01/02/2010 - Justins Bay

Launch: 5-Rivers
We had a GPS workshop at 5-Rivers today. Things went pretty bad. I was there to show participants how to create a track in Google Earth and transfer it to their GPS. Almost everyone brought their laptops but no one was able to access the internet. Some sort of network glich. Tried to make the best of it with a presention and discussion about GPS devices. Went out to lunch afterward to Ed's Seafood Shack. After lunch, Lee, Bob, Tom and myself braved the 47 degree temperature with a relentless little 10-15 mph wind from the Northeast to do a short paddle. Water levels were pretty low in Justins Bay.

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1) Lee heads north in Popcorn Alley (off Justins Bay) and a big heron not far ahead.

2) Bob, Tom, and Lee (left to right), on the way back through the cut between Justins Bay and Sardine Pass.

3) Tom in his sharp loooking NDK Romany kayak.

4) Because 5-Rivers locks its gates near sunset, I drove up the road about two miles to watch the sunset.

12/22/2009 - Justins Bay

Launch: 5-Rivers

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1) Wanted to explore all the nooks and crannies of Sardine Pass and Justins Bay today. This is Sardine Pass.

2) Waters were slick in Justins Bay when I started.

3) Unfortunately, pesky little coot kept disturbing the waters in front of me for most of the paddle today. Coot would fly off a few hundred feet ahead and land, I'd catch them, off they would fly another couple of hundred feet.

4) I was starting to creep up on an Owl and the noisy little pack of coot scared off the owl when they started to fly across the water.

5) There were a couple of patches of weeds I wanted to paddle through but the seeds of the Bur-Marigold served as a deterent. I didn't want to get plastered with itchy seeds that stick through the clothing.

6) Even in the wide open waters of Justin Bay, the coot constantly stay a few hundred feet ahead of me, flying off from time to time and disturbing the once slick waters.

7) The bright colors of many spent shells adorned the waters of upper Justin Bay.

8) After about an hour and a half, I finally got away from the Coot and the waters slicked off again.

9) Because 5-Rivers locks its gates at 5:00 pm, I had to watch the sunset from another location. I waited in anticipation for all the clouds to light up because there was an open slot on the horizon for the sun to shine through. 

10) The colors never materialized. It was still a pretty sunset. Coot can be seen meandering in the waters.