Lake Drummond from the West 5-15-10

Over a period of several days, through e-mails, telephone calls, and a facsimile transmission, Tom Reed and I obtained Special Use Permits for a paddle on May 15th. Only twelve vehicles are allowed per day on the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge roads to the west side of Lake Drummond during the permit season of April 1 to June 15. Saturday morning we met at the Railroad Ditch road gate, used the combination to unlock the gate and swung it open. After signing in on the log at the kiosk, we were off for the 6-mile drive to the boat ramp.

In a few minutes we were at the boat ramp/pier watching a gent unload his boat and get ready for his fishing trip. As he did so we offloaded and got things ready for our own launch onto the placid water. Tom and he had a long conversation, Tom mostly listening to tall tales of fishing. I launched first and was turning around to photograph Tom launching when Tom let out a holler. It seems his trusty, now untrusty, craft had decided that the slight breeze was to its advantage and left the shoreline headed out onto the lake. A quick paddle and grabhad it well it hand.

We headed north, on a clockwise circumnavigation of the lake. Two wood ducks flushed and went whistling off at our approach. There was just a bare puff of a breeze, not really noticeable as we hugged the shoreline. Several times we spotted blooming wild magnolia trees. We heard a slight water and brush noise as some small mammal departed the area. Later we heard a deer go crashing noisily away from us through water and brush.

We wended our way around tupelo and cypress trees tracing the shoreline toward our first goal - the pier at the end of Washington Ditch. This spot was to be our first get-out-and-stretch break. Sadly, such was not to be the case. The shoreline there was bulkheaded with no place to beach a kayak. Surprisingly one of the pier pilings had been gnawed almost in half by Mssr. Beaver.

Looking at the map we thought the next stop, the pier at the end of East Ditch, would be reached in about an hour. I=d stopped there before and knew that beaching was easy and had planned that as our lunch spot. By now the errant breeze had ceased and cloud reflections were just beautiful. But the lack of a breeze made the paddling a bit warmer than we liked. Wide brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, and sun screen were all put to good use. Coming down the east side of the lake there were many more cypress trees to paddle around, including one with a huge root mass that has been featured on innumerable photographs. And yes, we paddled around it, taking our own pictures and admiring its beauty. Exploring, I easily placed over 2/3's of my 14-ft kayak within the root system of this old giant. Then I eased out a bit so Tom could take photos of me in my jail-like >cave.=

Along the way, although we both were on the lookout, we missed the East Ditch pier. I knew it was tucked back in a cove with quite a few small trees out in the water near it. Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and men...bladders would have to hold out a bit longer. The entrance to the Feeder Ditch was easy to find. As we entered the ditch a group of five kayaks were coming out onto the lake. We chatted for a few moments, then continued on to the dam.

The restrooms drew our attention first. Then we found a shady picnic table for lunch. Two fishermen were few yards below the dam, catching pan-sized catfish and hoping for bigger game. I had a pleasant conversation with them about catfish fishing there and in the Adirondacks at Elk Lake - nice memories. We talked of baits and waters, and, and, and.

After lunch, and a final visit to the restrooms, the kayak group returned. They must have spent all of 45-minutes on the lake and were certainly not nature minded. We later found and removed pieces of orange netting they=d hung in cypress trees so they could find the entrance to the Feeder Ditch. Nice people (?).

The south end of the lake is not as attractive as the rest of the shoreline. But cloud and tree reflections were pretty - the scene bucolic. At one point we spied a log ahead that much resembled a canoe with a stern paddler. One end was turned upwards like the bow of a canoe. As we approached, the stern paddler turned out to be a cormorant. Said bird watched us for a moment or two, then made flight preparations (pooped), and took off for quieter parts of the lake.

There were several very artsy cypress trees out in the water as we paddled - one in the shape of a sea horse. Another formed a pretty arch as its branches reached out and down towards the water. One fallen tree showed why it had blown over so easily. Behind Tom=s kayak it made an interesting photo. Along this shoreline I saw three prothonatory warblers. For just a moment one landed on a branch not 5-feet from the front of my watercraft. What a treat !!!

A bit later we spied another cormorant. This one stretched it wings for a moment before finishing the same flight preparations and leaving the area. On a set of old cabin pilings we surprised four more cormorants. They also made flight preparations and took off for parts unknown.

As we rounded the SW corner of the lake a good and very welcome breeze from the NE, as forecast, arrived to cool these warmish paddlers. Twice more we found pilings, traces of hunting cabins gone bye-bye. By the time we beached and brought the boats ashore the breeze was quite strong, and there were small waves on the lake.

As we loaded gear into our vehicles Ross, a law enforcement ranger, arrived on the first round during his shift. He asked for and checked our permits, making sure that we also had the Refuge=s regulations with the permit. He also asked to see our PFD=s. During what turned out to be a long and very pleasant conversation, we learned that not having a PFD could result in an automatic ticket. He was surprised at our reporting of an osprey. These birds do not normally stay at the lake. The one we saw was only visible for a few moments before it disappeared.

After Ross left we finished loading gear and boats and headed back out toward the gate. On the way I dodged a very fast black snake crossing the road and saw our fourth deer. We stopped to walk the short boardwalk trail back to view a huge, stately, old cypress tree and to show Tom where a bear had gnawed at both the pressure treated lumber and the artificial, composition lumber making up the boardwalk and the bench at its end. This short walk was not without its distractions. Mosquitoes were both thick and hungry.

A short way past the boardwalk we flushed a great blue heron from the ditch. It flew straight down the road ahead of us. I clocked it at 18-mph. Other wildlife for the day included: wood and black ducks, laughing gull voices, just a very few turtles, turkey vultures, rolling fish, dragon flies and butterflies dipping drinks at the lake=s surface, and damsel flies. We carefully watched branches and trees for possible cottonmouth snakes out sunning in the warm air, but saw none.

At the gate we signed out in the log, then headed home, Tom following me. After washing up and changing clothes, Bea, Tom, and I headed for Koi Sushi for pleasant conversation and a delectable meal (Bea - Nabeyaki Udon with an egg and extra mushrooms / Bill - Fish Katsu and two Tako Sushi / Tom - Shrimp Hibachi / All Three-Mango Passion and Dessert Sushi Rolls).

Bill Rogers

Bill's Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/m.malabad/LakeDrummond?authkey=Gv1sRgCOeg36_N6OHuXw#