A Mostly Day

Mostly, it's a mostly day - mostly sunny, mostly calm, mostly in the 40's.

There is a light north wind coming straight down the main river when I set out from the put-in at the mouth of Salmon Cove.  I have a short ways paddling into it before getting behind the cedar swamp that divides the lower cove from the river.  The cool breeze makes my eyes water.

I follow the shoreline and the few trees in the swamp absorb all of the wind.  It i calm.  There is a tiny bit of ice in the tiniest of protected spots along the shore.  The night air has been dipping to just below freezing.  By the time I put in at 10 AM, it was already 37F.

The first big lodge looks as if it is abandoned.  I suspected from earlier trips that someone was in here trapping.  Trapping is legal, and from my point of view, rather pointless as there is no money in it.... like it costs more to drive to a trapping location than what will be earned from the fur.  This is one of those locations where I believe that presence of beaver is beneficial enough that this area should be off-limits.  The beaver here had been building ponds, which in time will fill in and raise the ground level, which is a long term method of naturally fortifying this shoreline from climate change effects.

Dibble Creek beaver dam and lodge

I move on to the Dibble Creek beaver dam (passing a mature Bald Eagle perched at the point).  It is an old dam, not just firmly built, but also root bound by saplings and shrubs that have planted themselves all along the dam.  There is a narrow channel leading up to the dam, which I have no doubt was created by beaver swimming and dragging branches through the marsh.  I don't think that anyone other than myself comes back in here.  There is a lodge just on the far side of the dam and it is freshly mud fortified for winter and ready to go. The area smells of castoreum.

There are about 60 Mute Swans in the cove.  There are quite a few first year goslings, still gray, and at this time of year they are being introduced to the flock.  Spot some Teal overhead, three Coots, and maybe a dozen Black Ducks. 

I back out and head up the cove, passing Venture Smith's place where the river enters the cove.  I find some thin and rotten sheet ice in the back channel on my way up to Leesville.   Flush a half dozen Common Mergansers and spot another Bald Eagle just below the dam. Spot three Great Blue Herons, here and there along the way.

On the way out, I take my usual detour up into the Moodus River.  There is some fresh beaver activity - drags, gnawings.

I find one lodge on the river-left side as I head out, not too far from the put in.  It was an easy spot with a good amount of winter food stashed in the water.