We set out on June second for a six day paddle down the Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay. This was the 13th Paddle to the Bay sponsored by the Anacostia Watershed Society The paddle’s purpose is to highlight the beauty and history of the area, and the importance of improving the quality of the rivers, such as the Anacostia, that feed the great Potomac.
I had really looked forward to this trip because of the area’s history and the Potomac’s place in it. But I really had no conception of what the Potomac itself would be like. I found myself trying to describe the unexpected size, beauty and wildness of the river with words like “awesome”, “magnificent”, “unexpected” and other superlatives that all fell far short of what I was feeling as I paddled toward the Chesapeake Bay. This is a river that is navigable for about the same length as the Hudson in New York, but it is much wider and, at least on the eastern side, the Maryland shore, it is unexpectedly wild. We had some easy days and some challenging days both on the water and on the land. But every day’s paddle was wonderful with so much to see and enjoy!
I will be doing a full trip report on this adventure in the days ahead. In the mean time, check out the daily trip reports that our leader, Robert Boone (a great, great, great grand nephew of Daniel Boone), filed with his office each day: Paddle to the Bay 2008
