Kayak Virginia Beach

Babe Ruth Hits #714 - Horn Point - Back Bay - Ashville Bridge Creek - Hells Creek

Today was probably the most crowded day I have ever seen on the water. The parking lot at Horn Point was almost full when I left, because some "tour" or something was getting ready to leave. Water level was about normal, and the weather was great.

I was going to attempt the loop, if I could make it under the bridge, but it wasn't, and I am not even sure it can be done anymore with out crossing over the road instead of under, and I really don't like launching from the North side of the road.

It seemed the that there was a boat of some type at every turn of the creek for the first third of the way up. Some fishing, some cruising, and some paddling with their dogs (Bailey will be jealous if she finds out).

The trip up was uneventful, until I made it to the North end of the creek, and the the Lotus. The size of the Lotus patch, has greatly expanded since last year. The Lotus Pond is now pretty much a Lotus Pond, and the Lotus now extend down the creek about a quarter mile, and span the entire creek. When August comes along, I think were going to see a huge bloom. The downside is that I think it will be nearly impossible to get through the creek here in a few weeks, effectively closing the launch there, until the season is done, in late August. Overall this is a really good thing, because until recently 2004-2005 the lotus had gone missing for many years, I have heard that it was sometime in the 80's when the Lotus disappeared, and this article from 1994 talks about the missing Lotus. I have also found a few references to some small patches popping up every couple years.

Heading back down the creek, I stopped and talked to a couple of fishermen, and it seems that the fishing was pretty good today. South end of the creek was still crowded, and the tour had made it to the third bend of the creek. After making it back on to the bay, I felt I had a few more miles in me, so I decided to head up the creek where all the rentals come from. Heading up that creek, it was a constant stream of rentals, and not much else.