Warm again
last update: 03/26 @ 16:47

A bit over 80 degrees and river running 3.86 on a weekday!

Perfect time to be out. The water is still cold so I stayed pretty conservative.

But crossing the nice wave in the Virginia Chute was a lot of fun, even when it broke in my cockpit and I took on a fair amount of water. It was not enough to make it impossible to control the boat (and I stayed upright).

So it was fun. But I was not lured into the whole in the center chute. That would be a long cold swim no matter how tempting it looks. Also a lot of work to get back up to that spot.

I was warm even in a boat full of water with polypro and no wind/water breaker over that.

I saw one CCA trip coming off the river as I was heading out. And one guy with a SUP getting up to the Virginia Chute as I was heading back. So I had Anglers Inn Maryland, Center and Virginia all to myself.

Beautiful Day!
last update: 03/10 @ 16:51

You just can’t pass up an 80 degree day in March. And with lots of water in the river (back to 4.6 again), it was a great day to be out at Angler’s Inn. (This is next to the hydraulic in the center chute; I stayed out of that.)

I did see a couple of other folks on the river, but there was space in the lower parking lot — always a plus for weekday boating. I really do like this retirement thing!

It’s interesting to see who is wearing what on a warm day in March (the river water is still cold, but no more ice on the river): I saw one boater in the parking lot in a dry suit, and one just putting in wearing shorts — both ends of the spectrum. All the hikers and walkers were in shorts and tee shirts. I was happy to have my fleece, even if I was a little warm. A little water spray was enough to keep me comfy.

Chilly water on the Potomac
last update: 02/20 @ 17:37

With the snow and cold temperatures, I wasn’t sure I’d find a nice day to get on the river this month. This morning was pretty rainy but the forecasters promised the rain would move out and the sun might make an appearance.

I’m glad they were right. It was about 55, air temperature. The water was clearly much colder. Not frozen where I was but the back channel was frozen and there were small icebergs floating down the river.

Along with some other debris: sticks, branches, logs. It’s been a long time since I’ve see the river at 4.6 feet. Clearly there was a lot of debris to flush downstream.

And did I mention there were little ice bergs floating around? Also there was a lot of ice pretty much across the river down by Georgetown.

Not that I was going to go in that direction at all, sadly not anytime soon. The huge sewage spill is starting to get under control, but I expect it will be a while before the river from Lock 10 downstream is safe for recreation.

The C&O canal, below, was also ice covered, but I’m confident not thick enough to skate on. I know folks have taken advantage of the ice since the big storm to skate there — but not today; maybe not again this winter.

I owe my PTO colleagues thanks again: one retirement present was an NRS gift certificate — suggested by Sarah :) — which I used for splash pants. That made the one little breaking wave that washed over the bow much nicer — no shock of freezing water on my legs (through the polypro pants).

I’m pretty confident March will have at least a day or two this nice or nicer so I expect to see more of Angler’s Inn.

Back on the Potomac
last update: 01/13 @ 23:18

It was a little it higher (around 3 feet on the gauge) today; just over 50 degrees. And no ice to be seen; I’ll take it :)

I saw a surprising number of other boaters out today (including Robert Gue, from Asseteague) — pretty much all in dry suits, which made me feel a little under dressed. But I stayed conservative and just played around a bit in the sun.

12 months in a row with at least one day per month on the Potomac. I had fun and feel good about being able to get out on the river.

Looking a lot like Christmas
last update: 12/18 @ 16:51

The boy is home.

The tree is up and sprouting presents.

Sadly we weren’t able to pick up this tree from our local lot and carry it home. They were running low on trees and their trees were starting to look tired.

We’d hoped to pick up a tree with Robert but after checking the local lot a couple days before he came back from Seattle, Sarah and I decided to hit up the garden center up the street.

Interestingly enough, the guy who helped us with the tree and putting it on the car, recognized us as Robert’s parents. He was the younger brother of an ultimate frisbee playing teammate.

Oh, and the water is cold enough for there to be ice on the Potomac :)

While the air was about 55 degrees, clearly the water was colder. And the river was surprisingly low (I’m starting to understand why DC is looking for options beyond the Potomac for drinking water.)

The level today was about 2.65 feet. I thought maybe the gauge was frozen and not accurate, but that seems perfectly in line with the scrapy rocks I found.

There was a very cool sound as I paddled by some of the thinner ice flows: a crinkle like breaking glass as the ice cracked from the minimal wave caused by the canoe’s passing.

This is the Virginia chute (at 2.65) with a little ice on the shady part of the rocks. The thin ice flows were closer to the beach, where there is a lot less current.

And I’ve been told I can count sea kayaking in the Galapagos for my January boating trip. This makes 20 months with at least one boating trip a month. If we get another nice day next month, I may be able to make it 12 months in a row on the Potomac.

Really looking like fall
last update: 11/03 @ 17:34

I expect with the dry autumn we’ve had this year, the leaves around Angler’s Inn are unlikely to get any better than today.

Which is fine, I think the back channel looks splendid in its fall glory today.

It was a bit chillier (low 60s, and I’m sure the water is also gradually cooling off) than the last time I was out but we did get some rain so the level was up a bit to just over 3 feet (3.03).

I did see the heron again, but not long enough to try to get a photo. I also saw a couple other boaters out on the water today.

I’m hoping for a bit more rain before I get out again, today was noticeably less rocky and the Maryland chute a bit more fun to surf across.

Of course, I also hope it’s not too cold for me to want to go out should the river come up a bit :)

Another pretty day
last update: 10/22 @ 22:34

Cooler today, mid-sixties, but the water level was about the same at about 2.7 feet.

And there were more clouds coming in.

But the leaves are starting to take on fall colors, even though it’s been a dry summer so I don’t expect the colors to be great this year.

But this spot, just upstream of the Virginia chute, was quite pretty.

Sarah was meeting with a friend so she missed out on the walk or paddle this time — but got to enjoy time with her friends, maybe a fair trade.

And, in light of my prior post (see below), this is the not too pricey waterproof camera we have that I feel comfortable clipping into my boat for a trip when it will get wet (generally not too wet, but you never know). It’s quick and easy with a little Joby tripod to snap a selfie for this blog.

Nice to feel more like fall around here
last update: 10/02 @ 17:15

The sky was blue between the puffy clouds while the river was a bit low (reflecting the lack of rain): 2.78 on the Little Falls gauge.

That made for a nice, mellow day to take out the canoe and check on on the chutes at Angler’s Inn (this picture is Virginia side).

I didn’t see anyone else on the river; one kayaker was getting ready to go as I was loading up my boat but there were hikers on the trails and rocks.

Potomac getting low
last update: 09/03 @ 17:39

The river has fallen below 3.0 — it was about 2.74 when I was out today. The weather was lovely but it would have been nice to have a bit more water in the river.

But that’s not meant to be a complaint, just an observation. I’m very happy to be able to get out on a beautiful day like today, whatever the level.

(That’s the Maryland Chute at Angler’s Inn in the background.)

On the James
last update: 08/16 @ 10:14

Sarah, Simon and David on the James River in Richmond.

It’s like this…

We got the Pirouette Super Sport for Sarah a long ways back. It’s a much better fit for her than the historically significant Mirage I got as a high school graduation present.

But she’s moved on to her SUP and the inflatable ducky.

(And we’re thinking packrafts are in our future; see about halfway down the notes from our Seattle trip.)

So when Sarah heard from Simon’s dad, Steve (who was part of Sarah’s Clark University crowd), that Simon had gotten interested in whitewater boating over the summer, she saw an opportunity.

The boat has not been on water in years and it may work well for Simon.

So we met at Pony Pasture and gave Simon a chance to try it out.

Admittedly, it is a tight fit. But not so tight that he turned down the offer.

So our basement is one boat lighter. That boat is more likely to see future use. And Simon has a boat of his own now.

Win, win, win.

(Oh… and we accidentally snagged Simon’s water bottle — another win for us but, sadly, at Simon’s expense.)

Another fun day on the river
last update: 07/08 @ 16:02

I’m taking a page from our Galapagos trip and using a rashguard/sunshirt these days. It seems to be working, I’m not feeling sunburned and appreciate a little cooling when it gets wet.

The river was about 3.6 today; this photo is from the Maryland chute at Angler’s Inn. It was hot, but nice to be on the river again. And that’s a pretty fun level for playing in both the Maryland and Virginia chutes.

Maybe when the temps drop a bit (~92 today) I’ll be more inspired to get back up the gorge and check out Wet Bottom and Rocky Island — it’s been a while.

Whew!
last update: 06/30 @ 17:28

I just managed to get on the river in June. I’m trying to see how close to at least monthly I can make it.

That should be easy but… (I don’t expect sympathy) I tweaked my back early on in the month and then we had that trip to Curaçao…

But I did get out today (about 3.8 on the gauge), it was much cooler on the river but ~95 degrees with crazy humidity is really hot! When I crossed over to the Virginia chute, I saw this family making their way upstream. I was surprised when they just paddled/ran up the wave next to the rock. Very impressive attainment skills.

I did note that my strap tie-downs are ready to be reattached. So I have some maintenance in my future before my next trip on the river. With the month of July coming up, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to make that fix and keep my streak running.

We’ve had some rain
last update: 05/07 @ 17:27

So the river is muddy and up a bit (4.6).

With a mostly blue sky (some clouds) and mid 70s it was a really nice day to be out.

I didn’t make it across to the Virginia chute — too much current moving downstream.

But I did paddle up the back channel and saw a goose family complete with a few goslings waddling around.

And the Howard County swift water rescue team was out training. When I first got there, they were all swimming down from the Virginia chute — I would guess getting used to being in swift water.

They were just getting ready to head upstream when I took that photo. When they really starting going up the current, it was pretty impressive.

You may notice that they are front loading the rafts to keep the nose down a bit as the motors get going.

Back to normal programming
last update: 04/22 @ 19:03

A perfect way to spend part of Earth Day!

It was warmer today; about 75 degrees and the water level was about 3.5 feet. The water temp seemed a tiny bit warmer than last week — but maybe that was really just the much warmer air temp.

At any rate, a very nice day to spend some time out on the river.

Chilly day on the river
last update: 04/17 @ 18:04

Sally had a friend to go visit this morning so Hank and I dropped her off and headed to Angler’s Inn. Sadly, Sarah had a conflict.

It was about 3.75 on the gauge; the water is still pretty cold (I found out with direct experience) and the air was just barely 60.

So chilly.

But look at the blue sky!

And all the trees are starting to leaf out now (some more than others).

We had to say goodbye to Hank and Sally this afternoon. They are headed back up to Hull for the spring. But we’re talking more seriously about when we could head up that way for a visit.

Cloudy but warm day
last update: 04/03 @ 17:33

We’ve have some crazy warm days lately; today was an example: almost 80. The river is about 3.5 on the gauge so a bit lower than last month. The water is still chilly but it was a very nice afternoon.

No water on the lens this time just because this was early in my time playing around the chutes.

75 degrees
last update: 03/19 @ 22:35

I can’t turn down a 75 degree day :)

The level was pretty close to the 3.8 from last month — surprising with the lack of rain we’ve had.

But I’m not complaining. It was very nice out (water still chilly, but air was warm).

And I would say the water on the lens is proof of a good time :) A little bit of time both on the Maryland and Virginia chutes and some fun in the center chute as well.

Let’s see how long I can claim the cold water is keeping me conservative on the river…

Nice Day!
last update: 02/26 @ 21:00

I couldn’t let a day like today go by without getting out.

The Potomac water was cold but the air was over 60.

And the sky as blue as could be.

It was a very nice change from the polar vortex that we’ve seen a couple of times this winter.

The water was cold enough that I was happy to be very conservative and mostly stay dry.

Let’s see if I can get out at least once a month the rest of 2025.

Sarah says I can count time in a kayak on our Galapagos trip as boating, but I’m not sure I’ll let myself get away with that. (Seems like salt water shouldn’t count.)

(At about 3.8, the Virginia chute wave was really calling to me; but I only surfed across once — I really didn’t want to flip today.)

Warm end of the Year
last update: 12/30 @ 22:18

With late December temperatures in the mid 60s, I couldn’t stay home.

I took the canoe (and the cool weather gear as the water is pretty chilly) to Angler’s Inn.

Early afternoon on a Monday and I had the river to myself — along with a couple ducks.

As I was heading back towards the car, more folks were showing up.

The river was about 3.3 and I think they were heading upstream to Rocky Island.

Clearly leaves are off the trees now.

I think this makes it look colder than it really was.

Happy Birthday to me
last update: 12/10 @ 17:42

Back from unusually sunny Seattle to…

…Foggy DC.

But not a bad day to be on the river. It’s about 2.8 and I had Angler’s Inn all to myself this afternoon.

I really liked how still it looked at the beach.

And the (low) water was plenty clear to see through, but I didn’t see any fish today.

And surprisingly few birds as well.

It was a bit cool. And there was a bit of rain yesterday and the forecast is for more tonight. So maybe the birds were all curled in warm in their nests.

Speaking of warm, thank you PTO: I used part of the NRS gift certificate for Endurance pants which made the enviable splashes much less shocking.

I even decided to treat myself to new wetsuit booties — my toes are sticking through the ones I have now. It’s likely the first time I’ve worn them this fall or winter.

I’m looking forward to getting out more with my new cold weather gear.

I bet I can even find a pretty, blue-sky day (even if cold) in the next few weeks.

Head clearing
last update: 11/07 @ 18:15

We’re still very much trying to process what just happened in the elections.

Time outside is a great stress relaxer.

And getting away from screens and news and having such a pretty place to focus on and pay attention to really helps reset (or at least temporarily calm) the mind.

Another crazy warm November day (yes, I do worry we’re the frogs in the pot gradually warming up), so we got the boats back out.

I’m glad to be the recipient of Sarah’s excellent photographer’s eye, but clearly my game is slipping.

As we paddled over from the Maryland Chute to the Virginia side, I liked this view of Sarah with the fall leaves behind her.

But when we came back to the Maryland side; and saw the Heron hanging out, she saw this great shot of me under the Heron’s gaze:

Closing out the month
last update: 10/31 @ 22:17

We took advantage of with warming weather and headed back to Angler’s Inn today.

The river was about 2.8; low but still a fun spot to play in.

And the fall colors are looking pretty good.

It’s been so long since it rained that the river is really clear now. And it’s great to be able to see down to the bottom.

We scared off our heron before we could get a picture.

(That’s the center chute on the right; no boats in that picture — we had the river to ourselves.)

But we saw lot of minnows cruising over and around the rocks.

And the birds really seemed to enjoy the thermal over the river today.

It was a great way to step away from the news and goings on in the world and just enjoy the river in our backyard.

We did neglect our Jack o’lantern carving duties; but it seemed like a more than fair tradeoff.

(That the Maryland chute above and to the right.)

Home Turf
last update: 10/21 @ 20:56

Blue skies and nary a cloud to be seen!

Another beautiful afternoon on the river.

This time Sarah and I stayed closer to home and enjoyed paddling Angler’s Inn to Lock 10.

We saw herons, buzzards, ducks and some really big catfish.

And Sarah took this great picture of me in the waves at Stubblefield Falls.

Another great weekday trip!

We did see more boaters putting on as we finished our shuttle. We decided those were the after work crowd.

Finally, check out the colors: it really is looking like fall. It may not be a spectacular year for leaf-peeping, but these are looking very nice in the afternoon sun.

(Short) Road Trip
last update: 10/13 @ 19:54

The weather (beautiful 80 degrees) and water level (4.75) aligned today for trip on the upper James.

It’s been decades since we’ve been on the James.

And we don’t get to Richmond as often as we used to.

Today was truly a perfect day for the trip.

We had a lot of fun.

Easy rapids (except for that one dam — I know there is a better spot to run) and perfect weather made for a very fun day.

We saw ducks, geese, at least one cormorant and, oddly, a rowed raft.

Richmond has become quite the boater haven; there were lots of folks putting on at Reedy Creek as we set shuttle. The lower James through Richmond as more significant rapids.

The Pony Pasture to Reedy Creek run is just pretty and fun rock gardens (less the one dam).

Starting to feel more like fall
last update: 10/07 @ 22:37

The weather is starting to feel more like October now and the water from Hurricane Helene has dropped a bit.

The river was still higher than I’ve see it in quite a while, about 4.3 today. I played around in the current, ferrying across and getting pushed around a bit.

I wasn’t able to get up to the Virginia chute, but did take a peek at Difficult Run. At water levels I’m used to, it’s hard to get back in there.

Also, I poked up the back channel to see what I could see.

A Heron, a duck, some turtles and lots of buzzards today (along with a couple hikers and a kayak or two).

It was a nice day to be out; I don’t know if we’ll get any really good colors this fall, but clearly we’ll know pretty soon.

Another beautiful day…
last update: 09/10 @ 23:20

… water level was a little low; just under 2.8

But temperature in the low 80s.

Blue skies.

Weekday, so plenty of parking spaces.

And only one class of SUPs on the river.

So plenty of fun.

I left the class in the Maryland Chute and went to play on the Virginia side. When I came back, they were just heading downstream so I had Maryland Chute to myself.

And I’ve never seen deer crossing the back channel before.

I also saw turtles, heron and an egret.

And lots of little fish, every time I looked down.

Change in the weather
last update: 08/23 @ 17:46

A few days later…

Blue skies, warmer weather.

It’s getting back towards normal August here. And Sarah and I had a lovely time on the river (on a weekday — I’ll get over that eventually).

Break in the heat
last update: 08/20 @ 23:21

It was like an early fall day today.

Cool, but not cold.

And the water level was OK, a bit low but not summertime low.

And exactly what I had hoped for in retirement: the weather was perfect for a quick trip to Angler’s Inn and I was free to take advantage of it.

The sun did break through the clouds now and again. But I’m very happy to have the cooler weather, even if it’s just for a couple of days.

Fun day on the river
last update: 08/16 @ 22:41

Steve and Helen have landed in Alexandria on the tail end of their trip around Lake Superior.

And they brought boats.

So Sarah and I introduced them to Anglers to Lock 10.

We did paddle up to play in the chutes a bit before heading down to lock 10.

New to me (weekday paddling): we ran into a summer camp trip from Calleva. They had a fair number of kids in kayaks, on SUPs and in rafts. They all seemed to be having a good time and they were very nice to our four boat party at the take out.

Steve and Helen may have some Facebook posts later.

And Sarah is likely in the market for a longer padde after playing with theirs.

As expected
last update: 08/13 @ 18:21

Beautiful day.

Good water (much of the Hurricane Debby water has receded — not all but most of it).

And I got on the river.

On a Tuesday :)

Saw one other boater on the river and had no issues with parking spot. Seems like I could get used to this.

Less than 90 degrees
last update: 08/04 @ 17:04

I got out this morning apparently during Cabin John VFD swift water rescue training.

It didn’t look like there was anyone being evacuated, and I got the sense they were checking out where the rocks are with the low water to better know how to get up and down the river.

I enjoyed my time out; I saw a couple kayaks and some SUPs in addition to the rescue rafts.

But no heron today.

Back on the river with Pocket
last update: 07/28 @ 20:22

Pocket was good, she asked “When should I meet you to go to the river?” Not “Should I meet you?”

(Actually, that’s how it was relayed to me. Pocket said she was less forward when talking to SZap.)

It was hot but not horribly humid.

And certainly cooler on the water.

We paddled up from Angler’s Inn to Rocky Island — I don’t recall doing that when there was so little current in the gorge. It really is pretty low.

But there are smiles on everyone’s face.

Angler’s Inn
last update: 07/07 @ 21:30

Another hot day on the river.

The level continues to drop a bit as we’ve not had much rain.

But we’re still taking advantage of the river in our backyard.

We heard that yesterday the river (at least the parking log) was pretty full.

Today, parking was easy.

We did see a few other folks out on the river.

But not very many.

On theory: all the Fourth of July visitors were on their way home.

We did see a couple of these guys.

I believe that’s a northern water snake or banded water snake.

Nonpoisonous but, we’ve been told, bitey.

It was hot enough that they were stretched on the rocks just under the water.

When it’s cooler, they sun themselves on rocks (sometimes).

Lower water…
last update: 06/29 @ 22:24

… Still plenty of fun

Sarah and I made it back to Angler’s Inn this morning. It was hot but not nearly as hot as last weekend. And while the river was a bit lower, it was still very nice to be out.

This evening, we were able to watch the Seattle Cascades win their Ultimate game which sets them up for the post season.

Beautiful June Day
last update: 06/01 @ 18:30

We’re thinking more of this in our future!

A lovely June day and we headed a but further upstream to Violette’s Lock.

We realized it had been year since we were there last.

Almost exactly 4 years.

It’s a pretty spot; a bit further to drive and the paddle back up the canal can seem like a lot of flatwater — but filled with turtles this time of year.

Clearly the weather was perfect for it and we had a great time!

The ducks and herons seems to be happy to today too.

We’re less sure about the snake; but it kept to itself so no problem.

Start of summer
last update: 05/26 @ 22:32

The traditional start of summer and Sarah and I were able to get out on the river.

The temperature was certianly summerish: high 80s.

But the water was still cool.

And not too low.

We had a good time at Angler’s Inn.

Both in the waves and surfing across the channel.

There were a few other folks out on the river including one paddle boarder at the Maryland chute who was clearly having a good time.

We hung out there for a bit.

Then paddled across to the Virginia side.

And generally welcomed summer for 2024.

I look forward to more afternoons like this :)

And I’m sure the Potomac won’t disappoint us.

Potomac again
last update: 05/19 @ 22:26

The water level was a bit higher.

And while it was cloudy in the morning (and rainy yesterday), the sun broke through and it was a lovely afternoon.

I saw a few kayakers but at least as many paddle board folk out enjoying the weather.

Sarah will be with her peeps when she next comes out to play on the Potomac.

Back on the Potomac
last update: 05/04 @ 16:08

It’s been a busy spring, but I got back to Angler’s Inn today.

The weather was crazy during the week, a new high record (91) set Thursday; Friday just perfect with mid-70s. Last night the rain and cold front came in.

Of course, not well represented in the photo is the layer of fog just above the river. The river water was warmer than the ~50 degree air temp.

And the rains held off while I got to play in the waves a bit.

I’m sure this will just be the first of many trips as the weather warms up. And I’m sure Sarah will be joining me on many of those.

Cool, but better water level
last update: 12/29 @ 01:14

Robert was not feeling well but back asleep.

So I took advantage of the time off of work and nicer weather to get on the river.

It’s been raining for a few days so higher water than it’s been in a while — and the temperature was not too bad. I was still consciously conservative to try to stay upright (which I did) as the water was pretty cool.

Not so much fall anymore
last update: 12/09 @ 19:51

The heavens are supposed to open tomorrow and we expect to get dumped on by rain.

So Sarah and I took advantage of the warmer (note warmer, not warm) weather to head to Angler’s Inn.

She hiked up the Billy Goat trail and found the secret path to the top of the Maryland chute. Check out her Facebook page for her view.

I stuck with my canoe.

The water was “bracing” :)

And I noticed most of the other folks on the river were in drysuits. But I was warm enough except for my feet — my toes were getting cold.

But that does not detract from how pretty a spot it is, even with the leaves off the trees.

And I got to check in with my favorite heron again (top right corner); I bet he or she does not head south for the winter. This was on the Virginia shore; Sarah said she saw one as well, so it seems like there is a heron family in residence there.

Blue Skies
last update: 11/12 @ 10:23

Cool water and the leaves are just past peak.

It was a clear day even if a little cool.

But the river remains low.

That blue sky is not helping our drought. But it is nicer to be out in than the drizzle we had Friday.

It was fun to see some blue skies peak through as we watched the UW Huskies football game (which also had some drizzle and a lot of wind) in the afternoon. While the Huskies won, I think the fans and players may have preferred our weather to theirs.

We’ll miss Robert for Thanksgiving but are looking forward to having him back on our side of the country for Christmas!

Looking very much like fall
last update: 10/29 @ 22:06

It’s looking a lot like fall out there.

But yesterday, at about 85 degrees, was much warmer than fall.

Sarah is visiting friends in Long Island, so I did a few chores yesterday and got on the river today.

The water level is very low — it’s been a while since we’ve had a good soaking rain — and it was about 10 degrees cooler today. But still very nice to be on the water.

The clouds were coming in, but not very fast. Maybe we’ll get some showers this week; the river would be greatful.

We should have more fall-like weather later this week.

And the trick-or-treaters will likely be happy in a warm costume this year. We hope a few come by so we’re not stuck with the candy we have to give out.

Cooling Off
last update: 10/10 @ 17:30

The weather has taken a turn towards fall. It was pretty abrupt but we’re expecting it to warm back up a little bit this week.

Fortunately the water takes a bit longer to cool down so it was very nice to be out yesterday (thank you federal holiday).

Let’s see how long I can keep my streak of at least one trip on the river a month going this time. I missed July so it’s a pretty short streak now.

Blue Sky
last update: 09/17 @ 14:03

Splendid weather yesterday for getting out on the river.

Just about 80 degrees.

Blue Sky.

Cool water.

Still low water, though.

I took advantage of the weather to go up the gorge to Rocky Island — very low as you can see. But a great day to be out and about.

While I was at Rocky, I saw a couple slalom boaters attaining up the rapids. I wonder if they could attain Wet Bottom Chute. I portaged that and Anglers but both are short and easy to get up.

I could easily see attaining Anglers (with two paddle blades — that’s my excuse). But Wet Bottom seems a lot harder to get up; I’ll have to keep my eyes open there.

Getting pretty low
last update: 08/28 @ 15:38

I got back on the river yesterday afternoon. But it’s getting really low. I had trouble finding a route up to the Maryland chute.

Getting across to the Virginia chute was rocky.

And coming back the Maryland side, I had to push myself over some rocks to get past Golfball Island. There is starting to be little place to put a paddle into the water.

I expect we’ll get some rain in the next few weeks the level will gradually start to rise again.

Another nice day on river
last update: 08/20 @ 18:25

Blue skies and warm temps.

But low water.

Still fun though.

SZap opted for the duckie this time.

We got to paddle with Pocket!
last update: 08/14 @ 19:35

Pocket said she’d like to join us on the river this summer. It’s taken until now for both Sarah and I to feel healthy — pesky summer cold.

So we paddled up to my new favorite selfie spot — but that rock ledge needs to be more level…

Our heron was further downstream for this trip.

Playing in Angler’s Inn
last update: 08/14 @ 19:34

David and his canoe running the Maryland chute (photo by SZap).

It was pretty low, about 2.9, making it pretty much perfect to introduce Pocket to this part of the Potomac.

She’s done a lot of flat water boating (she joined us in storming the castle a while back) and expressed an interest in getting more comfortable in rapids.

Sarah opted for her paddle board for this trip.

Fortunately, the electric pump she picked up a couple years ago continues to serve us well.

It would have been hot work to pump up both inflatables in the 90 degree heat.

Fortunately, the water was still cool and the sky a perfect blue!

Keen eyed observers will note that Sarah’s and Pocket’s runs are both the Virginia chute.

We pulled the boats over the rocks to paddle up to the gorge, came back down and they ran the Virginia chute an extra time before we headed back to the Maryland side for one more run (after a brief portage).

Summer colds and…
last update: 08/05 @ 22:37

I started feeling unwell at the end of June. After three negative Covid tests and two negative strep tests the consensus is summer cold. But it really hung on.

Robert, however, did test positive for Covid about two weeks ago. He reports feeling on the mend, but did miss a fair amount of summer quarter classes.

And Sarah ended up with her summer cold about a week ago. She, also, is feeling better. And felt up to a little hiking/bushwhacking while I was on the river this afternoon.

With luck, the whole family will be feeling fine next week!

Father’s Day
last update: 06/18 @ 22:08

Sarah is still out in Seattle with Robert. While they slept (3 hours later there than here) I got out on the Potomac at Angler’s Inn. It’s pretty low and the water is so clear because it’s been a while since we had any rain.

But it was still a fun time. And a beatiful day.

When I came home we video called and I opend my Father’s day packages. Robert got me an Aston Martin shirt (which I wore later watching the F1 race) and Sarah got me a lovely cheese board and an offer for Double Gloucester, the next time it’s in stock at our local cheese place.

A very nice day, but it would be nicer with family in the same time zone.

Both of us on the river!
last update: 06/12 @ 22:19

No, that’s not us under the overhang…

Sarah has a busy start to summer: She was down in Decatur last week. Home for a few days around the weekend. And is off in Seattle this week.

All good travel: she was able to help out the newest additions to the Williams clan, Margot and Billie Mae. That gave Sarah a chance to hang out with really little babies (weeks old) and gave their parents and grandparents a little bit of a break.

And now she’s getting to see Robert’s new summer dorm (having just missed helping him move — up 5 flights of stairs — by about 48 hours).

We took advantage of those couple days she was in Alexandria, with very nice weather, to get out on the river. Where we saw those two climbers in the gorge. New to me, they weren’t going up or down the wall, they were crossing horizontally.

We saw our favorite heron and a few ducks and a lot of fishing cormorants.

Back on the river
last update: 06/04 @ 22:29

Sarah is down in Decatur with the new grand nieces.

So I have to make do with the Potomac.

It was a pretty day today; cooler than it was on Saturday. That made it very nice.

And with the expectation of rain, fewer folks at Angler’s Inn to make it easier to get on the river and I had the Maryland chute to myself almost the whole time.

Fantastic Weather!
last update: 05/22 @ 17:29

We took advantage of the glorious weather today and headed out to Angler’s Inn. Sarah was feeling a little bit off, but also wondering about the trail that goes upstream.

So she went up on foot and I took the canoe up (a little ways).

I saw my great blue heron friend at the Virginia chute.

Clearly a master of disguise, he (or she) really does blend in to the rocks very well.

And had a lot of fun surfing across the Maryland chute.

Excellent ways to enjoy a perfect, May day.

Let’s hope for more like this!

Hank & Sally are in town
last update: 04/16 @ 22:03

And I got to paddle with Hank before we all met up for an excellent dinner at Rice Paper. It was fun to be on river with Hank again. And great to hear that retirement is treating them well. Dinner with Carolyn, Rita, Chita, Bob, Joy, Sally and Hank was grand.

And we all enjoyed stopping by the place they are staying in while they are in town (Joy has a very convenient condo).

Bonus: Rice Paper gets huge recommendations!!!

That feeling when…
last update: 03/05 @ 17:45

… You’ve not really been paying attention to the river level but think it’s been just under 4 for a while and you drive over the bridge on the way there and think… hmmmm…. maybe I should have checked the gauge?

It was actually about 6.25. I had fun, saw some ducks but didn’t get as far up to the rapids as I normally (at lower water levels) do. I also looked long and hard at one spot before thinking the possible swim be be very long and very cold. I snuck around that spot.

The weather was fantastic, but the water was cold.

Excellent start to the year
last update: 01/02 @ 21:47

It was nicely warm — air at least — today and I managed to get out on the Potomac to start the year off well.

It was interesting to feel the warm breeze when it came from above and the cool breeze when it came across the river.

Let’s see how many months in 2023 I can keep this up?

According to the blog, I missed a couple months last year…

Stare down contest
last update: 11/05 @ 22:19

You’ll have to trust me on this.

With reduced pixels of this photo you can’t see the heron.

But he (or she) was there.

We had a staring contest as he (or she) looked for fish to snack on just above the waves and I surfed across them.

If I posted the full size photo and you zoomed in above the nose of my canoe, you’d see this heron. Just hanging out.

Well… not just hanging out. Looking for lunch or dinner.

Eventually I felt bad for getting in the way and decided to head for home.

But I don’t think I’ve gotten that close without the heron flying away.

And I should note the river was low and he weather crazy warm, we tied the November 5 record of 81 degrees.

Color may have peaked
last update: 10/30 @ 18:39

Beautiful day outside today but it is cooling off.

It’s looking like the trees may be just past peak on the river; I saw a lot of yellows but also starting to see browns as well.

The Potomac is really low so that may have something to do with it.

Or it may just be that time of year.

The paddle jacket was a little too warm until I got a lap full of cold water surfing across the Maryland chute. That made me glad for both the jacket and the wet suit booties.

I expect I’ll be bundled up for the next several months now — as long as it seems nice enough to be out.

On the river this time
last update: 10/16 @ 11:23

Sarah was off Saturday morning helping to raise money for Children’s Hospital.

I was a slacker and headed out to the Potomac.

It was very pretty fall day to be out. Cool but not cold.

And the leaves are starting to show some color.

I’m not sure how colorful they will be around here. But I expect to get on the river a few more times this fall to see.

Another pretty day
last update: 09/25 @ 11:32

We paid attention to the weather forecast and headed to the river yesterday to avoid the possible rain and thunderstorms today.

With the quick shift to fall weather over the last day or two, it was much cooler than it has been but still a very nice day.

We opted to paddle up the gorge rather than just stay around Angler’s Inn this time.

Always good to see how pretty a spot that is.

Also clear from these photos: the low, fall water level.

2.85 is not unusually low for this time of year.

But clearly (looking at the bathtub rings) lower than the year round average.

We took the easy way out and carried the boats over some of the rocks to get up to what was left of Rocky Island before turning back around to go with the flow.

It was a really nice way to spend the first fall weekend day of the year.

We’re looking forward to more (before it gets too cold).

Another pretty day on the river
last update: 09/18 @ 23:16

It was another beautiful afternoon.

Sarah and I headed to Angler’s Inn

Just to play around.

We were not the only ones out there.

But there was plenty of fun to be had by all.

We played abound a bit in the Maryland chute.

(I said it was hard but not impossible to flip the inflatable.)

And headed across the river to play around a bit in the Virginia chute.

We even got to see someone’s first descent.

He was on a paddleboard and did OK.

Well, it’s a forgiving spot.

He fell off the paddleboard above the drop.

And he fell off the paddleboard below the drop.

But he was having a good time and carried back up to run it again.

We enjoyed watching him learn to respect the current.

And we enjoyed playing around in the current ourselves.

It really was a lovely afternoon.

I’m looking forward to many more.

Back on the Potomac
last update: 09/04 @ 21:53

With Robert settling in to his new routine, Sarah and I headed to the Potomac this afternoon.

It’s been a while since we’ve run Anglers to Lock 10.

This time, with two cars, no need to wave down a taxi or Lyft for the shuttle.

That helped to make sure I had my paddle this time.

The water level was a bit low.

But we still had a fun time on the river out on a pretty day.

It was fun to see what we could see at low water.

And I have to confess to missing a brace at the end of Yellow Falls.

But I went back out play there. Thank you SZap for the excelleng photo.

I expect we’ll do more of this with Covid fading and Rober doing his own thing on the other coast.

Nice day
last update: 08/14 @ 17:12

The weather was so nice this weekend I had to get out on the river.

That helped a little bit with my sadness at Robert moving out to Seattle.

And it’s always nice to spend some time at Angler’s Inn on the Potomac. There were other folks out but not too many; I got to play in the Maryland chute as much as wanted to without having to take a break other than to bail out the water.

Potomac Fun
last update: 07/10 @ 22:25

Yesterday was pretty rainy but today was another perfect day to be on the river. There were more people out and about than last weekend, but still plenty of fun to be had.

First 2022 Potomac trip
last update: 03/19 @ 22:54

It was a perfect day to take advantage of Daylight Saving Time and get out on the river in the evening. The water was still cold, but the air was about 77 and a lovely blue sky (completely over exposed in this photo, sorry).

And an excellent way to welcome Spring!

Sad end to the day
last update: 12/18 @ 23:54

The day started pretty well…

After finishing up some household chores, I popped the canoe on car and headed towards Angler’s Inn.

The traffic on the American Legion bridge was crazy bad and I made a huge detour south to go across Chain bridge.

At that point I was starting to think about just heading back home.

But I made the crazy detour and by the time I got to Anglers, there were parking places and I was ready to get on river.

It was cloudy and cool.

But for December, it was great!

There were a few other folks out but not many and so it felt like I had the river to myself.

While the water level was low, I had fun.

A bit of surfing across the Maryland chute, and a bit of surfing across the Virginia chute.

And I was almost able to make the attainment up the center channel. Almost, but not quite.

Then, when I got home Sarah came out to tell me that Pinker was not doing well.

She’s been ill but hanging on for months; however, the last couple days, she’s stopped coming upstairs and purring.

Sarah said she was just sitting all day with her head pointed to the wall.

It was time to say goodbye. A very sad trip to the vets office. But it was nice for all of us to be able to go.

Robert just held her in the back seat (and took this final photo).

She’s been with us for just over a decade and she will be sadly missed.

I know her brother misses her as well. We’ll be sad for while, but our lives were made better by having her a part of the last decade; we’ll remember all the fun and joy she brought and enjoy her brother’s company.

We can have fun outside too
last update: 10/03 @ 22:12

Robert had volleyball on Saturday.

That meant homework on Sunday.

Well… He also was hoping to watch the Talladega NASCAR race. But really he had homework.

Which meant he could not join us on the river.

Sarah borrowed his inflatable and we headed to Angler’s Inn.

It’s close, convenient and fun.

And it lived up to all three.

Great weather too!

We played a bit in the Maryland chute. Then headed across the river to the Virginia chute.

It was late enough in the fall day that the Virginia chute was in the shadows and a bit cool.

But very much fun.

We saw a lot of paddle boards. And a couple flotilla of kayaks. We even some some slalom boats — including a C1 — headed upstream.

Sorry, we only took selfies, so you have to trust us about the others.

Beautiful day
last update: 09/19 @ 23:02

A perfect day to be on the river. Just a bit over 80 degrees, not too many others out there and the level was a nice 3.4 feet.

A very nice way to end a nice weekend.

(And a nice return to normal for the blog…)

Fun, busy weekend
last update: 09/06 @ 21:12

We started the long weekend by smoking some ribs, chicken and salmon. It was Robert’s idea and he was in charge of the sauce and keeping the temperature right in the smoker (when he wasn’t napping).

It was a perfect way to bookend the summer as we had the smoker out as 11th grade was winding down at the start of the summer.

This time we had two of the four Gaughs over (rather than the MRC crowd) so there have been more leftovers.

And today, I enjoyed the perfect weather and higher water to get back out in the canoe.

The river was high enough to make the ferry to the Virginia chute a bit of challenge.

(I didn’t give any thought to trying to get up the center channel.)

All-in-all, a great, long weekend!

Hot day on the river
last update: 08/28 @ 22:12

The thermometer in the car said 93 as I headed to Angler’s Inn. It was hot in sun but the water felt good (I had to rinse an ant colony out of my boat so that was a great excuse to just stand in the water for a few minutes).

Pretty day, but hot. I read in the paper over half the days in August have been above 90 and today was one more.

Robert, back in school, was doing homework. Sarah, after a busy week, was enjoying her book.

Another beautiful day
last update: 08/08 @ 22:53

Sarah and I got back to Angler’s Inn this afternoon. Robert is getting over a summer cold and napped most of the afternoon away. We’ll get him back out before schoot starts.

Nice day on the river
last update: 07/25 @ 22:25

The traditional trip to the Lego store followed by Sushi-go-round was yesterday.

Robert spent most of the afternoon and evening building the Mustang set. Pictures to come of that.

And we watched some Olympics yesterday.

And again this morning.

But it was time to get out of the house by this afternoon.

Robert met up at a volleyball court for some outdoor volleyball (and injured his knee a bit).

Sarah and I headed to Angler’s Inn and paddled up the gorge.

It was a perfect day for it.

The occasional slip off the board or attempt to roll the canoe were felt great. And the threat of rain held off (we did hear some distant thunder).

For the record, it looks easier to roll a canoe on Youtube than I found it to be. That is still a work in progress.

Still getting used to it…
last update: 07/19 @ 17:52

Robert had to work yesterday afternoon. Sarah and I did some errands in the morning and then headed to the river in the afternoon.

While it’s low, it’s still a lot of fun.

And very pretty to be on the Potomac by Angler’s Inn. I’m sorry Robert missed it; maybe next time.

Fun Father’s Day
last update: 06/20 @ 23:15

While Sarah was representing the family in Connecticut for a wedding, Robert and I watched the F1 Grand Prix this morning. Then he had to go to Shocker: work!

First though, I unwrapped my big box of nothing: my Father’s Day pressie is delayed, but I expect it will be Lego Bricks.

Then I got out on the river and later Pocket and her friend came by for a friendly, well, actually, cutthroat game of Catan. (After a few laser tag games once Robert got off work.)

It was a lovely mellow day.

Beautiful day
last update: 03/21 @ 22:40

I got back out on the river for the first time in months. The water is still a bit cold, but with the sun out, it felt wonderful.

I saw geese and ducks but it’s too early for ducklings.

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