The Big Game

 While the water level of the Connecticut River is still high, it is well below flood levels, in fact it has dropped (Hartford gauge) 11 ft down to a reasonable high water level of 10 ft. I toyed with putting in on the big river at Cromwell. At the current level, the upstream paddle can be a bit of work, but it is definitely doable. I looked at it from the car and decided that I didn't feel like working. So, I headed to the nearby usual put-in on the Mattabasset.

The water was high with the forest floor awash in some areas, and not in others. As I paddle downstream, I am struck by the number of catalpa trees that I just don't remember. The bare winter branches still have the foot long dangling seed pods. Getting closer, I realize that I am looking at marsh grasses and reeds left in the tree branches by the flood. The highest are about 8 ft above the water.

Father down, I am able to cut through a narrow strip of forest and paddle out of the marsh up to the backside of Tepee Lodge ruins. There are some new muskrat lodges, and most of them are built on ground that will be fully exposed as the water continues to drop. The muskrats will have to rebuild, of course.

Sharpshin Hawk

I head down to the Connecticut River. The current is not as bad as I thought. I head back up.

In the Great Meadows (I still find it odd that the earlier settlers named this a meadow, as I can't imagine it ever being less than knee deep at any point) I paddle back in one of the old trench channels suspecting and finding that there is an open channel at the edge of the trees. I take this north, cut through the forest again and head into thenext marsh to see if I can locate the Hummingbird nest that I found on my last trip. Today, it's about 8 ft up. Last time I could look into it while sitting in the canoe.

Hummingbird nest

I pass the put in and continue for another mile before calling it a day.

I missed the big game, or did I?