Headed back to Wi-hit-tuk park today to do a paddle I had planned to do earlier this month. In total I removed one completely full bag of trash, two large styrofoam blocks and two full bags of recyclables. In this photo you can't see the second styrofoam block or the second bag of recyclables, both were shoved in the hull.
Going to the launch on the canal I immediately noticed the canal was down. This doesn't effect collecting trash at all, but it does make things muddy getting in and out and I knew it would be harder paddling up towards Easton.
Lots of duckweed. Trash was sprinkled throughout in these areas and there was a lot of paddling back and fourth picking it up.
Second inhaler of the year. Once again I hope the person who lost it didn't do so when falling in the water. I could see that turning out badly.
Cigarette holder filled with waterlogged cigarettes. I think I have found one of these before, it just seemed really familiar.
More duckweed, more trash.
I thought I was going to have to portage around this dead tree. I did find a small channel to squees through under the base of its trunk and I found this nice Common Snapping Turtle basking on one of its branches.
A full bottle of bubbles with seal still intact. Who wants it? Guessing no one.
So I found the reason the canal was lowered and why the canal path was blocked off around Wi-hit-tuk. It would have been nice if there was some warning at the boat launch. I could see things going really bad if I was paddling by and the sink hole opened up to the canal bottom. That definitely would have ruined my day. There has been a lot of money put into repairing this canal and path for historical and recreation purposes and there always seems to be more problems with it.
I could not bring myself to remove this shoe from the canal wall. For some reason when I looked at it, I just felt it belonged there.
From the start I knew this section was going to give me trouble. The water gets extremely shallow and there is a current. I had to get out and walk the boat. The good thing is that due to the current, there are not large sediment build-ups on the bottom and it is for the most part rock.
More than a few items were taken out of this lock in Easton. No flow here so basically everything thrown in from the top stays.
Just before I got to here I filled my non-recyclable bag. Someone kindly left two trash bags one toped with a pair of flip flops. With the flex bags I was able to shove them in, but that did it for collecting just trash, well that's what I thought.
Headed back down the river. By this point my hull was full of recyclables and I had started a new bag on my bow.
Stopped for some cans underneath the rail bridge and found something that didn't make me happy at all. If you look closely at this photo there is a line going from the rock pile into the water and it is attached to a nice sized catfish. The catfish was dead and looked as though it had been there for awhile. This is just uncool. I have no problem with fishing, I have no problem with people killing and eating the fish they catch. I have a major problem with this. There is no reason this fish needed to die on the riverside tied to a rock. It is a waste and it should not happen.
Ahhh... beautiful views slightly obstructed by trash.
Just when I thought I couldn't fit anymore in my kayak I stopped on a shoreline covered in plastic bottles and other stuff. I only took the bottles and I didn't even think I could fit those. I really packed the hull and the bag on the bow.
Found that piece of foam and just had to take it. At this point I realized the kayak was starting to get top-heavy. So when I did take photos I did so very carefully.
Cormorant in flight. I do not know the exact species.
Northern Map Turtles basking. These individuals must be bothered by people a lot. I could't get within thirty feet of them before they slid into the water.
My view by the end. In this one you can see the second foam block I picked up. At the 78 bridge I decided to get out and head up to the canal path. There was an easy path there and I knew with everything I had it would be the best way out. The only problem was I had to drag everything a good distance down the path to Wi-hit-tuk. Putting in the canal and paddling down to the canal launch would have been an option if the canal was at normal height, today it just wouldn't have worked. I think doing the drag was still better than taking out at the heavily eroded path at the park.
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