Canoeing the Rappahannock

On the 21st and 22nd of September, a crew of boys from Troop 128 paddled 15 miles down the Rappahann0ck River. Virginia Outdoor Center set us up with four canoes and a kayak for our group of 7 scouts and two adults. The crew put in at Little Falls on Saturday morning and we were off.

After a hard day of paddling on still water the crew made camp at a private farm on Farleyvale Reach. The family that owns the farm were very nice and accommodating, allowing us to set up our tents and hammock in a clearing near their boat dock. As sun set, the guys made dinner on the backpack stoves. Two of the scouts needed to complete cooking requirements and the crew ate well. We dined on chicken noodle soup and a course of mac and cheese with SPAM, a recipe one of the scouts learned at NYLT earlier this year.

On Sunday, we woke early and started on the second leg of our trip. Paddling through the morning and early afternoon, we finally reached our take out at Hopyard Landing around 1. After a return trip to the VOC base, we loaded into the cars and headed to Carl’s Frozen Custard. A milkshake seemed like a great idea for the ride back to McLean.