The local river this weekend

[Steve in Idaho]

It's amazing how a river keeps changing - if it's allowed to. I guess that's why I'm never bored with the local stretch of river that is 15 minutes from my home. As the current meanders and the flows fluctuate, different channels become "the preferred route" - especially for poling. Another whole new channel has opened up this winter. Well...it's sort of the remnants of an old channel that closed up a couple springs ago, but is now coming back - more or less. Gives me a short-cut through the new island that appeared that same spring across from my usual put-in. The gravel riverbed is always moving. Always something new to try....

Anyway - this weekend's trip was supposed to be for the purpose of photographing some nesting herons (as if a purpose is needed), but the herons weren't at the rookery yet. I checked in on the beaver dams. A bit of sadness there. The dams show no signs of any recent maintenance and I saw no active scent mounds. I'm guessing those beavers have been trapped out. If no new beavers move in before the dams fall apart, that's going to have an impact on the nesting wood ducks. Odds are pretty good that someone will eventually take over though.

I got to sit and watch an osprey catching fish in one of the usual places. Thought I'd get a pic of that, but a couple of hikers showed up before I could gt my camera out and I guess that was just too much company for the bird.

It was a great day on the water though.

 

[Guest]

Steve, you are absolutely right - a freely flowing river is never the same. There's a 2-3 hour paddle nearby on a slowish river (Sugar R. between Attica and Hwy EE) that's very pretty. Much of it is under a green canopy and there are no rapids but a fair amount of down trees. I've been on that stretch over 30 times and never get tired of it. I used to bring a camera, but that puts me in "observer" mode rather than "participant."

Paddling is like playing the accordion - the cure for a bad mood.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Observer vs participant.....I see that same problem. I usually do bring a camera, but it doesn't come out much. I may have a specific goal in mind (like the heron rookery) and take a few extras while at that task, but usually the rest of the time it stays in the dry box. Every now and then though, something special begs for a photo.