Paddling Jug Bay

In August 2020, we paddled the Patuxent Wetlands, but we weren't able to get as far down the Patuxent River as Jug Bay.  When we hiked the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and the boardwalk trial in Patuxent River Park, we got a look at Jug Bay, and we resolved to get back here to explore it.  Today was the day!

The weather was perfect for a paddle:  a warm 90F, with absolutely no wind.  We found ourselves putting out into the water just as low tide arrived, so the incoming tide tended to cancel the river's current and made for an easy paddle in all directions.

 

 

The only downside to low tide was that much of the estuary was inaccessible due to shallow water.   We had to content ourselves with paddling the larger water rather than the backwater channels.

 

As we got out on the water, we could look back at the red-roofed observation deck and one of the buildings of Patuxent River Park, which sit on a bluff overlooking the river:

About a half mile downstream, we entered Jug Bay itself and paddled over to inspect one of the channel marker buoys which are necessary due to the many sandbars in the river and bay:

 

 

 

The far side of the bay is lined with private properties.  We could see one of them from our kayaks, although it was hard to approach the properties due to shallow low tide waters:

 

 

At the top of the bay, as we approached what we thought was a duck blind, we realized that it looked more like an environmental research station with equipment to monitor the conditions of the water and wetlands:

 

 

That was about it for our exploration of Jug Bay itself, which had little to offer other than wide flat water and lily-bedecked shoreline.  We turned back down the bay and toward the Patuxent River proper, marveling at the large cumulus clouds building in the afternoon summer sky:

 

 

From certain angles, when the sun came out from behind the clouds, the mirror-calm waters of the bay and river were spectacular:

 

 

Kathy spotted a cormorant sitting proudly on a dead, fallen tree in the middle of the river with several of his compatriots.  By the time David could get a picture, this fellow was the only one left, the others having fled in abject terror:

 

 

A gull, overhearing David's cries of frustration, flew down and offered to pose for a photo without flying away:

 

 

Thus satisfied, we turned our paddles upstream, back toward our launching spot, and panned the river bank across from where we had paddled down:

 

 

The Park apparently keeps a pontoon boat moored at the boat launch to use in tours of the bay and estuary.  Today it was sitting idle, awaiting its next assignment, which three fishermen on a dock behind it worked the waters for carp or catfish or bass:

 

 

We paddled to the opposite side of the river to avoid tangling up in the fishermen's lines, and got a close look at islands full of lilies:

 

 

The sky just kept on giving us visual presents as we paddled upstream:

 

 

At regular spots along the banks of the Patuxent River, the Park staff -- or others -- have planted bird boxes.  We stopped to look at one that was perched in a shady spot just in the water:

 

 

We spotted one bald eagle and three pairs of osprey, all fishing the waters of Jug Bay and this section of the Patuxent River.  While the eagle did not oblige us with a pose for a photograph, a pair of osprey in a nest just opposite the Park boat launch sat proudly and let us snap their photos.  Earlier in our paddle, we had spotted one of them feeding a young, unfledged osprey whose only goal in life -- at this point -- was to eat.

 

 

This was an unusual photo opportunity, because the osprey nest was set low and near the riverbank, so we were able to get much closer than in most cases and, for some reason, the osprey pair did not seem particularly disturbed by our approach.

 

 

After paddling some distance upstream, we headed back down to the boat ramp, and happened upon our only turtle sighting of the day.  This fellow had, perhaps, been watching the fishermen we had passed earlier.  He, too, was not overly shy of us and let us get close enough for a good photo before diving into the river for safety:

When we inquired about paddling at the visitor center, we were informed that this ramp is at Mile 42 of the Patuxent River Trail.  We noted that signs marking each mile along the water trail have been posted on pilings or trees on the river bank.

Perhaps there will be another time that we can explore more miles of the Patuxent River; but it will not be on this visit.  We leave the D.C. area next week and may not return until next Spring.  At that time, we expect to camp on Pohick Bay, which we know offers many paddling opportunities, so we're not likely to get back to the Patuxent River soon.  Knowing this, we plan to keep memories of this estuarine paradise as we hunt for more paddles in other parts of North America.