Monday, November 7, 2016

Connecticut River Respite

Got as faraway as possible from all the political banter early yesterday morning by launching into the Connecticut River in Sunderland, MA.  Once on the river my choice was simple...upstream and against the wind, or downstream with the wind.  I chose the "up and against" knowing I could look forward to having the wind and current at my back for the return trip.

While figuring out which side of the river offered more shelter from the breeze, I noted a small tent on an island and saw a fellow fishing from shore alongside the tent.  Odd thing was there wasn't a boat.

I ultimately found the east side more to my liking and made slow and steady progress northward until reaching the Boston and Maine Railroad bridge connecting Montague and Deerfield...
...where I stopped for lunch with hopes a big freight train might soon make the crossing.  None did.

My return trip downriver offered views of Mt. Toby...
  ...this well-built eagle's nest...
...and quite likely the nest owner himself...

The best weather of the day coincided with seeing the eagle...

Further downriver a fellow carrying a good-sized load of gear was seen hiking along the river's east bank.  I'm fairly sure he was the same fellow I'd seen earlier camped on an island.  No idea how he got across the channel without a boat.

The tongue of one island shows the different layers of vegetation...

Soon Sugarloaf appeared...
...and my all too brief escape came to an end.

Very little trash was recovered along the way...

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