Kayaking Cape Cod Style8416559

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Rich and I first bought kayaks for the duration of our tenure in North Conway, NH, exactly where, as many of you understand, we had an 11-room bed and breakfast in the heart with the White Mountains. Longtime owners of an Old Town canoe, we have been cajoled by friends 1 day to try kayaking on the Saco River. Lulled into complacency by the ease of navigating this gentle river in summer time, permitting the existing to steer us downstream to a pick-up spot in the bend from the river, we soon sold our canoe and invested in kayaks of our personal.

We ?tried on? several kayaks (literally) just before making our selections. I went with a Perception Acadia, and Rich chose a Walden specifically since it truly is created for fishing, becoming wider of berth and shallower of draft, and hence more stable. Plus it had a neat gizmo attached to shop his fishing rod when not in use in addition to a nifty little detachable apron across the cockpit, just great for attaching hooks, and lures, and flies, and such. Actually, it comes in much handier when consuming lunch out on the water. Well, you get the image. We each decided to acquire our personal kayak in lieu of a tandem, mostly on account of the ugly moped incident on our honeymoon when we opted to rent one moped for the each of us. It?s lucky we still married following that experience, let alone alive. But that?s one more story.

Anyhow, we brought our kayaks with us when we moved towards the Cape, completely expecting to though away a lot of a summer time?s afternoon within the bayous and backwaters of this beautiful peninsular. To date we've kayaked in Barnstable Harbor, on Little Pleasant Bay, on the Parker River (to a 4th of July fireworks display), and on Lake Wequaquet, all memorable experiences to be certain, but not practically sufficient to sate our hunger for the sport.

There are actually many very good kayak rental outfitters on Cape Cod, in addition to a couple of that provide guided tours and instruction. Our preferred is Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures operated by Dick Hilmer and his wife. Dick is actually a heck of a guy, a throwback possibly towards the 60s, but a supremely knowledgeable and really eco-conscious individual having a terrific sense of humor. We've got sent many our guests on kayak adventures with Dick, and all return with higher praise for his unique ability to share his adore of and concern for the fragile Cape Cod eco-system. We?ve even taken a few of our friends out with Dick, who echo our kudos for what he provides the Cape Cod visitor.

When time permits we will tackle the rest of what Dick tells us will be the very best kayaking spots on the Cape. Right here is his leading ten list, in no certain order:

SCORTON CREEK, Sandwich

Launch from the State Wildlife Reservation off Route 6A by the Scorton Creek Bridge. Scorton implies ?location exactly where the stream branches.? Comply with this twisting tidal creek through the Wonderful Marsh, which as soon as stretched as far as Barnstable Harbor. Discover adjacent Mill and Shove Creeks. Highlights: herons, egrets, ospreys, and striped bass.

WAQUOIT BAY, Falmouth & Mashpee

Launch from Great River Boat Landing, Great Oak Road, Mashpee. Paddle down Fantastic River and west across Waquoit Bay to Washburn Island. Continue south along the island, across the channel to South Cape Beach State Park, then return across the bay. Highlights: walking the pristine 330-acre Washburn Island (primitive camping available), beachcombing on South Cape Beach, shorebirds.

BARNSTABLE HARBOR, Barnstable

Launch from Blish Point State Landing, Millway Road. Head across Barnstable Harbor to Sandy Neck and explore this spectacular seven-mile long barrier beach that protects the 4,000-acre Great Marsh. Highlights: second highest sand dunes on Cape Cod, views of your Excellent Marsh, quaint village and old lighthouse at Beach Point.

BASS RIVER, Dennis

Launch from Cove Road and paddle north. Bass River is the longest river on Cape Cod, stretching seven miles from its headwaters at Mill Pond to Nantucket Sound. Highlight: walking the two mile trail at the Indian Lands Conservation Area, spring wildflowers (including lady?s slippers).

BELLS NECK/HERRING RIVER, Harwich

Launch from Bell?s Neck Road and cross the West Reservoir, a freshwater cedar swamp. Take out at the dike and put back in on the Herring River. Stick to the winding river to Route 28 in West Harwich. Highlights: 245 acres of salt and freshwater marshes, woods, herring run, cranberry bogs, kettle ponds, hiking trails.

BREWSTER PONDS, Brewster

Launch from Punkhorn Parklands parking lot, Run Hill Road. An easy canoe trip through a chain of freshwater ponds, Walker?s, Upper Mill, and Lower Mill. These kettle ponds had been created 12,000 years ago by melting blocks of glacial ice. Highlights: Stony Brook Grist Mill, the herring run, five miles of trails in the 800-acre Punkhorn Parklands.

Little PLEASANT BAY, Orleans

Launch from Portanimicut Road, Orleans. Paddle across Little Pleasant Bay to circumnavigate Sampson and Hog Islands and explore Nauset Beach. The privately owned islands allow visitors, and Nauset Beach is part on the Cape Cod National Seashore. Highlights: snorkeling, eelgrass beds, horseshoe crabs, ospreys.

NAUSET MARSH, Eastham

Launch from Salt Pond below the Salt Pond Visitor?s Center or Hemenway Road off Route 6. Nauset Marsh can be a vast method of salt-marsh, creeks, channels, islands, and barrier beach. Circumnavigate the marsh heading north via Salt Pond Bay and Nauset Bay, then south along Nauset Beach, and back through the Main Channel. Or head south through Skiff Hill Creek along Fort Hill, past Town Cove to Inlet Marsh and back. Highlights: former Coast Guard Station, thousands of nesting terns, migrating shorebirds, seals, striped bass, ospreys, beachcombing, National Seashore visitor center, hiking trails and bike paths nearby.

WELLFLEET PONDS, Wellfleet

Launch from Gull Pond Landing off Schoolhouse Hill Road. This is actually a short and easy tour, especially very good for beginners, of three kettle ponds ? Gull, Higgins, and Williams ? in the Cape Cod National Seashore. Williams Pond was the home from the ?Wellfleet Oysterman? immortalized in Thoreau?s Cape Cod. Highlights: water lilies, red maples, turtles, frogs, sunfish, swimming.

PAMET RIVER, Truro

Launch from the South Pamet Road culvert to explore the freshwater Upper Pamet or in the Pamet Harbor boat ramp on Depot Road to discover the saltwater Lower Pamet and Pamet Harbor. The Pamet is an outwash channel carved by the glaciers with its head at the Atlantic Ocean and its mouth at Cape Cod Bay. Highlights: foliage, panoramic views of your Pamet Hills.

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