On May 8, 2010 I went on a canoe trip with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club on the Rivanna River. We put in at Crofton and took out at Palmyra.
Almost across the river from the put-in there is a good beach on which to land and scramble up a path through the woods to this old canal lock. We did the same float, and visited the same canal lock, in April 2009.
The wooden gates are long gone, but the stone walls of the lock are amazingly well preserved.
My paddling partner for the day was Jerry, who had never paddled a canoe before. If I remember right, he was an engineering grad student with a fiancee in Michigan. We got along well.
We stopped for lunch on a gravely island.
This shot surprises me every time I look at it. The water is just clear enough that if I don’t look closely, I get the impression that the stern of Pete’s canoe is levitating over the river.
The pace was relaxed, as it is on most OASC canoe trips.
Hi Jerry!
This woman’s name is Jolie. She and her boyfriend Rob have their own kayaks, and I’ve gone on one or two paddling trips with them outside the Club.
Rob.
Swim stop! I believe this beach is part of the Fluvanna Heritage Trail in Palmyra.
I can’t remember the pool where I observed this tadpole, but it must have been at the beach where we stopped for a swim.
A small set of rapids just above the beach sends a strong current through the middle of the river here. You can see the line of more turbulent water running across the middle of the picture in front of Pete.
Some people chose to lounge in the sun instead of swimming or wading.
This was my canoe for the day. I have my own green plastic paddle (since we rent canoes from a children’s camp and they come with mostly short paddles; having my own ensures that I’ll always get one of an appropriate length) and large blue dry bag.
I think that was Rob going in for a swim while others watched.
I handed my camera to one of the people staying ashore and plunged into the river myself.
The water was actually quite pleasant.
At the takeout, various people helped stack the canoes on their trailer again.
Even neophyte Jerry helped out with this task.
