One of the first places we visited in Seattle was the Pike Place Market. Open since 1907, it is one of America’s oldest public farmers’ markets. It attracts more than 10 million visitors annually, earning it the rank of 33rd most visited tourist attraction in the world. Certainly a place to overwhelm the senses; the smell of fresh cod in the air, vendors bargaining, the fresh, salty air from the Elliot Bay and of course tastes of all different sorts. I was able to pick up a cool book on canoeing in British Columbia, serving as a little incentive to return one day.
The Chesapeake Bay is a short 1 hour drive away from Richmond, VA.
There is never a shortage of waterways to explore in Virginia. In a short 1 hour road trip from Richmond, one can reach the largest estuary in the United States; the Chesapeake Bay. Here, fresh water from over 150 rivers and streams of New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia meet the Atlantic Ocean to create a brackish water ecosystem teeming with diverse wildlife and vegetation. There isn’t a better way to connect with this landscape than by canoe. We decided to paddled through the south arm of the Ware River, one of five canoe trails that make up the Gloucester Blueways. The county established these Blueways as a way to encourage visitors to the area and to encourage preservation of these precious lands.
Unloading at the Mobjack Bay
The population of bald eagles and osprey has been healthy in recent years and we had were within sight of them the second we reached the put in. The salty waters of the Mobjack bay was surprisingly clear and calm as we embarked on our excursion.
The launch
A sense of calm and stillness surrounded us as we approached the wetlands. We were protected from the wind by reeds and twists of and turns of the stream. I was stunned by the vast array of wildlife we encountered. From blue crabs, to herons and even a red-tailed hawk, each bend of the river presented a new surprise.
There is certainly something very special about the wetlands. For years the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has been fighting to protect these lands. These regions are especially important in preserving the clarity of the Chesapeake bay. It is the final stop for all of our river and stream runoff from land before it reaches the bay. The major pollutants of the bay are in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus. Such elements are crucial to life, however an overabundance can be detrimental. When these elements are in excess, they contribute to algae blooms which clouds the water and inhibits sunlight that is crucial to the growth of bay grasses. The decline in oxygen from dying plants can cause dramatic pH changes which can kill off crabs, fish and more plants. Today, 300 million pounds of polluting nitrogen reaches the bay each year, over 6 times the amount that reached the bay in the 1600s.
Bald Eagle in flight
Floating
blue crab
osprey country
into the wetlands
While the war effort in cleaning the bay is underway on many fronts. Many believe that the oyster will be the savior of the bay. The eastern oyster is an incredibly resilient species, although years of disease, pollution and over harvesting have caused numbers in the bay to decrease to less than 1% of what it once was. This shift in oyster population has also contributed to the decline in the health of the bay. Oysters are able to filter up to one gallon of water in one hour. They play a vital role in preserving the clarity and hence the habitat of the Chesapeake Bay. In the recent years, the news has been promising with oyster populations making a bounce back and with them, the blue crab population. Both iconic species of the Chesapeake Bay.
I had some time at the end of this trip to reflect on some tripping gear as well. This was my third outing on the prospector, and so far she has been handling like a dream. At only 52 lbs, she’s a breeze to load onto the car and take anywhere. She is responsive and feels comfortable on all different types of water. The comfortable yoke design also makes her almost a joy to portage…but i wouldn’t go that far. I’ve also been quite happy with the Sony a6000 mirrorless camera I’ve been shooting with. I’ve realized that I normally shooting in fairly wide angles at an average of 16mm. Although I haven’t used many other lenses other than my portrait 35mm, I can definitely see the utility in the zoom lenses >250mm in capturing wildlife. The eight bald eagle sightings on this trip convinced me to at least look into some of these lenses.
Mobjack Bay, Virginia
The scorching Virginia summers often steer our canoe trips to the cooler mountain lakes, however this is spring, and anything is fair game. It was actually a refreshing and chilly day as we paddled, at temperatures in the 50s F. Let’s see how long these cool temperatures last. With the north arm of the Ware River and four more routes to explore on the Gloucester Blueways, there’s still plenty to see. Long live the Chesapeake Bay.
The trail to the waterfalls follows St. Mary’s river as it meanders through the Blue Ridge. Follow the pink ribbons to reach the falls.A 2 hour drive to reach the well maintained St. Mary’s Road. Approach the trail from the Cold Springs Road.
When presented with free time and the opportunity to explore arises, it can be difficult to decide where to go. The number of destinations seem endless with each place offering something completely different: the Blue Ridge mountains to the west, the coastal tidewater to the east and the Appalachian plateau to the Southwest. I usually end up letting the season and conditions deciding for me. What better place to explore in early Spring than the St. Mary’s Wilderness Area in the Blue Ridge? I read numerous reviews about the area of its beauty and clear river beds. St. Mary’s is designated a wilderness area, and as such, the trails are poorly marked. It appeared that summer hikers frequently got lost on the poorly marked trails and overgrown brush. I hoped to avoid all of this by navigating in early spring, with bare trees and clearer paths.
Rock hopping
St. Mary’s Falls
Trail Markers
Pink ribbon marked the trail
Honey wine
Spring phlox
My cousin from Toronto accompanied me on this outing, marking his first proper hike in Virginia. When we arrived to the trail head, I was surprised to find that the earth was scorched and the trees charred. I later learned that a wildfire just two weeks prior had burned over 800 acres of the wilderness area. St Mary’s spans over 35,000 acres making it the largest Virgina Wilderness area on national forest land. The region was previously a mining ore for manganese and iron until it was abandoned in the mid 1900s. Today it serves as a beautiful hiking and fly fishing trail along the St Mary’s River, complete with a beautiful waterfall at the end.
Making a dry crossing
Canyon view
There are numerous routes to get to the waterfall. The most popular route listed on Hikingupwards.com recommended starting out along the Blue Ridge Parkway. One reviewer discouraged this path, because it was poorly marked and he took numerous detours after getting lost. They recommended an easier way to get to the falls. Off of Cold Springs Rd (Route 608) is St Marys Road. This road is in excellent shape and leads you all the way down to a well kept parking area and the beginning of the trail that puts you right next to St Marys River. From there, you simply follow the river to the falls. Internet win.
We tried our hand at some Tenkara, a form of Japanese fly fishing that does not require a reel.
The hike twists and turns through a beautiful gorge, providing a unique vista in Virginia. There was lots of rock hopping, and scaling as the trail crossed back and forth over the river five times. We tried our hand also at some Tenkara (traditional Japanese fly fishing). This style of fly fishing uses only a rod, line and fly – no reel. With flask in hand with some Nordic honey wine and packed lunches, we enjoyed the peace of spring time in the mountains.
The canoe is a Canadian icon. One model in particular exemplifies the spirit of northern canoe tripping, it is known as the Prospector. The Chestnut Canoe company was based out of the maritime province of New Brunswick and was the leading producer of fine wood canvas canoes at the end of the 19th century. They created numerous models for all types of uses including the cruisers, trappers, freights, Ogilvy’s, pleasure canoes and of course the coveted Prospector.
Chestnut Canoe Company, based out of Frederickton, New Brunswick.
The Prospector stood apart from the rest, with the ability to be used in every setting. Spacious enough to accommodate an expedition, a moderate rocker to respond quickly in rapids, and a shallow arch for stability. Since the closure of the Chestnut Canoe Company in 1979, no other canoe design has been imitated as much as the Prospector.
Although Prospector canoes are still made today by numerous different canoe companies, the Prospector made out of Royalex ceased to be in production since 2014.
Richmond, VA to Erie, PA and back in less than 24 hours.
Royalex is a composite material developed in the 1970s. It is light and very durable, ideal properties for any canoe. It is comprised of an outer layer of vinyl and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic with an inner layer of ABS foam. Unfortunately, PolyOne, a plastics company and producer of royalex at that time ended production of this material due to low demand. The last sheets were shipped out in December 2013. When word got out that royalex canoes were no longer in production, these canoes became highly sought after items. Especially by whitewater paddlers who swore by royalex canoes for their durability and lightweight.
Incidentally, one day while browsing the web, I came across a brand new one at a remote outfitter in New York state. After a series of quick phone calls, I learned it was a brand new 16ft red prospector at 52lbs. Almost half the weight of our Old Town Discovery of 3-ply construction. We decided it was time to act. We were prepared to make the drive from Richmond to New York. Fortunately, the outfitter was making a trip to Erie, PA for an outdoor show and they would be able to meet us there with the canoe. This thankfully shortened our trip by 1.5 hours each way. On a snowy night on March 4, 2016 at 3:00am, we left Richmond in the hunt for the prospector to bring her home.
Nova Craft’s modern logo still features the Thunderbird.
Nova Craft Canoe was founded in Glanworth, Ontario in 1970. The company switched owners when it was purchased in 1986. Despite this change, Nova Craft kept its name as well as its original symbol. The Nova Craft emblem features the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird is an important symbol in several Native American tribes. It is of particular significance to the Haida of the Pacific Northwest as well as the tribes of the Great Lakes. It is said to be a being of supernatural size and power, capable of producing thunder claps with its great wings. This symbol is found on numerous cedar canoes of the Pacific Northwest tribes and usually holds the top position of totem poles.
Maiden voyage out on Swift Creek Lake in Pocahontas State Park, VA.
Some thought we were crazy for driving 14 hours to pick up a canoe. Funny, we thought it would be crazy to not get her. If that’s what it takes to “paddle the truth north” (Nova Craft’s slogan). She’s now back in canuck hands. Welcome home girl.
In July 2015, we set out to explore the turquoise waters and white quartzite mountains of Killarney Provincial Park. The landscape inspired countless works by Canada’s Group of Seven Artists. This is a video of our trip. Filmed on several different cameras: Sony Nex5, Nikon 5200, GoPro Hero 2, Iphone 5 and 6.
A solid 3.5 hour drive from Richmond, Lake Moomaw is high in the mountains near the West Virginia border.
The leaves drifting from the trees in the Virginia mountains, signal the end to another canoe camping season. Min and I decided to go for one final run. It was unusually warm at Lake Moomaw up in the George Washington National Forest with temperatures in the 70s F during the day. It was a quiet couple of days with very little activity on the lake, and as usual we were the only paddlers on the lake. We had our pick of many campsites and enjoyed the peace and quiet. The only the sounds were from of shedding foliage, owls and birds of all types.
Start of the paddle out to our campsite
Wetterlings Hunter’s Axe
Japanese Single Malt
Sunset
After setting up camp, we set out to gather firewood. One of the things I like most about Virginia camping is the abundance of firewood in these deciduous forests. There were countless fallen frees in the area that were nice and dry. The area also appears to be lightly camped and as such we did not have to look far to find what we needed. The Wetterlings Hunter’s axe with it’s wider wedge, made for light work of splitting in combination with my Ray Bears bucksaw. It was also a great opportunity to put my Finnish blade the “Enzo trapper” to use. It is a full tang work horse and can easily baton through wood to make kindling and is sharp enough to produce fine feathersticks.
Gathering firewood
We enjoyed some Japanese whiskey and took in the autumn beauty, Min even had some luck fishing off the coast. Of all the wildlife we heard, I was most surprised to hear the distinct cry of a couple of loons. Initially I thought my ears had deceived me – I didn’t think loons were this far south? However upon further research, it appears that many of them migrate south during this time of the year along the east coast and through Virginia.
foliage
mirror
Scandi grind
Min and his trophy
campsite
stars
Min was nice enough to prepare all of the meals for the trip. We ate some delicious chicken breasts with rice and beans for dinner. Min actually pre-cooked the chicken so all we had to do was heat it with the rice in the cooking pot. There’s nothing quite like a warm meal on a chilly night by the campfire. We ate under the stars with breathtaking visibility. The photos I took on this trip are from a sony a6000 that I’m still learning to use. In the morning for breakfast, we had egg white omelettes with green peppers and onions. Cooking with the Trangia alcohol stove is incredibly easy and has reduced preparation time drastically.
heating the embers
reflector oven in action
The stove weighs practically nothing and the fuel burns efficiently. We used to cook by campfire however soon learned that cleaning the soot off pots and pans took way too much time, not to mention the constant tending to the fire to assure a steady heat. The Svante Freden reflector oven from Sweden is also a must on canoe camping trips. It has been a trusty companion and we used it to to prepare some hot cornbread using a recipe courtesy of Ralph in Ottawa, Canada (much appreciated!).
cornbread
bacon, eggwhites, green peppers and onions
sunrise
tent
To me, Lake Moomaw holds the title of a true Virginia gem. While there are several campsites in Virginia with lakes, only here can you get the backcountry experience of paddling to your site and setting up camp, far away from others. I can now say that I’ve camped here in 3 of the 4 seasons, spring, summer and now fall. Fall just might be my favorite. Great way to end the season.
WAY NORTH 