The Full Circuit

East River -
I put in just after high tide at the old ford.  It is still under freezing with a light and rather cold wind out of the north, and the sky is overcast. 

The current is with me and the wind is either at my back or coming from the side.  It is an easy paddle down.  Just below Clapboard Hill Road I find the remains of a deer on river left.  It is a 6-point buck that probably died late last year, as it still has antlers and the antlers are clear of velvet.  Right now, it is an exposed rib cage and has been well scavenged. 

I spot a few Common Mergansers, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, a few Black Ducks, some Buffleheads, some Canada Geese, one Harrier, and one mature Bald Eagle during the trip.  Not a lot of birds, but Osprey and Willets will come in over the next few weeks.

I run a figure-8 in the lower marsh - The Long cut to Bailey Creek, back into the bottom of the Sneak, then the old mosquito cut to the East River.  At the bottom, I head up the Neck, Bailey Creek, and the Sneak back into the East River. 

The return is cold and grinding with the wind and current against me.  I spot the Bald Eagle as I approach the Big Bends where it is perched at the lowest bend.  The sun then starts to burn through and that little bit of warmth feels good. 

Just below the take-out, I talk with a woman hiker.  I'd spotted her unusual backpack, which turned out to be a small guitar case.  She was out playing in the winds.  It's a nice chat, a nice end to the trip.