Michael Johnson: Paddling The Upper Salmon River Reservoir On A Perfect Autumn Day

by Mike Johnson | November 2, 2021 10:44 am

OSWEGO COUNTY – The promise of an almost windless morning in late October was enough to get us on our way.

The North Country autumn is known for breezy days, as the weather systems that move across Lake Ontario grow stronger with the passing weeks and the approach of winter makes itself known.

Assuming that this would very likely be the last opportunity to paddle the almost seven mile long impoundment until the arrival of spring and ice out, my adventurous wife and I strapped the boat to the car-top, and drove east from Pulaski on Oswego County Route 2, climbing up the east side of Tug Hill, cruising through the hardwood forest that would soon be seeing the first lake effect snowfalls of the season.

Arriving at the Redfield boat launch, we noted that the temperature was a balmy 48 degrees, so we donned layers of synthetic gear, and of course PFD’s (personal flotation devices). The chilly water temperature and brisk air would make paddling in any wind more risky, so had the forecast not been accurate, we would have left the boat on the cartop and gone with plan B, a walk in the forest. Lucky for us, the weatherman was right and we were greeted by a glassy calm surface to launch our well traveled canoe onto.

We paddled west, skirting the north shore, searching for brightly colored trees, and hoping to spot any of the many species of wildlife that inhabit the thick forest surrounding the reservoir. Our timing was a little off, as many of the trees were past peak, but we did occasionally spot a brilliantly colored oak or maple. We felt lucky to occasionally come across a tree that displayed leaves of green, yellow, orange and even a hint of bright crimson all at once.

The almost absent wind made a few tiny ripples on the surface of the dark water, but the breeze never organized itself into a steady wind from any one direction. As the canoe glided across the mirror like sheen of water, we took brief breaks from propelling the craft, resting our arms as we slid along and savored the silence, punctuated occasionally by the sound of distant Canadian geese preparing to make the journey south.

We made the decision to cross a large open expanse of water and then follow the north shoreline of Burdick Island. Shallow water extended part of the way across and then the bottom dropped off and disappeared beneath us.

Arriving at the island’s edge, we marveled at the rocky bank, layers of dark, flat stones, exposed by the reservoir level lowering as water had been released during the salmon fishing season. Bright green fronds of underwater grasses were visible here and there, their population thinned by the cooling water and shorter daylight period.

Rounding the rocky point that comprises the west end of the forested island, we saw the clouds begin to break and shafts of bright sunlight began to illuminate the distant shore, lighting the transformed treeline and drawing us to the north shore to survey the foliage. We again crossed the open water, and slid along the shore, trying to get the boat under the canopy of mostly yellow and gold leaves, disturbing a few noisy northern blue jays as we navigated back to the boat launch.

We were tired and slightly chilled as the canoe made contact with the gravel bank of the shore, but we wanted to savor every minute of our time, knowing that days like this would soon be a thing of the past. We took our time loading the boat onto the car for the trip downhill and out of the thick hardwood forest.

The boat will wait out the winter hanging in the garage, and with a little shine up, be ready for another summer and fall. The changing seasons on Tug Hill always bring new challenges and delights, and knowing that the forest would soon be filled with abundant snow put a smile on our slightly chapped faces.

We will be back, ready for another adventure, and another brilliant season!

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/michael-johnson-paddling-the-upper-salmon-river-reservoir-on-a-perfect-autumn-day/

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