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April 21, 2003 |
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West Branch Delaware Float
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With the rivers full and abundant sunshine over Easter weekend, the opportunity to do a float trip on the West Branch Delaware River was too good to pass up. Four of us (and our dogs) met at a friend’s house along the river just north of Delhi. We packed our necessities in a dry bag and grabbed one extra paddle per canoe. We had agreed to pull out at another friend’s farm in Hamden, 12 or so river miles south. We embarked at 1:15 pm with the temperature in the high 60s and no wind.
After twenty minutes of paddling and floating we reached the Village of Delhi where many fishermen were taking advantage of the beautiful weather at the twin bridges on Route 28. As we passed by we inquired about their luck and choice of lures. After the Village, we paddled by the SUNY Delhi golf course and encountered a long, straight reach of stream. In addition to the pair of ducks that had been ahead of us the entire trip, an osprey soared overhead and muskrats scurried along the banks. This was an ideal location for fishing, and yet not a sole was around. Nearly the entire route was posted as public fishing access, however everyone tended to congregate around the bridges to fish!
Unlike the upper Esopus valley, the West Branch valley is very wide, and the fertile soils are very conducive to farming. We floated by many farms; too many with eroding or slumping clay banks. Just downstream of 4H Camp Shankitunk, we saw cliffs and outcrops of sandstone bedrock along the southern bank; with beautiful hemlocks overhang the deep pools. It was here when suddenly an osprey took flight from a tree just ahead of us, grasping a large fish in its talons! It flew right over our heads, close enough to see the fish’s tail flapping and its orange belly.
Around every bend it seemed like we saw a different kind of wildlife. Woodchucks, geese, ducks; a great blue heron took flight up a tributary, and several kingfishers squawked at us throughout the voyage. It was a couple miles above DeLancey when we dumped our canoe and got soaked in the 50-degree water. It came at the most unsuspecting time - a straight stream reach where we didn’t see a large submerged rock. Somehow our gear stayed onboard and after dumping out the water we climbed back in and let the warm sun start to warm us again.
By the time we floated beneath the large bald eagle nest, just north of DeLancey, we were still wet but in good spirits. Unfortunately we didn’t see any eagles this time. The base of the large sycamore tree holding the nest was encircled with a slippery material to keep predators from climbing the tree, and NYSDEC signs informed us not to disturb the protected species. We quietly floated by, marveling at the size of the nest and the great recovery and expansion of this magnificent bird.
After DeLancey we approached the Hamden covered bridge. A fly fisherman underneath it and the canoe ahead of ours made for an idyllic scene. We pulled out at the Flying Rabbit Farm at 4:30 pm, loaded into the truck and headed back to Justin’s where a feast of steamed clams, moose burgers, Portobello burgers, and venison steaks was waiting. The evening came to a perfect end as we sat around the bonfire telling stories and watching the dogs wrestle, chase sticks, and swim in the river.
- Chris and Aaron
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