In the Big Meanders

It is in the 60's and sunny with a light and pleasant wind coming down the river. The water is not particularly high and the current is perfectly do-able.  In fact, during high water the current in this section can be scary fast.

I head upstream.  This section of the river is three or four BIG meanders surrounded by flood plain farm land, which it has been for a few thousand years according to the archaeological record that has come out of those fields.

This stretch probably isn't big on most canoeists list, but it reminds me of the upper midwest rivers that I grew up near - the lower St. Croix and the Mississippi.  It can be a very peaceful place.

When I wrote, "BIG meanders", I meant turning slowly to the left for 50 minutes, then turning to the right for about the long, then back to the left.  

I spot a Wild Turkey not long after starting.  I chat with some fishermen - smart alec jokes back and forth.  Midwest humor translates completely here, one of the reasons I like this area.

I spot a pair of Bald Eagles as I near Glastonbury.  One is mature and the other is a first year and they are in a minor territorial spat.  When I cross the river over to the mouth of a big lagoon, I spot an Eagle nest at the far end of the lagoon, with a mature Eagle standing watch.  

There is a 1/4 mile stretch of willow saplings on the river-right bank just below Glastonbury.  I find a set of small beaver tracks as I approach.  The hind feet tracks and tail drag are fairly clear, but they come with the unmistakable scent of castoreum.  The willows are a popular feed zone and anything larger than a 1-inch diameter is rare with hundreds of beaver cut stumps and a lot of peeled sticks.  

New Beaver Buildings

Yesterday, I was blown out by unexpected wind in an area that didn't have any 2nd choices.  So today, I put in on the Mattebasset, which can be paddled in anything short of half a hurricane, if a tree doesn't fall on you, of course.  It is calm and overcast and about 50F, pretty much ideal canoe weather.  The water is a little high, but still well in the banks - there won't be any forest paddling, but I also won't be digging in the mud. 

I start upriver.  A pair of Wood Ducks, a few Mallards, two Great Blue Herons, and a few beaver peel sticks that probably drifted down as I don't see any obvious feed zones.  I get almost to the abandoned trestle.  The water is shallow and fast at this point and while I could get higher, the extra distance isn't worth the amount of work required to get there.  I turn back down.

I continue past my put in.  Another Great Blue Heron, an immature Bald Eagle, a few Mallards.  The Point Lodge has been refurbished.  The lodge has been flooded out a few times in the last year or so.  It was totally submerged on one of my trips.  Usually, beaver abandon a lodge that is flooded for any length of time, and the lodge begins to collapse.  The lodge looks like it has been rebuilt, a good sign.

The refurbished Point Lodge

There is a new lodge at the former Tepee Lodge site.  This is an all new construction put in since my last trip.  Tepee Lodge 3 stands just a few feet downriver from what little is left of the original.  The bank burrow on the opposite bank might also be in use, but I'll have to check back to be sure of that.

The brand new Tepee Lodge #3

I head up the Cognichaug getting almost to the power lines.  I forgot my saw or I would've been able to go higher.  Found another new beaver lodge near the high point.

On the way back I divert down to the meeting with the Connecticut River, just to see what is going on.  Then I begin my return. 

I find a gps watch that has been in the water for a few days at the put-in. 

Blow Out

I planned on a trip up to Lover's Leap.  It is sunny and in the 60's.  

I put in near the steel truss bridge that spans the river. It is windier than the weather forecast.  The wind is coming down the river and it looks dubious, but if I can find enough shelter along the shoreline it might go.

A half mile out, the river bends slightly.  The marginal shelter of the forested shoreline disappears altogether.  The wind is a steady 15-20 mph head on. My speed drops to something like a mile or a mile and a half per hour.  It will take a full half day to do the 6-1/2 miles to Lover's Leap.  If I had to get there, I could do it, but I don't have to get there.  

Time to call it a day. 

The Soak

I put in at Pond Brook to head up to the Shephaug cascades.

It is mostly sunny and mostly calm. Coming out of Pond Brook, it is positively still - a quiet that encourages me to clean up my paddling technique and move as silently as possible. The forest is beginning to bud, but it is still wide open for peering far up the hillside into the trees to ponder on the layout of the old stone walls. In some places, shadows of long fallen trees suggest the direction of the wind in some long ago storm.

I pass a round point - a low bench of maybe 2 acres with nearly identically sized trees - all 6 - 8 inches in diameter.  Something must have cleared the area at one time - perhaps a fire. There aren't any roads, so I doubt that it was cut. Continuing, I pass back into normal healthy forest with all size trees, from saplings to 30 inch diameter maples and sycamores.

After stopping to view the cascades, I pull into shore at the first bend below and sit for a while. It is just too special in all ways to not let everything soak in.  The sound of a small brook at my side and a woodpecker calling off in the trees.  

National Not Living Up to the Expectations of Others Day

I set out on a day I dedicated to "not living up to the expectations of others." But in case you were wondering, S thoroughly approved of this adventure.  

I put in at the old stage crossing.  The tide is coming in, but it hasn't reached this point of the river yet, so the water is shallow with a so-called natural downstream flow. I have to one-foot it a couple times to get past Foote Bridge (stepping with one foot onto a river boulder to un-weight the canoe, which then glides over other rocks). The air is calm, so far, with a temperature in the 40's and a mostly cloudy sky.

I float through the Gravel Flats, just enough water to do that.

Second Year Little Blue Heron

Just below Clapboard Hill Road, I start spotting a good number of Great and Snowy Egrets - an even distribution of maybe ten each before reaching the Big Bends.  The sighting of the day is in the Big Bends - a second year Little Blue Heron.  It is the same size as a Snowy Egret (and first year birds are white) but with piebald white and blue-gray feathers, and lacking the bright yellow feet of a Snowy.  There are also a number of Yellow-Legs, and a few Osprey.

Below the Big Bends I start spotting Willets.   

Willet

There is enough water to make it through the Sneak and so I route down Bailey Creek, then Neck River, and back into the East River.  Willets are fairly plentiful although I don't think they are all in, yet.  I'd guess maybe 3/4 of the full nesting population.  I would think that they started showing up about a week to ten days ago.

The wind comes up and I get some circular gusts (mini-tornadoes).  The weather has definitely got an attitude. It is in my face when I turn back up the East River. Fortunately, the flood current is with me and while I don't speed upriver, I still make good progress.

The wind has really picked up by the time I get back to the Big Bends.  It is 15-20 mph with gusts, and my hands are cold enough that I pause to put on gloves.  Then, it starts to sprinkle.  It is a light rain by the time I get to Clapboard Hill. And it is calm and sunny by the time I get to the Gravel Flats. It feels like I have been out all day, but it is only 3 hours, which is a typical round trip time for me on this river.  It was a good day, and I failed to live up to the expectations of a great many people.

Garbage Picking

I put in under the highway bridge, cutting directly across the river and turning upstream.  It is mostly sunny, near 70F with  light wind that comes from the SW until I get farther upriver where it comes out of the north - go figure.

I take the channel between Peacock and Carting Islands.  The tide is high and there is a lot of visible plastic trash in the reeds and grasses along the shore.  Today turns out to be a garbage collecting trip.

The clouds are spectacular - cumulus, sometimes puffs, sometimes mountain ranges. 

My first Snowy Egret sighting of the spring occurs when one overtakes me as I head up.  I also see a couple Great Egrets and an Osprey.

I cross the river at the wind tunnel, follow the east shore back down river until recrossing near Peck's Mill, just because I would rather paddle through the islands than along the post-industrial east shore.  I managae to collect another dozen yellow duckies that the United Way insists on dumping into the water somewhere up the Naugatuck River. I have over 50, have seen at least 50 more. I'd conservatively guess that there might be a thousand of them out there caught in the reeds, brush, rocks and spartina that make up this section of the river.

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.