Poropotank Paddle7/29/2014

As memory serves me, the past paddles on the Poropotank River—we haven’t paddled it since 2011—always had us watching the weather channel to see if the temperature was going to be too cold or if it would rain. This time was different. The weather was predicted and turned out to be just perfect—low humidity, pleasant 80 degrees, and just enough puffy clouds to keep us pale-faced paddlers from cancer hell. Fifteen Tuesday Grouper showed up. Some got lost on the way, but we overcame adversity and everyone was in the water by 9:45 a.m. The Put-In on the Poropotank is just big enough to support the vehicles for about 15 boats—with a few doubling up. We filled the parking lot. We took off paddling with the current. The tidal flow was coming in and we were hopeful that the tidal advance would make the lunch spot—now labeled “Letti Point” for the infamous duo who displayed an awesome launch from the site a few years ago—more accessible from the kayaks than it is at low tide. We had a first time Grouper, Tom Rumple, who fit in well with the group and has aspirations to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. We also had John F, Gayle O, Richard T, Mark C, Bruce J, Bill “photobomb” B, Jean and Mark BZ , Sandra C, Ken V, Buck H, John “the Hermit” G, Barry C, and Brian, or B.S. It was a capable group on a perfect day, on the wonderful Poropotank. Words are inadequate on a day like this. We paddled, we talked, we observed, we sorta meditated with the surroundings. And then we came to a tree-fall over the last stretch of river that caused us to turn around. We found Letti Point, and had to break through the reeds—Bruce and Bill were the intrepid explorers who broke through the weeds to accomplish the landing—and then embarked for lunch. John F had commitments and since his drive was an hour and a half to get to the put in, he took the early exit. Many thanks to John for showing up as he is the true Southern Gentleman in every respect and his company on these trips is valued.

We had lunch. Then we launched to depart. No one would let Brian help. Letti Point has a reputation and it isn’t good—and Brian has a role in the bad memories. Bruce J did a great job of launching. No one tipped over and no one lost a shoe in the mud. Brian did, however, find a deer tick on his body a few days later, so beware! We had an uneventful paddle back to the put in. The pace slowed as it seemed the group did not want this paddle to end—or they were tired, take your pick. The Tuesday Groupers who took out at the put-in made it to Short Lane Creamery for the homemade Ice-Cream. No regrets, good friends, a good time, a great memory! At the put-in, a few intrepids led by Mountain Man Bruce and Photo-Bomb Bill decided to paddle out to the York River. Brian

Bruce’s account follows:

The second half of today’s paddle was so great that Bill didn’t want to come back to the put-in. As always, all good things must come to an end as our paddle did. We left the group around 1:45 P.M. and headed out towards The York River as everyone else packed-up their boats after 9.6 miles and called it a day. We had Bill, Tom and Bruce and as we left the dock 4 teenagers in a canoe, a kayak and a raft pulled by the kayak headed out with us. We asked where they were heading, the young girl in the canoe with one of the boys said, “to the swinging rope” and of course we had to tag along to see what kind of a rope they had. As they reached the rope that someone had tied onto one of the Tall Oak Trees, the Tomboy Girl jumped out of her canoe, headed up the hill with the rope in one hand and climbed out onto another fallen Oak Tree and with no hesitation at all flew out into the water about 30 feet from the shoreline and into the water. The boys followed her as we watched them all jump into the water one after the other. We three wanted to do this also but we also wanted to get back home today without a visit to the E. R.

We paddled on leaving those teenagers behind and looking for the mouth of the small creek that would take us out into the York River. The 2 miles turned into 4 miles with all the turns that the small creeks had. We passed 2 old boats that had washed up onto the shore line and had been left there for all to see--as an eyesore. A little further down the creek Tom spotted 2 Osprey one on the nest and the partner about 100 yd’s away on a Duck Blind. Next we paddle by a boathouse with Solar Panels on the roof which powered a motor that had some kind of filter hooked to it. Around the next turn we passed two large Crabbing Boats tied to their dock with 4 men working on them. Bill spotted a weather station out in the marsh or some kind of a station that takes reading from the weather each day. The tide was on it’s way out and Bill said we were moving 2.7 miles an hour without using our paddles, but we were going the wrong way, so we paddle over to a beach and took a break and enjoyed the view of the river, marshes and the York River State Park which was across from us.

It was now time to head back and we looked for a shortcut that would take off about 1 mile of our trip, and Tom and Bill found it. As we passed a small island I looked up into a Pine Tree and there was a Bald Eagle looking down at us. Around the next turn his nest was at the top of another large Pine Tree. As we were about one mile from the take-out we saw some large fish swimming at the top of the water and there on a low tree out in the water was an Osprey giving himself a bath and not looking at the fish or us. Bill got some pictures of this bird and all of the other sites we saw today, them as I paddle within 8 feet of this Osprey he flew away. We were back around by 4:00 P.M. with about 8 miles making a 17 miles day. We loaded our boats and said we could skip ice cream because it would be time for dinner by the time we (Bill &I) got home and we didn’t want to spoil our meal. Thanks to Brian for putting together this trip today.

Thanks Bruce

View Bill's pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/117475145040031402609/albums/6041823270021851009?banner=pwa&authkey=CM_jsIGy-LHYSg