Windy Morning

I put in at the top of the tidal section of the Housatonic from a rather rundown island that is reached by driving through a rundown industrial area that is better suited for someplace away from the river.  I occasionally start from here to avoid the stiffer tidal currents in the lower river.

I head downstream planning to go as far as Wooster Island.  There is a good stiff wind coming straight down the river at 10 to 15 mph.  

I spot a Great Blue Heron, an Osprey, which takes a dive at the Heron, and a juvenile Bald Eagle, all within the first 15 minutes. 

This is a post-industrial river landscape. After a few minutes, the river is in the bottom of a tall forested valley with any buildings well up and away from the river.  The river bank, however, does show the history.  Mush of it is rip-rapped or fortified. Sometimes it is quarry waste rock, sometimes it is old building material, in places there are old wooden sea walls. I pass an old rotting pier, and a wing dam of boulders.  

I notice the mature Bald Eagle as I pass under.  It flies to the other side of the river before I can get my camera. Then, another juvenile Bald Eagle.

I turn back at the gravel quarry, about a third of my planned distance.  There is no hiding from the wind, which seems determined to come straight down the river.  It is still early and if the wind gets a few miles an hour faster, it will be a grind to return.  Even so, the return is almost twice as long as it took to get here.

I continue past my start point up as far as the island just below the Derby Dam.  This is all old water-powered mill area and there are several old mill water exits - arched stone tunnels. 

A short day, but I have a pie to bake.