Angel’s Share Studio

On July 11,DITRT (Diamond in the rough Triathlon 2008, my paddling buddy, Billy Beals and I set off for Perryville, Maryland for the annual Diamond in the Rougbh Triathlon (DITRT.) No, we’re not triatholetes, we are part of Jack’s Yaks - the on-water support for the swim portion of the event. Billy and I have been doing this since the second year of the nationally sanctioned event. Since we have a distance to travel, Billy and I go up the night before and camp out at the part with Jack Davis the head of ‘Jackk’s Yaks.’

Jack, among a whole list of other things, is an historian, an archaeologist, an inventor, a maker of walking sticks, and the list could go on. Jack organizes and provides kayakers for the on-water support team. Any procedes coming from the event is funneled to the regional archaeological society.

After an evening meal at a local restaurant Billy, Jack and I settled in for the annual swapping of information and lies. At about nine o’clock I signaled that I was ready to hit the hay, hearing no objections we all hit the sack and within minutes snores could be heard from our two tents and Jack’s van.  This was the first year that I slept the night through without hearing the hourly sound of passing trains.

I was up by the crack of dawn as was Billy. We ate, struck camp and readied ourselves for the events of the day. Twenty kayakers finally made up our team. After instructions we set out in two teams to cover the ‘bases’ for the swim. The course is laid out somewhat like a baseball field. The one mile course is made up of four one quarter mile legs - the distances between ‘home’, ‘third’, ’second’, ‘first’ and back to ‘home.’ The course is run counterclockwise of a base ball field in order to allow for tide and river currents.

Over five hundred triathletes were divided into three heats. Each heat has a color-coded swim cap to designate entrants and their time of start. It also enables us, the on-water support team, to watch out for potential problems when a first heat person has fallen back amoung the second or third heat competitors. Fortunately only four of the swimmers had any difficulty. Two of the triathletes had to be ‘rescued’ because of cramps and ultimately quit the race. Two others just rested on boats catching their breath - all but the two finishing the race.

After our responsibility with the event, Billy, I and ‘Miami Mike’ a fellow paddler we have come to know at the event went out for a two hour paddle. We paddled in Mill Creek Furnace Bay andPrincipio Creek (the creek goes well beyond rt. 95.)   On leaving
Furnace Creek there are three ‘channels’ only one leading up to the stone train bridge, the Principio Furnace and the quarry. We started by taking the far right ‘creek’ which we knew to be a ‘false’ lead but a very pretty paddle. We then took the middle creek and finally the true course (Principio Creek)  to the bridge, quarry and old furnace.

On our way we saw many interesting flora and fauna. However, the most interesting was the ‘hitch-hiker’ who joined us for the last hour of our paddle - a zebra swallowtail butterfly. Billy had chased me down all excited. “Do you have your camera with you?” he asked. Unfortunately I did not. He showed me the butterflie that had joined him for a ride.   As I looked at the butterfly and named him for Billy and Mike the butterfly flew over to a blue throw-line pouch that I had in my lap. Fortunately Mike did have a camera with him and he took pictures (see gallery of images) of the zebra swallowtail, Billy and Me.

The butterfly stayed in the bottom of my kayak for the next three quarters of an hour while we paddled back to the Perryville Community Park boat ramp. I dashed up to get my camera to get some real close-ups of the butterfly but by the time that I returned he had flown away.

The Perryville Community Park ramp is a very friendly put over for kayaks and canoes. From the ramp you can paddle in very quiet waters of Mill Creek, Furnace Bay  and Pricipia Bay or you can paddle East/Northeast to the Northeast River,  south and west to the Susquahanna and Havre de Grace or for the more hearty paddlers south across (or down) the bay to points of interest on the eastern shore (Betterton, Tolchester, Rock Hall etc.) . Have a good paddle! Until next time. HEM