Big Runoff

It rained all last night, and that made it sound like the wind was stronger than it was, and the wind made it sound like it was raining harder than it was.  It must have kept the cats awake, as they were about an hour late in waking me so that I could feed them.

I put in at the launch about a mile up the main river from where I started my last trip.  It was mostly cloudy, but the clouds were cumulus, so the sun showed through more than I would have expected.  There was a moderate wind coming down the river and it was strong enough to peel off a third of my paddling speed.  The other shore was probably a bit more protected from the wind, but I didn't figure the crossing distance to be worth it.  As it was, the wind settled once I got up a mile where the river narrows and begins long meanders.  The steep forested hillsides provided an excellent buffer.

The river is cloudy, a faded khaki color due to a great amount of silt in the runoff from last night's rain.  I cannot see the tip of my paddle when it is in the water.  There is also a great amount of leaf litter.  They must have got some pretty heavy rain last night.  

On the drive up, I noticed that the lowest reservoir on the river, which lies between the 150 year old Shelton Dam and the Stevenson dam, was higher than I have ever seen it  This first reservoir is small and doesn't have extra capacity - it is five miles long, but fairly narrow.  So, when a lot of water is flowing in, a lot of water has to be released.  There can be a stiff current in there, which is difficult to judge because, unlike most rivers, the current has little to do with the height of the water.  The current is driven by the amount of water being run through the reservoir.  There is a rock shelf about a mile below the top that is always the issue.  If the current is running fast, I cannot bust it over that shelf.  Today, as I drive past, I note that there are 2 foot high standing waves about a 1/4 mile below the shelf... the current is going racehorse fast.  When I get to the dam (the road crosses on the dam) I see that the main spillways are open.  I've never seen that before.

Bach to my paddle - when I get to Poison Ivy Island, I note that there is a current, although not much, maybe a 1/2 mile/hour.  This is a big reservoir and I've never see any current.  This explains why the paddle up seemed to be a bit more of a crawl than usual.  There is a lot of water being flushed through the system today.  I turn back at Lover's Leap.  A pretty good current is running out of that narrow gap.

Lover's Leap

I've not seen to much in the way of wildlife.  Just some Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, and one female Merganser.  Just before turning into the final stretch, I spot a mature Bald Eagle come in to perch in the tops of a grove of pine trees.  It disappears pretty well in there.  Then, a second one comes in, and disappears as well.  I find a nest up in the trees.  It seems a little small for Eagles, but it could be new ( I never noticed it before).