By: Mike Gardner
Photo Credit: Mike Gardner
Here at Albemarle Plantation, we have a wide variety of club activities for everyone. For example, as part of the OYC membership, you can join the Kayak or Paddling Club. We have 12-15 day trips every year for all levels of ability. Our surrounding area has some of the best paddle trails in the state. Our typical paddle lasts two hours, followed by lunch together at a local restaurant or we pack a lunch and enjoy the scenery. We have two trailers with capacity for 18 kayaks or canoes. We also have folks who bring their boats in pickup trucks. We always practice safety first and wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device) at all times on the water. We work together to help one another get in and out of our boats as well as to tie down the kayaks on the trailers.
Our trip on September 16th to Newbegun Creek at Sawmill Park just outside of Elizabeth City was fantastic. Staying in the rural area of Weeksville, you can put in your kayak at the NC Wildlife Resources boat ramp at Sawmill Park (481 Sawmill Rd, Elizabeth City) to enjoy the Newbegun Creek Trail. This area offers good parking and has a platform at water level for launching kayaks. This intimate trail ends at the mouth of the Pasquotank River. The treelined creek is wide and clean. We had a group of thirteen who enjoyed a peaceful, slow pace, good conversation, and fellowship. And we had a nice breeze to keep us cool on a hot day. We paddled southeast for an hour and then turned around to head back to the launch. Back at the ramp at Sawmill Park, we had a picnic lunch. Afterwards we returned to the AP Community Center to unload our kayaks. I really enjoy putting these various trips together
and meeting new people who enjoy exploring our area’s wonderful paddling trails.