Vicki and I decided to try the Ellison Park Shuttle today. We’ve paddled up and back on Irondequoit Creek many times, and we thought it would be fun to try a trip where you just go with the current the whole way.
I’ve made a Google Maps Pedometer map of the route, but I had to guess where the route actually started, so the 4.4 miles it shows might be off by plus or minus half a mile.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, but Vicki had a lot more trouble with it than I did. I’ve been paddling that kayak and that creek a lot more than Vicki has, and I’ve been paddling for decades. Vicki kept finding the current turning her sideways and crashing into the bank. I tried to explain about the way the current kicks out the stern once the boat gets a little bit sideways. I tried to explain about countering the correction before the boat even gets straight otherwise it will swing through and you’ll end up overcorrecting. I tried to explain about leaning and weight shift. But basically, I can’t explain it because I’ve just practiced it until it’s second nature, and I don’t even know what I’m doing. I just know that watching her, I seem to be doing 1/4 the work that she is. I guess it’s a matter of practice.
The top part of the creek is nice – it’s covered over with trees, and we watched a couple of Kingfishers leap frog each other down the creek. The baby ducks and geese were quite huge – hard to tell from the adults until you get close. Vicki saw an absolutely huge snapping turtle near the weir, but I didn’t see it. Down near Bay Creek we saw a couple of swans with nearly grown babies. And one crazy swan that was chasing geese. Somebody at Bay Creek says that swan seems to spend all this time chasing geese. Strange.