Reconnaisance

I'd only been in this section of the Housatonic once before.  I'd started lower down and paddled up until I found myself in an area of crowded old school beach homes - lots of old two bedroom getaways with broken down docks, great view if you're on land looking out, not so good if you're on the water looking in.  The interstate runs quite close to those houses also, such that the traffic noise isn't just background sound.  This time I started at a launch near Sandy Hook.  The usual twisting and weirdly signed Connecticut roads doubled my driving time. 

I headed up following closely the forested east shore.  I thought about the magic of long distance views, how a grey stick turns into a Great Blue Heron, how a Bald Eagle becomes a bare patch of wood in a tree.  I see a kayaker taking off his sun jacket with a shake...and he becomes a Swan.  The two gomers fishing near shore are still two gomers fishing from shore long after I am out of sight.  Sometimes the magic doesn't work as advertised.

Pomperaug River

I head up into the Pomperaug River.  I'd tucked my nose in heare on that last trip and it's time I see how far I can go.  It quickly turns pleasant with the trees swallowing the highway noise and providing a cool shady route.  Here too are a few old school getaway houses, but not too many.  About a mile up I come to a river wide cobbled shelf.  I beach the canoe and continue on foot finding the rocks round, slick and and nasty to walk on.  I stumble far enough to see that the river is a series of pools and shelves for a few hundred yards.  I really don't want to walk this junk with a canoe on my shoulders, especially if it isn't likely to improve.  I turn back.  Spot a beautiful Oriole on the way.

I take a short paddle continuing upstream until I can sight a bridge that I had crossed on the way in.  This section of the river looks worthwhile for a return visit.  There is a large section of blown down forest on the west bank.  I suspect this is wind damage from the same storm that knocked down Bob and Rita's trees.

I only took one photo today.