Today looked like it was going to be one of those perfect Spring days. No bugs yet, sunny, and temps in the low 70's. I decided to do the right thing and take the day off from work. Good choice.
In the AM I went up Camels hump. I went up the week before after work and there were still some large areas of ice and snow. Almost everything had melted by today. I went up the Monroe trail and it was clear of ice and snow to the clearing. There was a little snow/ice from the clearing to the top but not much and that should be gone in the next few days. They also opened up the Huntington parking lot which had been closed for a about a month due to road problems (mud season). The temperatures were just about perfect for hiking. 60 toward the bottom and 50 at the top.
In the afternoon I decided to go kayaking. I had been to the LaPlatte river this year but decided to go again. There were many more birds this time. Last time it was primarily geese but this time the blue herons, white egrets, king fishers, and many smaller birds had moved back into the area. I didn't do so well getting pictures of the herons and egrets but it was a very nice paddle. The water is still very high which allowed me to go into areas I usually can't get to. There are a number of areas to the right as you head into the stream that go back into small rivers and in one case a pretty large pond/swamp area. Very nice!
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White Egret flying away by the time I got the camera out |
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Blue Heron |
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Shelburne Bay - LaPlatte river flows into end of bay. |