Great way to beat the heat

Trip Overview

Big Davis Creek flows into Julington Creek a few hundred yards downstream. Pictures did not lie – we had found a tree-lined, slow moving waterway, 50-60 feet wide, that protected us from the sun and wind. Spent 3½ hours on glassy water that mirrored the overhead trees, creating a visual effect of kayaking into a wormhole of trees both above and below the kayaks. Went about a mile upstream on Julington through an extensive wetlands on both sides before encountering a log that bridged the creek. Turned around and went the other way where we encounted a few scattered houses on the north bank; south bank was a wetlands preserve. Not much wildlife – a great egret, a couple of cormorants, a few turtles, no alligators, some mallards, hawks, kingfishers, occasional fish breaking the surface. M spotted a cottonmouth coiled in a tree about 10 feet above the water, waiting to drop on unsuspecting kayakers and what was likely a banded watersnake swimming near the shore. All-in-all, a great way to beat the heat of the day.