Mowhawk River 2

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Yesterday I went for a paddle on the mowhawk river, a different part than last time when I went with cory.

This time I put in a little further down the river, near the locks that lead to the Hudson. The launch point was actually pretty nice - it was pretty much a huge parking lot with two boat ramps and a dock along with a large rocky beach.

There were a bunch of cars with boat-trailers (and a few jet-ski trailers). There was also a family doing some fishing, who had managed to block access to both boat ramps: parking their cars so that anyone launching their boats couldn't get a straight approach with their trailers, and then setting up and fishing from the other ramp.

The launch point was right by a dam, but the current wasn't strong at all. I think there was a landfill area close by, which attracted a large number of turkey vultures.

The weather was excellent, and the water was pretty warm. I saw a ton of huge carp in the shallows, which are always amusing because they let you get close enough to poke them with your paddle before suddenly splashing away.

I also spotted another large snapping turtle feeding on some plants, he was a bit smaller than the one I saw last weekend, and his shell was completely covered in brown plants, which made him look like a shaggy rock. I didn't even realize it was a turtle until I saw it taking a bite of a plant and then, when it realized I was right beside it, burying itself in the mud on the bottom. I tried to get some pictures of it, but the combination of the mud, silty water, and glare from the water made none of them look like anything but some soupy water. Here's a picture of some cute goslings instead:

I also passed a bunch of other places that would be suitable for launching a canoe or kayak, as well as another public boat launch. I had never realized there were so many places to access the river before.

I paddled up to the highway bridge across the river (the place where cory and I had turned around when I'd paddled the river last year) before turning back.

Altogether it was a superb day.

A couple more pics available here.