posted by CT Bob @ 2:27 PM
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Joyce is paddling in front of the Derby hydroelectric dam where we put in and began our journey.
Inside an abandoned lock on the Shelton side just below the dam.
Joyce is inside the lock. The walls were nearly 20 feet high. 
Janel paddled right up to the second broken lock and let the water cascade onto her bow. 
The entrance to one of the four or five industrial tunnels we explored on the Shelton side. 
Inside the tunnel. It was creepy, with assorted cobwebs and shit hanging from the ceiling. We used our paddles to clear the way. 
Derek floats in another room below the old factory. 
Some areas were spacious and had plenty of room; others were so low you had to duck, and you couldn't paddle because it was so narrow. 
Back into the light! Did I mention I get claustrophobic? 
And right back into another tunnel! Because apparently I'm a masochist. 
There was some kind of rotted metal hanging from the ceiling on the left, which was a bit worrying. You probably can guess that it's not entirely safe to be poking around in some of these places.
Ahhh! Back outside on the open river, where a person can relax. 
Oh shit! Another tunnel! This one was some kind of river tunnel, obviously built more recently than those stone-arch tunnels. This one went about five hundred feet and included a bend to the left before coming out...
...here, which appears to be some kind of old canal or something. There was a second tunnel beyond it. Which Derek and I obviously had to explore.
The second tunnel had some kind of spillway we needed to port over, but about ten feet in, the water was deep enough to paddle.
Deeper in that tunnel it reverted to an old stone tunnel. There was some kind of water spilling out ahead. 
Which is where we turned around, because we didn't want to have to bail our kayaks out. 
Finally, back onto the river and into the light...for good, this time!
Me, just chillin' on the river. No need to rush now. Just a nice relaxing trip down to Milford. 
As the tide was going out Janel and Derek took a ride down a sluceway from a pond that emptied into the river.
posted by CT Bob @ 9:07 AM
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The B class started right before us.
Janel, Lee, and Derek as Janel steers immediately before the prestart.
Joyce was our bowgirl for the race.
A happy Janel near the end of the race, which took place in advanced conditions for her; apparent wind of 20kts. at times. But she did great and it was a fun race.
posted by CT Bob @ 10:57 AM
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I have to send Joyce up to the top of the mast to recalibrate the wind indicator.
posted by CT Bob @ 8:19 AM
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posted by CT Bob @ 1:25 PM
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We got together with most of our crew for a holiday season pizza dinner at Jimmy's Pizza earlier this month.
posted by CT Bob @ 6:03 PM
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Joyce readies her kayak at the West Street marina launch ramp, just below the New Milford dam.
The marina is located in a quiet inlet. We took a few minutes to explore it before heading out into the river.
This is one of three boats that zoomed by us within seconds of each other near the marina. It was the only motor boat traffic we saw all day.
Me at the railroad bridge near New Milford. This is the track that crosses the main road in New Milford center. 
Joyce passes under the same RR about 1 mile downriver, near an inlet by the abandoned silex works by Lover's Leap State Park.
Joyce in the Lover's Leap gorge, under the historic bridge. 
In the gorge, Joyce pauses beside the high sheer wall. 
The requisite self-portrait. Just because. 
After passing through, the lake opened up and became very picturesque. In another two weeks or so the forest will be blazing with colors.
We saw several crew teams practicing on the river. That, and a couple kayakers was the extent of all the traffic we saw the entire way.
Joyce pauses to view some of the wildlife around the lake.
We saw a number of big blue herons. One was sitting on someone's dock, and it was so big and still, we thought it was carved out of wood. It startled the hell out of us when it took flight as we got near. The bird must have been five feet tall!
Joyce shot this photo with the sun completely washing out the LCD screen. She just pointed the camera and clicked it. Turned out OK, dontcha think?
Late in the day we kept expecting to see the bridge near our haul-out spot every time we rounded a corner. The sun was getting low and the shadows long when we finally spotted the RT 133 bridge in Bridgewater. 
We hauled out where we left my car, at the public launch ramp right near the bridge. After tying the kayaks onto the rack, we had to go back to New Milford to pick up Joyce's car.
posted by CT Bob @ 9:36 AM
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Joyce, Janel and me, with the eminently practical "trophy". 
Close-up of the engraved mug. The beer tasted sweeter than 2nd place!
View from the deck. The weather was decent, but not nearly as nice as race day was. 
The big raffle. Joyce won a harvest flower arrangement, but Mike snagged the Pentax digital camera, and his gal Nancy won the giant wine cache! It was a good day for them!
Janel with the perfunctory "Dark 'n Stormy", which described the weather when I brought the boat over on Friday. 
Did I mention how good the beer tastes out of a 1st Place mug?
posted by CT Bob @ 8:45 AM
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Enjoy your visit!
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