Great Swamp Rendevous

I meet Cl and Ch at the Old Doansburg put-in.  It's not my favorite place to start, but it makes sense as we can meet up with another paddler at Green Chimneys, which is about an hour upstream.  This lower section of the Great Swamp is true swamp - swamps have trees, and this section definitely has trees. The river meanders tightly and we have three dead falls to get over or around.

It i a warm day with a steady sprinkle that barely pauses.  There is a light inconsequential wind out of the south and the predicted gusty weather never arrives. 

We meet J at Green Chimneys and continue upstream.  This is the best part of the swamp in my opinion. It is a perfect example of a beaver built marsh.  Cl has to head out to coach a soccer game, and Ch goes with her.  It's best to be paired up in that lower section with the log crossings.  J and I continue on.

Beaver sign comes often and regular, and I point out the scent mounds, and feed stick piles, collecting a handful of the bare sticks for J to take to his kids.  We spot a pair of immature Bald Eagles, several Great Blue Herons and dozens of Red Wing Blackbirds. The Blackbirds are really active today and there are more than I remember seeing.  Just short of the big deadfalls, J spots three muskrats. 

On the way out J spots what he thinks is a beaver.  But, it has weirdly swum into a bunch of flooded shrubs, so I go take a closer look.  It's a snapping turtle.

We part ways at Green Chimneys and I continue down.  Deciding to do a very short portage across a meander to avoid a deadfall, I read the bank wrong and take a swim off of a cut bank.  It's always surprising when your floating against the shore  to put a foot down and not find bottom.  

It's not much a photo day however, preferring to leave the camera in its box while it rains.