Great Dismal Swamp/Norfolk

Here it is on Sunday and I have emerged from the Great Dismal Swamp, North Carolina and (very very nearly) the Intracoastal Waterway.

The last two days coming through the canals/locks have been a complete change from the Albemarle region and certainly a grand adventure. I just wish that it hadn't been record setting temperatures. When I got up to the visitor center on friday it was like 5:05 and all the girls were just locking up to go home for the weekend so I didn't get to check out their little center. I was able to step inside the cool, AC filled restrooms to freshen up and take a little break from the heat. When they told me the day before that I would have no problem tying up they must not have realized how low a kayak sits on the water bc I had to literally climb up the 5 foot dock to get ashore. I had been hoping that they had something a little lower so that I would have been able to get into my hatches because I had nothing edible left in my cockpit or deck bag and I was starving. (side note: I used to always say when I was hungry that I was starving but I think I've actually experienced that sensation a few times on this trip. When my body is eating away at itself because I'm burning many more calories then I can take in. This was one of those times). Anyhow, instead I had a lovely vending machine snack and then headed back out to find the feeder ditch that would take me to my intended campsite for the night.

The canal inside the locks is maintained at 6 ft. by Lake Drummond. Connecting the 2 is a feeder ditch that is about 3.5 miles long. Just about at the very end of the ditch is a recreational area overseen by the army corp of engineers which they call "the reservation" and that is where I camped for the night. CLICK HERE TO SEE THAT LOCATION. There's not much there except for a few outhouses, a very cool electric trolley that will take your boat/kayak over to spillway, and 2 screened pavilions. Those were a livesaver. You can imagine being in a swamp how bad the bugs must have been. Not only was it incredibly hot and humid but there was zero air flow. I took full advantage of the screened areas to cook, organize my things, and make a plan for the next day. It was so hot that I sweated right through the night even in a mesh top tent, with no shirt on and, of course, no sleeping bag that night. It was nice being the only one there and there were a few outlets in the laddies latrine that I found worked so I was able to plug in my phone and some auxiliary batteries too.

Saturday morning I was moving slow and by the time I got all my things together and packed the kayak back up it was 930 and I realized I hadn't left myself much time to make the 130 Deep Creek Lock opening which was a little over 15 miles away. The water in the canal is totally flat with no current so I could paddle 4-4.5 mph easily but it was hard to maintain that pace in the heat. I was sweating like I never have before. The air was so thick and humid in that canal that it was like paddling in a sauna. I couldn't take in enough water, I was stopping to drink every 10-15 minutes it seemed like. I tried my hardest to stay along the east side of the canal and get any shade I could, the only problem being that there are so many overhanging limbs and submerged obstacles along the side that it makes it tough. I pushed it as hard as I could and reached the lock right on time, bc he was running the southbound traffic first I really even had a few minutes to spare and I slipped under the low bascule bridge and got right up in place while a little nordic tug-looking thing that had passed me miles back sat waiting for it to open. The Deep Creek lock tender couldn't have been nicer and we chit chatted while he lowered me down about 7-8 feet and he brought me out an ice cold pepsi because he said it "looked like I desperately needed something cold to drink." He couldnt have been more right. I rarely drink soda, and I normally never would while I was paddling but that was one delicious pepsi and it saved the day. I felt totally drained at that point, and I was to find out later that the record high for june 7th in norfolk was set yesterday at 99.

When I got out of the lock it was like dorothy stepping out of her house into color after the twister. What a change! Whereas I had seen a total of 4 other boats in the canal on emerging I was immediately surrounded by at least 20 wave runners. Back and forth. They never seem to go anywhere exactly, they just stick within a little 1 mile range zipping around, hooting and hollering, and putting up bath-tub wake. That was when I realized that I had just about had it for the day. I called a really nice fellow named Al who had contacted me and offered a place to crash and we arraigned to meet at a public ramp another 4-5 miles up north. I am so luck that he was able to help me out because I was completely worn out. It also meant that I didn't have to worry about paddling through the Norfolk harbour while tired and with the tall ship festival going on.

Al and his wife Mary helped get me all fixed up last night. I had a nice big dinner, an unbelievable shower (it felt so good to get 4 days of sweat and river/canal water off me) and played with their awesome dog Pandit before crashing hard for the night. I took advantage of their generous offer to lay low for a day to hang out in some AC, hit the grocery store to resupply, and do a little planning. I'm 90% sure I have a good strategy figured out for tomorrow but it could all change at a moments notice. We'll see what happens. I've really enjoyed meeting Al, Mary, their son Chris who was nice enough to cart me around today, and hearing Al's great stories about his own adventure up the ICW with his daughter as his first mate. THANK YOU GUYS!

BTW I'm really glad I decided to go the Dismal Swamp route. It really was an experience. Not only is it the oldest waterway in the country (1784) but it was surveyed in part by George Washington, was a hide out along the banks for freed slaves, has the only joint highway/waterway visitor center in the country, and is listed on the registry of national historic places. I did hear a lot before I started about its tranguility and that's true I guess in parts but it does basically run parallel to rt 17 so there is a lot of car/motorcycle noise which is strange. From what I've read though many cruisers are scared of the canal bc of the many horror stories of broken props and snagged mast heads so the ones that do run it are part of a special little group. Plus not every boat can - you have to draw 5 ft or less. I would like to consider myself part of that group now.

Oh, so I didn't even mention: I'm not done with the ICW yet. I took out at about mile 4. So unless there is a VERY LARGE unforeseen problem tomorrow morning will be another milestone in the trip and I will leave the ICW behind. Its very exciting (to me).

Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter but on the bay there should at least be a breeze.