A Tidewater Paddler: Pompco Creek

For this trip I had originally wanted to explore Chesconessex Creek, but after learning from my father about the boat ramp at Schooner Bay, I decided to put in there. This enabled me to get closer to the Chesapeake than I could have using my original put-in point further inland. The boat ramp at Schooner Bay is public and maintained by the county of Accomack. I chose to forgo the concrete ramp, and instead used an adjacent beach next to the parking area. Heading north (right from the boat ramp) I followed Pompco Creek towards Long Ridge, a wooded strip in the middle of a vast marsh between Pompco and Deep Creeks. This whole area is a spongy maze of marshes and creeks that juts out westward into the Chesapeake, and thank God I have GPS on my phone, or I would have never been able to navigate my way through. The creeks that run through the marshes here are fairly shallow, so there is little boat traffic. The water was remarkably clear on my paddle, and I was able to see and appreciate all of the underwater grasses that are so important to the ecology of the Chesapeake. I wound my way past Long Ridge and ended up near the mouth of Deep Creek in Island Bay. I found another Channel that took me back towards Pompco Creek and the boat landing. During my trip I saw many gulls, egrets, herons, a bald eagle, red wing blackbirds, boat tailed grackles, the ubiquitous Canada geese, terns, black skimmers, and enjoyed the shrill sound of clapper rails. In the water I saw a few fish and turtles, but did not see any blue crabs, which surprised me. Perhaps they were hiding. If you like to see a constant change in topography and/or scenery while you paddle, this trip would not be for you. However, if you like "getting lost" between the worlds of sky, land, and sea, then you will enjoy time here. As I paddled it, the trip was about 8 miles.