The map confirmed a squiggly blue line for Cassadaga Creek. This could possibly be great news, portending an intriguing paddle down a twisting waterway. Or, it could be a signal of logjams, with trees, washed by spring floods, piled at each bend in the creek. Fortunately for my husband and me, Cassadaga Creek is section of the Marden E. Cobb Waterway Path, a paddle-way maintained as a crystal clear passage by the Chautauqua County Parks Department.
On a neat summer months early morning, we introduced into the gently flowing waterway with the trepidation of explorers heading into the wonderful mysterious. We were Lewis and Clark, paddling in uncharted waters devoid of Sacagawea or the rest of the Corps of Discovery. Of system, we were not carrying a year’s worthy of of provides either – only ample for a single overnight. And, these waters weren’t uncharted. A map, in a plastic bag, lay safe beneath a bungee wire on the deck of my kayak. Even now, the tingle of anticipated adventures to come was unmistakable.
The channel was slim and at occasions bushes, overhanging from the shores, attained to brush our shoulders. We pushed by simply, rounding bend right after bend. Steadily sunlight began to filter as a result of the lush forest to warm our bodies and set the trees aglow with the inexperienced of a ripe, freshly picked sweet pepper. The chirps of goldfinches crammed our ears as they flitted among the bush-lined shores. Put together with the gurgle of the h2o relocating previous obstacles and the splash as our paddles slice the water floor, chook chirps were all we heard. We would escaped the bounds of time to glide downstream in the wilds of the 1800s, away from the sound and busyness of the 2000s.
Ultimately the channel widened to 20 or 30 ft, but it by no means ceased to wind. We glided simpler, propelled by a light present as we made a rhythm to our paddle strokes. Mellowed by the undulating stream and rhythmic paddling, we had been startled as we rounded a bend to locate deer, standing in the creek, drinking. They have been even extra startled than us and they leaped to the bank and dashed into the woods.
I placed my paddle in the water behind my kayak and applied it as a rudder to steer by means of the turns. By permitting the current carry my boat I could relax, permit go of every day stresses, and concentrate on the sights together shore. I floated past wild iris in bloom, sensitive tree roots uncovered by erosion and turtles basking in the sun on partially submerged logs. We handed below a couple street bridges but if not, no indications of civilization. A muskrat or beaver poked its slicked down, furry brown head over waterline than speedily darted to the security of the creek bottom. We have been invading his home turf. In the break up 2nd of recognition it was really hard to tell which animal was eyeing us. Each are plentiful along this creek.
Just after 5 hours and 13 miles (and considerable breaks) we attained the lean-to along shore and gratefully beached our kayaks. Like explorers of extensive back, we had acquired a relaxation for our fatigued bodies. Lewis & Clark did not have the luxurious of a 3-sided shelter to deliver protection from prospective rain, but we did. They also failed to have a food stuff bag bulging with steaks to grill above the hearth, and tin foil pouches of veggies and potatoes to roast in the coals. As present day working day explorers did not have to rough it.
The up coming working day we continued our journey downstream to obtain new discoveries close to just about every bend. But this evening we ate heartily and savored a heat summer time night around a campfire in advance of snuggling into our sleeping baggage inside of the shelter to aspiration like adventurers.
Seize a duplicate of “Acquire A Paddle – Western New York Tranquil Drinking water for Canoes & Kayaks” (www.footprintpress.com) and you as well can grow to be an explorer.