CANOE POCOMOKE RIVER

October 25, 2002 Friday Drive to Shad's Landing State Park

Got up at 6:00 and ran 5.1 miles in the dark. Drove 40 miles to Frederick, Maryland and met the Senior Cycling group of 10 people at the Gazebo on Second Street at 10:00. We biked a 30 mile circuit crossing one wooden covered bridge to Walkersville. We encountered a light rain for about 45 minutes and it was a cold 52^o. We stopped at the Village Tavern for a barbecue sandwich, soup, French fries and ice tea for $7.75. Back in Frederick at 1:25 I agreed to meet Ron Cully in Annapolis at 4:00.

Returned home in Columbia at 2:25. Hung my unfinished kayak and lowered my Old Town Discovery 169 canoe onto my car and lashed it down. After a quick shower I loaded my cooler with the weekend's food and took off late for Annapolis at 3:25.

I sped (unusual for me) down limited access divided highway MD-32 to I-97 where I encountered a rolling backup killing all chances of making up for my late start. I broke free briefly then encountered more slow traffic on US-50. At 4:08 I met Ron Cully at the US-50 McDonalds by the Bay Bridge. I followed Ron to the H&G Restaurant in Easton on the Eastern Shore for rockfish, macaroni cheese, salad, ice tea and blueberry pie a la mode for $14.87 plus $2 tip.

We arrived in the dark about 7:30 at Pocomoke State Park Shad's Landing 142.6 miles from Columbia and set up my tent on site #72 for $9 per night shared with Ron Cully. It is cool with the barometric pressure at 30.00" and a light rain starting as I went to bed about 9:30.

October 26, 2002 Saturday Canoe Pocomoke River

It rained all night often heavy with some lightening and thunder in the distance. Got up at 6:08 to 63^o and the barometer at 29.80" Ran in the dark and no rain. About 8:00 we gathered for a group breakfast of orange juice, hot chocolate, Danish roll and an omelet with mushroom, pepper, cheese and bacon bits. This canoe trip is scheduled by the Mountain Club of Maryland with Ted and Fran Sanderson leading it. Everyone pitches in to cook and clean up. It is pleasant getting reacquainted with people I haven't seen since a canoe trip a year ago. Many ask me about my travels over the past 12 months. A group of 10-12 led by Bob Carson (with the frequent, loud and distinctive laugh) and Kevin Presson have just returned from a week canoeing the Green River out of Moab, Utah. Ron Cully and his wooden Chesapeake Light Craft West River 164 kayak attract a lot of attention. Ron is a craftsman and the wooden kayak he built is just beautiful.

Our caravan of 16 canoe/kayak laden vehicles got under way about 9:30. We drive up river to the take out point at Porter's Landing and leave some shuttle vehicles. We continue on across the Pocomoke River and head downstream to Red House Road bridge across Nassawango Creek. We quickly unload our boats loading them with paddles, life jackets, food, water, etc. before launching them at 10:24.

We head downstream on pretty tidal Nassawango Creek. We quickly encounter a dead deer floating in the water and many ducks, geese and other water fowl. The water is the color of tea from the tannic acid leached from decaying vegetation. The shores are lined with trees beginning to take on their fall colors. After 2.3 miles we cross under the Nassawango Road bridge and the creek continues to widen to 500' near it's mouth on the Pocomoke River another mile downstream. High tide was at 8:20 so we have a little current with us in the creek. About 11:15 we beached our boats and had a cookie break.

We turn left upstream against the current and tide on the 200' wide Pocomoke River. There is some gusting wind probably 10-15 miles per hour but not too bad. It is sunny and about 58^o so it is quite pleasant. We continue for 2.1 miles to Snow Hill where we stop for lunch about 12:45. I feast on a chicken salad sub, pear, Oreo cookies and a can of cream soda. Our armada consists of 11 canoes with Dal Bunker and myself paddling single and 4 single kayaks.

Under way again we cross under the MD-12 Snow Hill bridge and soon encounter a canoe and 3 kayaks coming downstream in rented boats all members of our group. The Pocomoke (black water) River continues to narrow as we see water lilies, reeds and increasing numbers of cypress trees in the shallows and on shore. The river finally gets narrow with many channels and it is sometimes difficult to determine the main channel. After 5.1 winding and twisting miles we arrive at the take out at Porter's Landing at 3:24. I paddled the last 2-3 miles with Bonnie and Mike Jenkins in their Old Town Penobscot canoe and Tom Zittle in his Old Town Loon kayak. Don Lears & Mike Cast , Ron Cully and Duncan & Marcie Crawford are waiting for us as we arrive. We traveled 10.5 miles by canoe in 5 hours with 7.6 miles against the current.

Duncan shuttled 5 drivers back to our cars on Nassawango Creek. We returned to Porter's Landing to pick up our canoes and gear and then back to camp at Shad's Landing. I drove 35.2 miles during the shuttle.

I showered and drank a can of Budweiser that Ron gave me. I forgot to bring a water bottle this weekend so I was really thirsty. We hung around the mess tarp and tables socializing until supper about 6:00. I feasted on a tossed salad, creamy vegetable soup, spaghetti and meatballs, pumpkin pie, cheese cake and a can of cream soda.

I managed to stay up until 9:30 before crashing in my warm sleeping bag in the cold night air under a bright moon that lit up the woods.

October 27, 2002 Sunday Canoe Pocomoke River

At 2:00 a.m. we set our clocks back 1 hour to Eastern Standard Time. I slept soundly until 6:00 when the stirring of campers around me woke me up in the early dawn. I packed up and took down my tent loading everything in my car. At 7:00 I ate breakfast of 3 very large blueberry pancakes and orange juice. It is almost perfectly still as it would be all day and 59^o.

About 9:00 we started our shuttle run to the take out point in Pocomoke City. After dropping some shuttle cars we continued to our launch site at Milburn Landing in Pocomoke State Park. We took our craft off our vehicles and loaded them up. Don Lears is in the bow with me today as his partner Mike went home not feeling well. At 10:00 9 canoes with 1 single and 5 single kayaks set off downstream in the Pocomoke River as it warmed to 68^o and no wind. About 11:00 we all clumped together for a cookie break floating downstream.

We broke up and turned right up the narrow and deep Dividing Creek. We twisted and turned for 1.9 miles to the bridge for Dividing Creek Road. It is very scenic with no buildings only trees atop banks taking on their fall colors. We pass a area of cypress trees on the low right bank. One stump looks like a carved Virgin Mary but on close inspection is just a natural stump. The kayaks and 3 canoes continue past the bridge about a mile to where the creek narrows to about 15', the road is on the stream bank and there is a clump of houses. We stop here beside a big log for lunch. I enjoy a ham & cheese sub, Oreo cookies, pear and a can of cream soda. We return back down the creek passing another dead deer carcass in the water.

We are paddling with Ron but as we turn right into the wide Pocomoke River Ron takes off in his sleek kayak and is soon out of sight around the river bend. Don and I keep moving downstream for 2.6 miles as we pass under the high US-13 highway bridge and the low white Pocomoke City bridge to our take out at 2:55. Ron has been waiting for 20 minutes. We paddled 12.3 miles in 4:55.

Don shuttles us to our cars at Milburn Landing and we return to Pocomoke City to pick up our canoes and gear. We shuttled about 35 miles. I load up and head home 170 miles arriving at 7:00.