Breezes light and sunshine giving way to mostly cloudy provided good conditions on this Fall morning. Launch into the salt marsh was from the newly constructed ramp in Southport. Our small group explored the Cottage Creek as far as we could go. Twisting marine marsh narrowed to single file and then the gentle turns became switchbacks. Finally the Smooth Cordgrass and Needle Rush closed in and in the narrows the paddle was no longer useful as designed but did serve to swish at these tall reeds that were impeding progress. Using the paddle as pole to push against the mud bottom shallow at this point we slogged through.

spotted: Periwinkle, a nickel sized sea snail also birds: Egrets and a Cormorant or two

We came. we saw, and so reversed course picking our way back out; trying not to lose our way. After awhile each turn starts to blur but fortunately there were few getting lost in the maze options and we could DR toward the sea. Coming out onto the ICW we hugged the shore until boat traffic permitted a direct crossing to the other bank.

We elected to circumnavigate the spoils island directly across from the marinas there on the ICW by way of Dutchman Creek and the Elizabeth River. The relatively open water was freedom compared to the close confines of the creek. The exposure to wind, waves, and powerboat wakes was stimulating.