Day 3 Bent Creek to Wingina

by Tom Bowman

The Official Batteau Festival web page

The first 9 miles were very shallow and the batteaux were getting stuck and having to have all the crew to jump in the James River, and push off the rocks. I got stuck a few times too, with my 4 inch fin a bit too long for this day. I followed a batteau into a 1700's sluice, bypassing a major rapids. Also went by James River State Park, but the little store at the kayak launch was gone, relocated to the Dixon boat ramp, but sadly closed...so no Blue Bunny ice cream for me. It's cool to check the original canal aqueducts, which carry the canal water over the various creeks and streams along the left bank. The B&O railroad bought out the canal investors and laid down tracks in the canal right of way. Wingina had a great Mexican food truck, that served dinner and breakfast in the morning.