I’d been looking forward to paddling Lake Drummond ever since I cycled the Washington Ditch back in July. This wound up being my longest trip by almost double. I had intended to simply paddle the length of the Feeder Ditch, take a quick peek into the lake and then come back to the Reservation and eat lunch.

Once I got to the lake, however, I just keep paddling and eventually wound up on the west side of the lake at the end of the Interior Ditch road. There’s a launch and small dock there so I got out and took a break. Following the south side of the lake shore, I headed back to the Reservation and ate lunch. Another hour of paddling and I’m back at the launch site for a total of 13.9 miles.

I think I’ve seen enough of the Great Dismal Swamp to last me a little while. Between the Alligator River NWR and the Great Dismal Swamp NWR, I’ve had enough black water – it’s time to paddle somewhere you actually see the bottom. Some clear, blue water would be a nice change![Not a valid template]