River Rats T-shirts have SHIPPED!

Word has it that the t-shirts have shipped! If they arrive in time, I will distribute at this weekend's paddle at Westmoreland. Stay tuned!

Belle Haven Power Paddle

The Chief Rat's 1st Post!!!

Hey Gang!  Jess, the Chief Rat, here.  A lot of you were tied up this weekend, so I didn’t plan a formal trip.  Instead, I just planned to do a power paddle at Belle Haven just by myself.  Well, Shawn and Brent got wind of this and joined me, and what a workout! We paddled upstream to the Airport Marina (5 or 6 miles) in less than 2 hours, hung out at the marina for a while, then paddled back downstream – but against a SERIOUS headwind that stirred up a nasty chop – in less than an hour.

We were haulin’!  Shawn set a grueling pace, and Brent and I paddled happily behind like little ducklings.  OH! And I just have to mention – ladies – you should have seen the guy we spied at the marina after the paddle.  Drool, drool!   Most perfect specimen of a man – BAR NONE.  Even Shawn and Brent took a double take (I took about 40 takes!) Wow!  This is what you miss when you don’t join the rest of the Rats! Ahem.  Sorry, got stuck in a daydream for a minute.
I’m still cooking up a plan for next weekend.  Sunday looks like the best weather day, but it’s still kinda early.  I’d like to try a new place, but if we need to rent kayaks we are limited to where we’ve been before or go further afield like Annapolis, Pax River, or Colonial Beach....

Mason Neck State Park

Welcome to the FIRST TRIP REVIEW

I want to thank everyone for turning out on the 13th. It was the largest gathering (I think) yet. Lots of fun was had by everyone. It was a long haul and even the bp (beginning paddlers) kept up well on the choppy waters. In my opinion it was a great place to paddle from. The rentals were decent, the launch was easy, and there were some great places to stop along the way.

We started off thinking to take in the birds and quickly found that the water level was too low and filled with underwater fauna to get too far. We also all learned there weren't any alligators in Mason Neck. HOLD ME Kat!!!

After seeing some eagles and the beautiful lush greenery Mason Neck had to offer we decided to brave out into the open water. There were a ton of larger boats out there and I'm guessing it's a favorite stop for the local Captains. We found an island to take a breather and got out and stretched. 

The last leg of the trip was the hardest. Lots of chops and waves, paddling around and in between boats at anchor, and the heat was starting to zap our energy. Everyone made it without incident and food, drinks, and merriment for all at Tim's Riverside ended our day!

LESSON #1 learned on this trip - HYDRATE YOURSELF

So there you have it, the first review. If there's anything you want to see or post on the blog get in touch with me and I'll be happy to do, add, or attempt it.

Paddle Strong!

Have a boat?

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