Out of the Industrial Revolution

I put in at O'Sullivan's Island.  It is 65F, sometimes cloudy, sometimes sunny, and there is a 8-10mph wind coming straight up the river.  There is a strong current with a lot of snowmelt coming over the Shelton Dam, and I figure the wind and current should just about negate each other.

I paddle this section every once in awhile, just to do something different.  The trip is one of paddling out of the industrial revolution and into something a bit wilder, although it is never wild. Close to the start, especially upstream, the river is lined with old mill buildings, some of which have been refurbed into apartments, and some that contain who knows what of light industry.  Water power put the mills here and if one goes upstream towards the dam, the old tunnels where water returned to the river are visible.

The current mellows as soon as I get to the bottom of the island where the Naugatuck and Housatonic meet.  There is a long wooden wall that was built to limit erosion.  It has been a long time since someone would have built an erosion structure out of wood.  There is a railroad above, and has been since the 19th century, and the wall may have been built to protect the rail line. It is held together with metal rods - some round, some square.  Although much longer, the square rods look like the same stock that a railroad spike might have been forged from.

I cross the river to get some shelter from the wind. There are several fishermen - some wading, some in boats.  They are looking for striped bass.

The wind dies down as I pass Two Mile Island. 

I paddle down to Wooster Island and turn back.