Second Choice

I headed to Essex where I could mix some big river and big marsh paddling. But, standing at the water's edge, it was clear that the wind was something double the weather service prediction, and I would have a grueling paddle no matter which direction I headed. I loaded back up and headed off to my windy day paddling spot. (The wind was in fact double and then some - 18mph gusting to almost 30)

After my small detour, I put the canoe into the Mattebasset, in the usual spot. The water was lower than I've seen it in some time, having had several spells of high water this winter. It was more or less at a normal level. I took stock on the idea that I've been in here when the water was a dozen feet higher than it is today. There is little wind.

This is the typical scene in the Mattebesset

The Mattabasset is a placid river passing through bottom land forest, mature swamp, and open freshwater marsh. It's only problem is that it isn't long enough, but that is a common issue with small Connecticut Rivers. There is a small current today, which is about as strong as it ever gets - it's nothing to fret over.

The day is overcast with a filtered sun and a temperature in the low 70's. There's no wind in the forest and very little in the open marsh. It is a pretty fine day for paddling. I spot a few Great Blue Herons, and hear a good number of song birds, which are difficult to locate with the trees leafing out.

About half of the known beaver lodges look abandoned - piles of sticks without the binding mud, but not yet collapsed. The Point Lodge looks like it might be in use, but it looks a bit haggard. The big lodge just above the last bend before the mouth of the river looks solid. But, when I head up the Coginchaug, the Big Lodge looks abandoned having lost its mud and some of its height. The unusually frequent flooding this winter probably convinced the colonies to seek better living locations. Even with the couple of lodges that looked lived in, what I noticed was a lack of the little signs. I don't find any left over peeled branches or fresh gnawing. All of the beaver signs like chewed trees are silt covered. I get up to the power lines on the Coginchaug before finding two small scent mounds.

This is the typical scene in the Coginchaug

 
I turn back and head out when I get to the first log jam on the Coginchaug.