The weather forecaster's predictions for this past week provided all the temptation I needed for one more camping /paddling trip. Left early Monday morning and headed west on the Mass Pike. Stopped in Wilbraham for a bit of paddling above the first dam on the Chicopee River at Red Bridge. Plan was to see how close I could get to the village of Three Rivers in Palmer, MA where the Ware and Quaboag rivers join to form the Chicopee. Found an excellent map and other helpful information on the Massachusetts Paddler.com website .
Launched just upstream of the dam...
Paddled across the river which is more like a lake and crossed under the old Boston and Albany Railroad's Athol branch...
This area beyond the bridge had the feel of a pond and provided a view of Mt. Minechaug...
Once past the second station the real Chicopee began to appear in the form of shallower and faster-flowing water until I approached the end of navigation near the Bridge Street bridge (seen in the distance)...
This five-story factory looms over the south bank...
After turning about I got this brief look at the Chicopee confined by steep rock walls on each side...
Aside for a couple of guys fishing from small power boats the river was quiet...until this open-cockpit helicopter passed well below the treetops a few times (a safe way to fly these COVID days) ...
Once back on the turnpike I headed further west to the KOA campground in Westhampton and pitched my tent on a raised pea-stone filled pad...something I've come to appreciate this camping season.
The next morning was up before dawn and driving Route 20 west to the Housatonic River when I encountered this westbound CSX freight passing through Chester, MA...
The freight headed west towards Pittsfield and I southwest towards Sheffield, both communities on the far west side of Massachusetts.
While I'd previously paddled sections of the Housatonic River in Connecticut including its tidal reach from Long Island Sound, this would be my first time paddling a section in Massachusetts. Information I used for paddling the stretch below Sheffield came from a Paddling Guide for Berkshire County available on the Housatonic Valley Association's website. I launched at the Rannapo Road Bridge and headed downriver past the rocky base of Bartholomew's Cobble. In my mind was an account I'd recently read on the Lenox History.org website telling "As early as 1662 John Pynchon, son of the founder of Springfield attempted to establish a trading post on the Housatonic between Sheffield and Ashley Falls. The area was too wild to sustain the post but it does indicate the area was known to the English settlers of the Connecticut River Valley." The site also mentions the name Housatonic having been a corruption of the Mahican (Native American tribe) word Outhotonnook meaning "over the mountain" and that it wasn't until 1725 that a tract of land 12 miles wide by 18 miles long was purchased from the Mahican Chief (sachem) Konkapot. Only a mile or so downstream I reached the confluence of the Konkapot River and paddled a bit of it while wondering if Pynchon might have picked this spot for his trading post...
Further along and after entering the State of Connecticut I explored a bit of another tributary, the Blackberry River, before returning to the Housatonic. Below the Blackberry/Housatonic confluence was this old railroad bridge stone pier standing in the middle of the river...
Information found online indicates a bridge was built here by the Connecticut Western Railroad in 1871, and this stone pier likely supported that very bridge until 1965. A photo of a train crossing this bridge can be found at this BridgeHunter.com site.
Eventually I reached an old abandoned dam in North Canaan...
Before heading back upriver I enjoyed lunch with a fine river-view...
The trip upriver afforded this view of Bartholomew's Cobble...
Paddling upriver past Rannapo Road brought me to my turnaround point at the Housatonic Railroad/Route 7A bridges...
Mountains could be seen to the southwest...
Paddled back to where I'd started from at Rannapo Road noting that I hadn't encountered another soul the whole time. No need for social distancing on this day. The sound of a train's horn was frequently heard to the east. I believe it was the Housatonic Railroad performing switching services for the various industries in North Canaan, CT.
After a good night's rest in my tent in Westhampton I broke camp and headed to the nearby Littleville Lake in Huntington, MA. The lake was created by the US Army Corps. of Engineers as a flood-control project in 1953 by damming the Middle Branch of the Westfield River. It also serves as an additional drinking water supply for Springfield, MA. Things were calm and foggy at the boat launch...
The view to the north as the fog began to lift...
An eagle watched my approach...
Upon reaching the north end of the lake I rounded a point...
...and surprised 3 river otters. While they slid off of a rock and bobbed briefly before submerging, I was all thumbs with my camera and failed to snap a photo. I rarely get to see otters and when I do they usually don't stick around too long.
Just beyond where the eagle and otters were seen I reached the end of navigable waters...
A sign on the kiosk there hosted a good number of ladybugs...
Three of them elected to hitch a ride with me bringing along some good luck in the form of a beautiful afternoon...72 degrees and sunshine!
Littleville Lake had but a little...
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