National Leaf Blower Day

The plan is to put in at Elys Ferry and head upriver to Selden.

It is mostly sunny and near 70F.  There will be a southwest wind developing later. 

I put in at Elys Ferry.  The water is a little high, most of the beach that is here below the surface. It is very calm, and very quiet.  I step into the canoe and make a wide gentle u-turn to head upstream.  No sooner than finishing the turn, a beaver swims across my bow.  It is a surprise and while it isn't far to beaver friendly locations, this is not one.  I suppose it is on the move, looking for a new territory to colonize. It is about that time of the year when 2 year-old beaver are kicked out of the parent's lodge.

An immature Bald Eagle crosses the river.

Nearing the entrance to Hamburg Cove, a Pileated Woodpecker arrives and begins working over some shoreline trees and deadfalls. It has been a pretty good half mile.

As I continue up from Hamburg Cove, I start hearing an annoying amount of machine noise from the opposite side of the river near the former Brockway Ferry landing.  Several versions of Mr. Moneybags live in that area and it seems that one o them is having a tree removed.  It is a mix of wood chipper, chainsaw and leaf blower and it sounds like hell when everything else is so peaceful. Continuing to Selden means a good chunk of an hour listening to that shit. 

I turn up Joshua Creek.  It has been a few years since I've paddled up this short tributary and besides the exploring, it will give me time to ponder on whether to continue to Selden. The creek meanders through a narrow marsh hemmed him by forested hills with a few well-space houses. Joshua Pond is at the end, which is held back by a 5 foot high dam.  The dam is mostly earthen with a concrete spillway and sluice gate at the south end. The actual sluice gate seems to be missing, but it has been replaced by what appears to be a beaver dam.

When I get back to the river, the wood chipper is silenced, but it seems that all of Brockway is celebrating national leaf blower day.  I'm heading back to Hamburg Cove.

The cove is quiet.  I follow the northern shoreline in. It is peaceful and no one else is about. There are several damaged docks - bent metal, tipped pilings, and missing raft sections.  The cove freezes even when there is no ice in the main river and with this winter's cold snap, one can imagine that there was some pretty thick ice that started to move around and smash stuff as the weather warmed.

I paddle up Eight Mile River to the usual high spot - about a half mile in.  The river above is shallow, fast and choked with downed wood.

I head back following the southern shore of he cove. The wind has come up, somewhat higher than predicted, and the south shore has some protection. Once at the river, I hug the shore again until reaching my start point.