paddling with a camera

April 24, 2005 - another cloudy and rainy afternoon. This time Connie helped me with a shuttle, so I could paddle downriver. I launched at 11E Road bridge below Loveland and paddled the entire Big Thompson that I had already covered and a small segment of the river which I missed during my up and down paddling. The flow was only 75 cfs at Loveland. I hit several shallow spots, especially, above Simpson Ponds SWA. It was too shallow for upstream paddling. I finished at the 3 Road bridge below I-25 making 6:37 miles in 1:24 h of moving time and 0:34 stopping time (portages and shooting pictures).

The river was quite different at lower level. It was easier to go under some fallen trees. I found more fallen trees in the upper part that I paddled two weeks earlier.

Wildlife: blue herons, duck and geese as usual, also kingfishers and hawks. I had an interesting meeting, I believe, with a cormorant. First, something dark like a big fish jumped out of the water and, immediately, dived just in front of my kayak. Then, a few yards further, a black bird started from under water like missile and flew away. After my paddling I checked one bridge crossing further downstream and I had an occasion to observe a muscrat swimming across the entire river under water.

The trip was also my first occasion to try a new camera: a tiny and waterproof Pentax Optio WP. A dozen of pictures shot with the Optio are included in my slide show along the river. All other pictures were shot with my older Canon PowerShot S40. After some more shooting I will prepare a review of this new camera from a paddler perspective.

GPS trip odometer: 6.72 miles, moving time 1:35h, stopping time 0:34h, moving speed 4.2 mph, max speed 8.0 mph.

Related posts:

• 03/28/2005 Big Thompson River ?
• 04/07/2005 Paddling and Exploring the Big Thompson River below Loveland, Colorado
• 04/11/2005 Big Thompson River from I-25 to Hillsboro Dam
• 04/20/2005 Paddling Upstream Can Be Faster than Downstream - Hail Storm on the Big Thompson
• 07/02/2005 Sinking Sisson Nucleus Kayak on the Big Thompson River
• 07/06/2005 Back to Big T with Sisson Nucleus