blind, and I was setting down the camera and once again was staring at a Cottonmouth that was probably to close. It was a coin toss on grabbing the paddle or the camera. I grabbed the paddle. The snake was out there enough, that I was able to regroup and get a couple of pictures from a safer distance. The marsh is full of Gar activity, Gar doing Gar do this time of year. I also found some cool little channels that have become exposed due to the recent fire, and I am pretty sure that they will disappear as soon as the grasses grow back.

Still having some energy, and time I decided that t short trip up Ashville Bridge Creek was in order. Not that much going on up there except for the Gar, and a snake hanging out in the grass.