The mile and a half paddle up the western shore of Jug Bay to Jackson Landing was pretty & calm. Acres of heart-shaped spatterdock plants line the shallows, the thick green mat disrupted only by the occasional nesting platform. We spent the time catching glimpses of the Blue Angels as they performed for the airshow at nearby Andrews AFB. When we reached Jackson Landing, the river split west from the bay, bringing its banks together again, and we found ourselves on a cozy, interesting paddle through marshy areas bursting with wild rice.

A few frogs and a tiny snake vacated the shore as we arrived at Mt. Calvert Museum, where, as luck would have it, we met Dave Linthicum. Surprisingly knowledgable for someone we assumed was a fellow tourist, he shared some interesting bits of the history of the Patuxent River, along with several great suggestions for the rest of our excursion. Turns out, he's been volunteering with Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary for over a decade, and has led more trips than you can shake a paddle at. After a brief tour of the museum, we took Dave's advice and continued a little further north, up the Western Branch to Charles Branch. What a find!

Charles Branch was the highlight of a great trip. With an unassuming opening onto the river, just past Mt. Calvert, it winds lazily through reeds dotted with red winged blackbirds. Before long, the reeds give way to a canopy of trees, swaying gently over green banks dappled in warm sunlight, and dimpled with animal tracks. We paddled upstream in a gradually increasing current, passing within yards of great blue herons, their squawks startling us maybe a little more than we startled them. We'd made it most of the way to the old Chesapeake Beach Railroad (1898-1935) when we finally (prudently) decided to quit fighting the current and fallen trees, and save our tired arms for the upwind trip back to our launch site. Paddles at ease, we zoomed silently, effortlessly back out to the Patuxent, and the lengthening afternoon sun.

Sometime during the three mile upwind slog back, I remember wheezing, "Hey Jen, are those WHITECAPS up ahead?!" It wasn't long before the duck blind in the distance, like a mirage in the desert, started to look suspiciously like a 4-star tiki hotel. Fortunately, the stronger gusts didn't last long, and we made it back with just enough strength to lift the kayaks back up to the roof of the car.

This is definitely on the list of wanna-do-it-again trips. Next time, we'll launch at Jackson Landing, to have more time for exploration of points north. An overnighter would be great too, taking advantage of one of the campsites along the river. Or maybe the duck blind.

~ Christy