Draw Down

 I was surprised to drive into my launch point and find no other vehicles.  Then, I saw the water level.  I prefer to call this section of water, "river" although in some geographies it is a reservoir.  "River" is a species with much more life to it than any reservoir and I would just rather see it that way.  Anyway, the river was down a full 5 to 6 ft and I had stumbled on reservoir draw down.  This made my carry to the water an actual portage as I headed downstream along the bank to a spot that would not be a foot deep in boot sucking mud.  This, I assure you, was a small price to pay for the resulting solitude.  You see, the boat ramp ends about 25 ft short of the water, which is only two feet deep at that spot, and so it is quite impossible for anyone to launch a motorboat from a trailer.  I would see/hear no motorboats at all.

I headed down the narrower and shallower than normal cove noting a few large rock outcroppings that I've never seen above water.  There once was a railroad running along here and I note that one large outcropping is suspiciously spaced from the main bank by a gap that looks perfect for a rail line to pass through.  I need to spend some time with old maps to confirm that.

I flush a few Mallards, which seems to be the Duck of choice here.  Eventually, that count will hit about thirty.  The best sighting comes as I turn the corner into the main river.  A mink runs up the bank and hides away under the roots where the forest starts.  Its fur was quite dry and shiny in the sunlight, but it moved far too fast for a photo.  Most of the time when I spot a mink they have been swimming a bit.

This seems to be a wing dam rather than a wall section.

The newly exposed bank is mostly glacial till - rounded cobbles left behind by the last ice age.  Every inch of them is covered with zebra mussels, an introduced invasive pest species.  It reminds me of why I allows tell my guests in the canoe to wear tennis shoes and not sandals or flip flops.  I also note that aside from some stone wall remnants, there is nothing of historical significance on the exposed bank, which is no big surprise as the dam that holds the water back is 75 ft tall.

As I head up the Shephaug I flush a Great Blue Heron every quarter mile or so.  I hear a Red Tail Hawk on the far side of the river but I cannot get eyes on it.  I spot a few Common Mergansers, which all seem to prefer sunning on the bank to floating.

It is a warm and sunny day and I planned to go up far enough to see if I could spot where the old rail line comes up out of the river.  But, a tail wind comes up and I don't particularly feel like paddling into 10-15mph wind to get out of here. So, I turn back and soon find that the wind is not so bad, it is just being funneled into the valley at that point.  In fact, I paddle into a minor head wind back to the confluence, turn the point nearly 180 degrees and find myself paddling again into a headwind, and when I head west into the cove, it is a headwind as well.  

By the way, I did spot the "Red Tail Hawk" while paddling out.  I heard the call just to my left and looked over to find a Blue Jay that had perfectly mastered a Hawk call.