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Matta, Poni, and Mattaponi River: 11/24/06
Rt. 632 Edgehill Academy Road to Milford, VA (14.5 miles)
River level: 696 to 1110 cfs (Flood stage)
Paddle partner: Kirk Sweeney
Time: about 6 hrs.
Navigation: Topo maps / terrain association
Photos: yes

The put-in is very small and is in a curve of the road so be very careful. The beginning of this paddle would not be possible in any less water. The Matta River in this section has many blow-overs and low hanging branches. Within the first hundred or so yards we had to get out (in the
water) of the canoes and drag them around many obstacles. During one of the many drags I dropped my non water proof camera in the drink. It was shot. With the water level as high as it was, it was hard at times to remain in the river channel. We were laying down in the canoes and
pulling on the branches that engulfed our canoes to make forward progress at times. Needless to say we were making a whole lot of noise and spotting wild life was almost impossible. Somewhere We heard deer crashing all around us and caught a glimpse of them here and there. Once
you get to the confluence of the Poni River and the beginning of the Mattaponi the paddling get better. Now on the Mattaponi we saw plenty of deer, turkey, owls, red tail hawks and many ducks. We stopped and eat lunch at the Rt. 626 bridge. There are two more bridges, Rt. 605 and Rt.
207. The river comes very close to the CSX railroad a couple of times as well. We took out at the Rt. 722 bridge and were glad to be done with this section. This section is not at all like the middle sections of the Mattaponi.

Mattaponi River: 1/14/07
Rt. 722 Milford, VA to Rt. 647 Reedy Mill, VA
River level:
Paddle partner: Kirk Sweeney
Time: about 7 hrs.
Navigation: Topo map / terrain association
Photos: Yes

Lost my notes on this paddle. Will post shortly

Mattaponi River: 10/29/06
Reedy Mill, VA. to Rt. 628 (about 18 miles)
River level: 713
Paddle partner: Kirk
Time: 7 hrs.
Navigation: Topo map / terrain association
Photos: Yes

Very nice paddle. Very remote. Saw tons of wildlife. 4 beavers, 2 Red tail Hawks, 2 Great Blue Heron, countless deer(6 bucks), turtles and 1 northern water snake that looked like a copperhead. Shortly after we got underway(1.8miles), we came across an area that used to be one of the
largest tire dumps in Virginia. It's basically a huge drainage located on a really high bank on the Northeastern side of the river. The drainage is just under 100 ft tall. From what Kirk stated, the whole drainage was full with tires at one time. Only a few tires remain now and there is some type
of small dam in the drainage near the river. Also saw some cool fossils in the clay on the banks of the drainage. This section of the river has many oxbows and really goes from one side of the topo to the other. There are many island in this section that would be suitable for camping.
Around N37 53.254 / W77 12.263 (WGS 84) there is a short cut that will save about an mile of paddling. The short cut basically turns the oxbow into an island. This short cut brings you out right near a walking bridge and the first house we saw on this section. Soon the Maracossic will
dump into the river from the left. See trip logs from Maracossic paddle. There are also a few good sized swamps and creeks that can be paddled when the water level is up.

Mattaponi River: 12/31/05
Rt. 628 bridge to Zoar (around 11 miles)
River level: 821
Paddle partner: Kirk Sweeney
Time: around 6 hrs.
Navigation: Topo maps / terrain association
Photos: yes

Put in at the Rt. 628 bridge early morning. Be careful at the put in. It is very steep and slippery. You can park on the side of the road near the bridge. (Not a lot of room though)This was an awesome paddle. We saw deer swimming across the river. A bald eagle scouting his/her hunting
grounds. A river otter chased along the bank, while we floated by for about 25 yards and then disappeared over a high bank. A few ducks were spooked as we got close to them. We saw a lot of deer hunters hunting the banks. They were hunting with dogs and all were very nice. I was
glad we decided to wear blazed orange during our float though. The nice thing about this stretch of river is that there is little development on the river. Kirk and I also took most feeder creeks as far as possible before having to portage the canoes. We got out of the canoes and explored
some land we had access to. There is a ton of wetlands just over the high bank all down the river. These wetlands are full of wild life. Lunch was taken on a nice piece of high ground with a great view of the river. About 1/3 of the way through on river right you will come to the eastern most
stand of Hemlock trees in Virginia. Do not be fooled by the banks of the river. (I was) In places, the banks appear to be large rock formations exposed by the flow of water. When in fact, the bank is a blue marle clay type of soil. This soil was laid down long ago by an ancient ocean. Our
observation was that the river's current seemed to pick up along these types of banks. The pace of the river was a bit over lazy. No white water on this stretch and just a few trees/branches to dodge here and there. Anyone should be able to paddle this stretch. Keep in mind though it is a
full day of paddling when you do some exploring. Most of the land along this stretch is privately owned so respect their rights. The take out at Zoar State Forest is public and has a nice take out. The park has a trail or two and has plenty of parking. Just down river a few miles is Aylett, VA.
Just above Aylett, the river becomes tidal so plan accordingly.

Mattaponi River: 2/11/07
Zoar to Aylett, VA
Paddle partner: Kirk, Elizabeth
Time: about 4 hrs
Navigation: Topo map / terrain association
Photos: yes

Very nice paddle with a short shuttle. Very cold on the river today though. A lot of history on this section. The town of Dunkirk was at one time a really busy place. Not much remains of the town, the land the town was on is private so respect the owners. You can see the remains of the old
bridge that crossed the Mattaponi. It has been said that George Washington had used the bridge when traveling in the area. The old pillions are on river right about half way through the paddle. Aylett, VA was a hub activity at one time. Part of this section is tidal so make sure you check the
tide. I paddled Kirk's Necky Looksha 17' during this paddle and really enjoyed it. If you do not own a canoe or kayak, call Gary Rouse at www.mattaponi.com/ he can fix you up with either. I have paddled with Gary and he is a treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to the rivers
around the area.

Mattaponi River: 2/3/08
Aylett to Walkerton, VA
Paddle partner: Kirk
Time: 4.5 hrs
Out going tide
Navigation: GPS
Photos: yes

Very nice paddle. My first paddle with my new Necky Chatham 17' kayak. First, the kayak performed very well and I'm pleased to say the least. Saw a few motor boats on the river and all were taking advantage of the nice weather fishing. Blue Herons were everywhere on the upper
section of this paddle. Kirk and I paddled up Aylett creek to the bridge on Mill Road. We had to paddle up and over a small beaver dam and had some spots where the water was really shallow but we made it. There is a little section on the creek where two hawks hang out and hunt. At
Roanes Wharf the river really opens up. About 500ft wide here. Down river there are a few mud flats / island that you can paddle around depending on the tide. On river left we paddle past Whitehall and spotted a bald eagle in the tall trees. We ended the paddle about a mile down river at
Walkerton, VA

Dragon Run Swamp: 1/21/06
Rt. 602 bridge to New Dragon Bridge at Mascot (5.16 miles)
River level: 175 with 178 being mean
Paddle Partner: Kirk Sweeney
Time: around 5.5 hours
Navigation: Topo maps / terrain association
Photos: yes

Kirk and I were hoping to paddle a lower section of the Dragon on this day. We had the weather and the fact that we had never done the stretch before working against us. After, it being a go- no go up to the last minute we headed for the put in at the Rt. 602 bridge. We actually put in just up
from the bridge and got us another 20 some minutes of paddling. We encountered duck hunters with in five minutes. We paddled by them and the decoys to observe a bald eagle on what looked like a trial run on the decoys. We both would have liked to see the eagle snatch one of the
decoys out of the water. The river/ channel here is pretty wide and deep. It continues this way about 250 yards past the bridge and then goes to a smaller channel, but definitely paddle able with a 16' canoe. Friends of the Dragon owns land on the north west side of the bridge. They have a
kiosk there of what you might find on the Dragon. We came to the first and only portage of this trip, a blow over. See photos. No big deal, we simply pulled the canoes about 20' and back into the swamp. The channel is pretty simple to keep up with if you look at which way the water is
flowing. (There are some spots, near/ after large beaver dams that the swamp empties it's self on all sides and then flows back into it's self down swamp.) These areas can be difficult areas to stay with the channel. Just take your time and visually scout the options. (Also, look for where the
blow overs have been cut to re-open the channel.) It is important that you stay with the channel or you might spend the night in the swamp. This would be a good time to explain that the Dragon is well isolated with very few residences or road near by. I have read / heard that on average
it would be a minimum mile walk through the swamp to get to a road or a house. Next we came to what is called "Little Island." It is important that you go left at this junction. It appears that the channel goes right because there is much more water to the right. There is a small yellow arrow
pointing to the left nailed to a tree on the island. Go left, through the small channel. ( My guess is that Friends of the Dragon put the signs up.) This section is narrow and winding which snakes between the Little island and the Big Island. Soon we came to the "Big Island." Friends of the
Dragon also own this island. There is a small dock and campsite on the north end of the island. They have another campsite on the southern end of the island. A trail circles the island which we walked. We observed several deer rubs and a ton of birds. This island was used as some sort
of base of operations for a lumber company. The remains of an old steam saw mill are on the island along with the well it used for water. A light rain started as we ate our lunch near the southern campsite. We signed the guest logbook and then head back into the water. Keep in mind there
are bald cypress tress all along the way with a few really large ones. I counted 9 plus beaver lodges during the trip. We crossed several beaver dams all under one foot in height. As we paddled we saw more eagles, beaver lodges and dams. Towards the end of the float you will come
across a new home right on the swamp. Just past that you will come to a really tall and old cypress with a huge eagle nest in the top. The eagle was on a nearby branch. It was a great sight to see. We paddled on and reached the New Dragon bridge. Friends of the Dragon owns the land
at the take out and there is another kiosk and trail around the property. We loaded the canoes and gear in the truck then headed back to the put in. This was my first trip on the Dragon and I have to say it was great. Plenty of wildlife and a very wilderness feel to the swamp. I can see me
doing this stretch often. I plan to paddle this stretch again and camp over night on the "Big Island."

South Anna River: 12/26/05
Rt. 33 bridge to Rt. 54 bridge (6.5 miles)
River level:
Paddle Partner: Josh Johnson
Time: 2.5 hours
Navigation: Topo map / terrain association
Photos: yes

Did this quick paddle with my brother Josh Johnson while he was on leave. The put-in at Rt. 33 is nice with plenty of parking as is the take-out at Rt. 54. Josh is in the United States Marine Corps. Josh and I paddled at a quick pace and did not do much exploring. We did see four deer
swim across the river and a few hawks. We came across a few rock gardens and had no problems except a few scrapes of the hull. The river level was up a bit, so at low water the paddle could be touch and go. The half way mark is around the Gilman's Bridge. There is a nice set of
rapids after the bridge with plenty of lines to choose from. We saw several small islands along the way. Future plans would be to float the remaining sections down to the confluence of the Pamunkey.

Maracossic Creek / Mattaponi River: 2/25/06
Rt. 627 bridge to Rt. 628 bridge (6.5 miles)
River level: 563
Paddle Partner: Kirk
Time: 5.5 hours
Navigation: Topo map / terrain association
Photos: yes

We got a late start on this trip, put in at Rt. 627 bridge right at 12 noon. The put-in has right much room for vehicles, no real steep bank to deal with. The Maracossic Creek is a tributary of the Mattaponi River. Kirk refers to it as the small Mattaponi. We paddled down creek and were greeted
with our first huge blow over. No possible way around, so we just pulled the canoes over the log and continued on. (See photo of Kirk just finishing the pull over.) There would be 5 or 6 of these blow overs to deal with on the Maracossic. We also encountered a lot of low branches and trees
that required technical paddling to say the least. This paddle would be difficult while paddling a kayak. It was hard enough in a canoe. The pace of the water was slow but steady. Kirk was on a mission to find a not so common wetland plant and we made several stops to find it. {Isoetes
lacustris or Quill-wort} This plant appears to be some type of grass. The plant is found in the lower areas behind the flood banks of the creek, particularly near the seeps that run out of the high banks. These seeps form a small marshy/swamp area. (See photos of plant and seeps) While I
was photographing icicles on the bank I heard something small walking on the opposite bank. I turned to see a raccoon drinking from the creek. The raccoon looked up at me and did not seem to be concerned. I took several photos and moved on. We saw or heard 20 plus deer on this
paddle. Countless ducks with one Mallard unable to fly. Several hawks. We came to the confluence with the Mattaponi at about the 3.58 mile mark and ate lunch. (See photos of confluence) After lunch, we paddled up the Mattaponi about a mile and saw more deer. There is a huge
swamp just up river and during times of higher water could be explored. We turned our canoes down river and headed for the Rt. 628 bridge. We observed Boiler run, another smaller creek that feeds the Mattaponi. When we came to the spot where Rt. 628 use to cross the Mattaponi we
observed the old bridge abutments that are still visible Someone that now owns the land has built a structure on it. The old gaging station was there as well. Someone had forced the door open. We paddled on to the bridge as it was getting dark. This take- out is steep and slippery. This was
an awesome paddle. It is not for everyone though. Some parts of the Maracossic are tight and technical. A lot of blow overs and low branches to deal with. The reward though is almost total wilderness. No development to speak of and wild life everywhere.

Also, this was my first time using the rig in photo #1. I bought the Yakima towers and bar. I made the hitch mounted attachment. Total cost $122.00. (for the Yakima parts)

Swift Creek Lake (Pocahontas State Park): 3/12/06
Chesterfield, VA. off Beach Road
Paddle Partner: Whitney (daughter)
Time: few hours
Navigation: Topo map / terrain association
Photos: Yes

Took my daughter out for her first canoe trip. Wanted to make it easy for her and enjoyable. Since there is little water in the rivers at this time I thought this paddle would do. As it turns out, this is a nice paddle. We started out by paddling up Swift creek which feeds the lake. Came across
several bank fisherman, all were have OK luck. Wanting to see how far we could paddle up the creek, we paddled on to find tons of turtles on every available log / branch laying in the water. If you get to close to them they will drop off and disappear. At least two Herons were observed up
the creek as well as a beaver lodge. We got about a mile up the creek and had too turn around. (Huge blow over) Going past the landing into the main lake showed that more people had come to the lake. The lake itself is not wide at all. The widest park we observed was couple hundred
yards. During the summer, this place must really be busy. There is a water park near the landing and has to be full of people during the hot months. We observed more turtles and more Herons. (I think they are Blue Herons) I counted four flying together and spotted two others. We wanted
to check out what looked like a good size island (on the topo) towards the dam and paddled on. Spotted another beaver lodge or two but no island. Very shallow where the island was suppose to be. I figure one of the hurricanes must have had something to do with the missing island. We
pulled over and had lunch on a rock and took some photos. Saw two kayakers paddle by. Since, there was no island, we decided to paddle up a small feeder creek that leads to a dam and Third Branch Lake. On the way there, we saw what must have been at least ten- plus snakes.
They were all over the leafy bank of the creek. Soon after the snakes, we ran out of water and another blow over. Paddling back to the landing was uneventful and good time was made. I will definitely make this a good back up paddle when the water is low this summer. I will also, give the
fishing a try

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