Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Quinsigamond's Outlet

This morning, after work, I traveled into the heart of Nipnet, the ancestral home of the Nipmuck people and paddled close to the area once known as Hassanamessitt.  
In 1654 an Indian praying village was established by that name and most historical accounts have the site being chosen by John Eliot and Daniel Gookin, English missionarys to the Indians.  However, according to the book Manitou by James W. Mavor, Jr. and Byron E. Dix, Gookin reported the location of Hassanamessitt was chosen by Nipmuck powwows or shamans.  Mavor and Dix speculate the area would have had much spiritual significance to the Nipmuck because five rivers start their journeys to the sea from within a radius of about 12 miles.  Examining a map confirms that the Assabet, Blackstone, Charles, Nashua, and Sudbury rivers can all be accessed from within this radius. 
I decided to launch into lower Lake Quinsigamond at Oak Island in Shrewsbury and see how far south I could go towards Hassanamessitt.
It didn't take long to paddle from Oak Island to this embankment and small dam where it appears the Quinsigamond River begins its 5-mile journey to its confluence with the Blackstone River in Grafton....
This photo of the dam was taken after I'd portaged and was looking back upstream.  The portage was a very short and easy one.  Just below the dam I passed under Creeper Hill Rd. and then under this old but still active Boston and Albany Railroad bridge...
Again the photo is looking back upstream.
The river grew quite narrow in between the railroad bridge and Hovey Pond (some maps show it as Flint Pond).  The opening photo shows this narrow stretch of river.  Reaching the end of Hovey Pond I came to this dam and spillway...
Here the river takes a pretty good drop and there do not appear to be any easy portaging options.  Therefore I turned around and began heading back to Oak Island.  This was the view looking upriver from the Hovey Pond dam...
I'm quite sure this rock was seen by Nipmuck paddlers as they went by in their mishoons or dugout canoes...
It is said that everything in the Native American world possesses Manitou or spiritual qualities.  My guess would be this rock has more than most!
Two red-tailed hawks soared above Hovey Pond,  Also seen today were mute swans, a cormorant, an eastern kingbird, numerous red-winged blackbirds, a good sized snapping turtle, and many small fish darting all around my boat.  The river bottom in many places was carpeted with juniper-like plants.  Aquatic flowers in bloom were white and yellow lilies and pickerelweeds.
Trash, possessing very little Manitou, was recovered along the way...
Most of it was located where folks have access to the water, such as boat ramps and areas near bridges where they fish from shore.  The usual suspects were rounded up.  There were 31 recyclable containers (9 redeemable) and 27 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam, bait tubs, plastic bags, etc. 
Total today was 58.
 YTD total stands at 3364.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Sudbury River - Little Farms Rd. to Danforth St. and Back

Despite yesterday's thunderstorms, water levels were found to be low on the Sudbury River today.  At left is the view looking upriver at the Little Farms riffle in Framingham.  Rather than launch on the upstream side, I decided to get in a little practice lining my boat.  It was actually an enjoyable experience to wade through the riffle while towing my boat upstream by its painter.
Once back onboard and settled in amidships, I trash patrolled the river up to the Danforth Street bridge...
Plenty of shady spots were found on this stretch of river and aside from the noise of an excavator working where the MWRA aqueduct passes under the river, it was quite a peaceful place to spend a few hours.
The lion's share of today's trash was plastic bags found hanging like ghostly apparitions from numerous tree branches.  When the March floodwaters receded, the bags were left behind.  Also hanging from limbs overhead were an automotive inner tube and a child's stuffed serpent.  Combining these items with some beer/soda cans, water bottles, and a traffic cone made for an eclectic assemblage on the oxbow sandbar...
Today's count was 95 pieces of trash.  Of these, 26 were recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 69 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.  YTD total stands at 3306.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Sudbury River - River Road to Lee's Bridge & Back

Today's trash patrol of the Sudbury River between River Rd. in Wayland and Lee's Bridge at Rt. 117 in Lincoln was an easy one as there was very little trash in the water.  It was nice for a change to have only white water lilies and violet pickerel weed blossoms catch my eye instead of bottles and cans.
The usual gang of wildlife were on hand: belted kingfisher, eastern kingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, a red-tailed hawk, and numerous great blue herons such as the one below who'd just caught a fish...
 My boat wasn't the only one working the river today.  This rig was rounding up water chestnut plants...
 Once full, the plants were transferred into a dump truck at Sherman's Bridge...
 No dump truck was necessary for my paltry catch...
However, it was a lucky number 7 and nice that it was all I could find in a 5-mile section of river.  The lot of it was found on the ground below where one shorefisherman had been perched just downstream of the Route 27 bridge.
My YTD total stands at 3211.

Monday, June 21, 2010

The Cochituate Ponds in Wayland & Natick

Sure was a nice day for our summer solstice!  When the sun climbed to its highest noontime elevation of the year, I was fortunate enough to be afloat on the waters of Cochituate's North, Middle, and South ponds.
Having launched into the North Pond, I paddled over to a small island where it appeared someone attempted to build a very humble abode.  Messages concerning freedom were painted on the crude rafters.  From there I entered the secluded cove that leads into the spot where Cochituate Brook begins (pictured at left).  At the end of the cove there is a 2-step drop for water falling into the brook...
 These two cormorants had taken to the trees for the occasion of the solstice...
The passageway into Nipmuc country?  Actually it is a passageway under a railroad line which used to terminate in Saxonville...
Before passing under the busy Mass Pike, I had to wait for this cavalcade of geese to clear the tunnel... 
 Today's trash haul alongside my boat's hull...
It was a 'Larry Bird' total of 33 pieces.  The breakdown: 13 recyclable (7 redeemable) and 20 pieces of rubbish such as bait tubs, plastic bags, a soccer ball, etc.  YTD total stands at 3204.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Concord River - Egg Rock to Ball's Hill & Return

Early this morning I launched my boat at Lowell Road and trash patrolled a few miles of the Concord River.  The sun was already rising in the sky as my boat and I passed under the quiet bridges of the upper Concord.  Flints Bridge (Monument Street) is pictured at left as it looked on the return trip upriver.
Before reaching Great Meadows Landing, this duck was standing guard on a log...
 What she was guarding were her three ducklings, hidden behind the log...
In addition to the ducks, the following wildlife were seen:  several blue herons; Canada geese and their goslings; squirrels (both red and grey); and an osprey.  The osprey flew from the area of Saw Mill Brook towards Great Meadows.
After passing Saw Mill Brook and heading briefly towards Bedford, I thought of my Dad and his being at Hanscom Field early this morning in preparation for a trip to Washington D.C. courtesy of
Honor Flight New England.  The mission statement of this non-profit organization is: "Transport America's veterans to Washington D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honoring their service and sacrifices."  My Dad is a former underwater demolition team frogman and served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean Conflict

On the trip back upriver the Old North Bridge looked so peaceful and serene, I couldn't pass up a photo  ...
Trash was not too bad with the usual suspects being rounded-up.  One unusual find, however,was a Gosling's Ginger Beer can.  I had never heard of this brand of beer.  Once home I researched it a little and found that it has only been on the market for about a year.  The story behind it caught my interest.  It seems that in Bermuda the national cocktail is a Dark 'n Stormy.  It is made by combining Gosling's Black Seal Rum with a ginger beer.  Gosling's, in business in Bermuda since 1806, didn't make ginger beer but decided that since the cocktail was fairly popular they should start making both components and subsequently contracted with Polar Beverages to produce the ginger beer here in Massachusetts.  So perhaps it was a dark 'n stormy night on the Concord River when someone popped open the can of Gosling's and imbibed such a cocktail.  The rum container is yet to be found.  The seal on the can's logo looks more like a sea lion to me...
Back at Lowell Road, today's catch posed for a group photo.  They numbered 32 and their composition was as follows: 16 recyclable containers (8 redeemable) and 16 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as several plastic bags, a cardboard 12-pack container, nip bottles, bobbers, and a cigarette lighter.  YTD total stands at 3171.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

A Little Gunkholing in Sandy Bay

Today was a splendid day for visiting the town of Rockport and some pleasant gunkholing along its rocky shores. 
After launching our boats from the town's Granite Pier, Mrs. Trashpaddler and I paddled into many of the town's nooks and crannies.  We toured the Old Harbor and newer harbor and then slowly made our way to Straitsmouth Island and its little white lighthouse.  The dilapidated keeper's house is still standing and for some reason always reminds of the house in Andrew Wyeth's painting Christina's World 
Reaching the outer most shore of the island, we drank-in the view of Thacher Island's Twin Lights about 1.5 miles distant...
 Returning to our gunkholing we soon encountered the island's chief gull and admired his regal stature...
 Reporting to him were multitudes of lesser gulls, cormorants, and black ducks. 
Very little trash was encountered during our excursion.  One floating beer can in Rockport Harbor and 3 other pieces of trash back at the Granite Pier.  The foursome's request for one last viewing of Sandy Bay was granted!...

There were 3 recyclable containers (2 redeemable) and 1 plastic bag.  YTD total stands at 3139.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Roger Williams Paddle Trail - Retracing Part of His Route to Refuge

 Just let me make it to the other side…

where hopefully I’ll be greeted by “What Cheer, Netop?” (or How’s it going, friend?)

It seems there is always an obstacle between a man in imminent danger and his finding safe refuge. It can be a mountain, a forest, an ocean, or a river. The obstacle facing Roger Williams in 1636 was the Seekonk River. Making it to the other side would put him beyond the reach of the Puritans in Boston. Roger had earned the distinction of being “Banished” following a trial in which the General Court convicted him of sedition and heresy. He had dared to utter “diverse, new, and dangerous opinions” such as: a man’s religion is between himself and his creator; the King of England has no right to give away land in the New World; and government should concern itself with only civil matters and not involve itself in matters of conscience and religion.

In January of 1636 the sheriff was dispatched to Salem, Massachusetts to apprehend the convict but Williams, having been tipped-off, had escaped. For the Puritans it was “Drats!”

It is said that Williams travelled overland by foot through the cold and snow 105 miles to Rehoboth, Massachusetts where he found refuge with the Wampanoags and their leader Massasoit. The great sachem saw no problem with helping Williams and readily provided him with a place to start a settlement. This plan was dashed, however, when the Puritans informed Williams that they held domain over all land to the Seekonk River. Massasoit, himself, should have been a little concerned to hear this news!

So, facing yet another obstacle, Williams and 11 of his friends paddled some part of the Ten Mile River to the point where it empties into the tidal Seekonk River.  This area today was being soared over by a pair of ospreys, and two mute swans patrolled the waters near the dam. This photo shows the Ten Mile River's water flowing over the dam and entering the Seekonk...


 
From that point Williams and his friends paddled across the tidal Seekonk River to where they were welcomed on the other side by the Narragansetts.  This photo shows the approximate location of their first landing spot (where the Narragansetts greeted them with "What Cheer, Netop?")... 



Upon meeting with that tribe’s leaders, Canonicus and Miantonomi, Williams’ group was advised to travel a few miles further west and north to a spot near the confluence of the Woonasquatucket and Mashassuck Rivers.  Retracing their path today required paddling through Providence Harbor and up the Providence River passing through the Hurricane Gates...


This docked tugboat was facing in the same direction and appropriately named "Roger Williams"... 


This is the confluence of the Woonasquatucket and Mashassuck Rivers and probably close to where they landed...


Somewhere, not far from this spot and near a freshwater spring, they started the settlement that would later come to be known as Providence and the colony that would ultimately become Rhode Island.  Williams wrote "Having made covenant of peaceable neighborhood with all of the sachems and natives round about us and having a sense of God's merciful providence to me in my distress, called the place Providence, I desire that it might be a shelter for persons distressed of conscience."

Hoping to find a marker of some sort indicating the actual landing spot, I headed further up the canal to the right but was unsuccessful in finding any marker.  Reaching a point where the water was becoming too shallow and narrow, I turned around and began the trip back to where I started.

In the ensuing years the Puritans lost interest in Williams and focused their attentions on destroying the Pequot people whom they were convinced were plotting against them. This was a recurring theme with the Puritans and started with Myles Standishs’ pre-emptive attack at Wessagusset. It seems the Puritans were convinced that nearly everybody was secretly plotting against them. In the war with the Pequots, the Puritans even enlisted the help of Mr. Williams and his friends the Narragansetts. Once the Pequot had been vanquished, however, the Puritans turned their attention back to Mr. Williams. In 1643, with Puritans now holding the power in England, they decided to have their charter expanded to include Williams' Providence Plantation. Surely this time they would get him! It was God’s will!


Faced with this dire prospect, Williams had no choice but to travel to England and plead his case. As he sailed across the Atlantic, having ample time on his hands, he decided to write a primer of sorts for anyone wishing to have interaction with the indigenous peoples. It was to become his first book entitled A Key Into the Language of America. As luck would have it, it became a “best-seller” in England where the populace was eager to hear about the strange peoples living in the New World. Words such as succotash, papoose, moccasins, and netop (Narragansett for friend) captivated folks’ imaginations and according to Wikipedia “Historians agree that the key that unlocked the door for Williams was his first published book, A Key Into the Language of America.” ...."It gave Williams a large and favorable reputation."  He left England after procuring a charter for his Providence Plantation and boldly sailed into Boston Harbor with letters signed by an impressive list of ‘royal type’ folks. He stayed in Boston very briefly however. Just long enough for a ‘Nah na nah, na nah nah’ moment!   Alas, for the Puritans it was “ Drats! Foiled again!”

Most of the above information was new to me as I really knew very little about Roger Williams other than his being the father of Rhode Island and there having been some issues between him and the Puritans. After recently googling something (I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was) I ended up stumbling on to the whole story of Mr. Williams. The book he wrote, A Key Into the Language of America, came as the biggest surprise to me and was something I thought no Englishman had done the likes of.  
I especially enjoyed the way he approached writing his Key. Instead of composing a dictionary of Narraganset (Algonquian) words and their English counterparts, he looked at the various components of life and divided them into 32 chapters. He starts with a chapter on salutations and then proceeds to cover eating, sleeping, names/numbers, blood/marriage, family/household business, parts of the body, discourse /news, time of day, season of year, travel, the heavens/stars, weather, winds, fowle, fruits of the earth, beasts, the sea, fishing, clothing, religion, government, commerce, hunting, gaming, warfare, painting, sickness, and ultimately concludes with death and burial. In other words, all the stuff that really matters in day to day life. Sadly, very few of the early settlers bothered to write down such observations. Williams, by doing so, provided us with at least a glimpse into what life may have been like before the arrival of Europeans to this continent. In reading his Key it is also apparent that he was open-minded and didn’t feel the need to discredit customs different from his own.

His Rhode Island became a haven for independent-minded folks and, several years later, another man would come to live alongside the Narragansetts. His name was Joshua Tefft and for 14 years he and his brother farmed land adjacent to the Great Swamp where the Narragansett Tribe spent their winters.

In 1675 war broke out between the Wampanoags and the Puritan United Colonies of which Providence was not included. Sure enough, the United Puritans decided that the Narragansetts were secretly plotting to join the Wampanoags. Therefore, they launched a pre-emptive strike against the Narragansetts’ palisaded winter stronghold. The battle was said to be a fierce one and costly for both sides. Once the Puritan forces penetrated the palisade and gained control of the fort they found the lodges within were filled with women, children, the old and infirm, and all their winter’s stores of food. Faced with a dilemma of what to do, they decided that God would want them to lay waste to the lot and they lit fire to the huts. Hundreds of people burned to death.

Within a few days of the battle and subsequent massacre, word was spreading that an Englishman was seen fighting alongside the Narragansetts and had shot one of the Puritan soldiers. Joshua Tefft was shortly arrested and questioned. Oddly, present at his interrogation was a very old Roger Williams now captain of the Providence militia. I'm left to wonder if Williams went on record concerning the attack and Tefft's role in helping the Narragansetts.  At any rate, Tefft’s claim of being forced by the Narragansetts to fight in their behalf was rejected and this time the Puritans would not be denied their pound of flesh. Joshua Tefft became the only Englishman in New England ever convicted of high treason and was given the full horrific punishment that was ‘all the rage’ at the time. He was hung by the neck (but taken down while still alive), disemboweled (while still alive), then beheaded and quartered. Quite a high price to pay for helping his friends and neighbors defend their homes from an unprovoked attack!  The only satisfaction denied the Puritans was they were not allowed to take possession of his land and property. The Rhode Island authorities prevailed in seeing that Tefft’s family at least retained that.

If the passage of time be the judge, Roger Williams’ legacy grew and strengthened while the Puritans were left to chase after more of the demons inside their heads. Yes, you guessed it! They heard some witches up in Salem were plotting against them!

A trash patrol hadn't been planned for today, but this lot of trash was within a fifty foot radius of where I launched and landed my kayak at Bold Point Park....   

 
The count was 36 pieces of trash. The breakdown: 13 recyclable containers (2 redeemable) and 23 pieces of rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam, bait tubs, etc. YTD total is 3135. (I should note that I launched away from the busy (and less trashy) boat ramps and closer to where shorefishermen frequent.) 

The Seekonk River was busy today with both shorefishermen and guys fishing from boats.  One group of boat fishermen were having very good luck near the railroad bridge with the permanent upraised span.  I couldn't tell what species they were catching but they seemed quite pleased with the action!

While reading about Roger Williams I discovered this great web site.  Clicking on their "Where to go paddling" heading will take you to a listing of "Water Trails" which includes the one I paddled today.  Without their web site, with listings of water trails and launch sites, my retracing of Roger Williams' route would not have been possible.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Sudbury River - Little Farms Rd. to Power Lines & Back

The sun finally put in an appearance as I was heading back upriver and passing under the "Hot Dog" bridge.  Most of today's trash patrol of the Sudbury River in Framingham and Wayland was done in cloudy/cool conditions and that was fine with me. 
Before heading downriver, I made a brief foray into the downstream end of the Oxbow where I encountered a wood duck family enjoying the day. Unfortunately, the family of ducks went into full emergency upon detecting my presence and the little ones were quickly herded off the water and into the bushes. I decided to go no further into this idyllic area and instead returned to the river's main channel. 
Progress downriver was slow as trash was ample and seemed to be floating behind every little snag as can be seen in this photo taken just upstream of the old stone bridge...
By the time I reached the Power Lines my boat was nearly full and transloading was done to maximize cargo capacity.  A red-tailed hawk watched from its perch atop the transmission tower.
Once back at Little Farms Road the day's catch of 236 pieces of trash was spread out alongside my vessel...
Only the lucky ones got a spot in the sunshine!
There were 104 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 132 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish consisting of plastic bags, styrofoam, a basketball, a softball, a soccer ball, several tennis balls, a ski pole, 24 nip bottles, and 3 cans of spray paint.  YTD total stands at 3099.
The SuAsCo waters will be busy this weekend with folks enjoying Riverfest activities.  To find out more about this year's Riverfest click on this link.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Nashoba Brook & Back

Today's cooler and drier air provided a welcome change in weather conditions.  Just about ideal for a little trash paddling!
After launching at Lowell Road in Concord, I paddled the short distance to Egg Rock and bearing to my right began ascending the Assabet River up to Nashoba Brook.  Photo at left was taken after passing under Rt. 2.
Earlier in the trip and just a little upriver from Willow Island some movement caught my eye and I watched a coyote disappear into the woods along the river's west side.  Because the wooded section is narrow I decided to paddle close to the shore and see if I could find Mr. Coyote.  Sure enough, peering into a shaded area I came eye to eye with him as he peered back at me...
(Note: Click once and then a second time to enlarge the image.  You have to look close in the center to see him)

From a point a little further upriver, the Canada geese could be heard sending out alarm calls to their recently born goslings.  Mr. Coyote made several forays out from the woods into the sunlit clearing...
He seemed to be trying to find the right spot from which to approach them while remaining unseen.  The geese and goslings were wisely staying on the water while such danger lurked...
After watching his antics for a while, I continued upriver finding the usual trash in the usual places.  By the time I unloaded back at Lowell Road my trash count was at 53 pieces.  Of these 27 were recyclable (11 redeemable) and 26 were miscellaneous rubbish such as an old tire, a basketball, an old doll, etc.  Here they be...

YTD total stands at 2863.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Assabet River - Hudson to Gleasondale

Sections of the Assabet River in Hudson and Stow were trash patrolled today under surprisingly pleasant weather conditions.  I was joined by a friend visiting from New York and he was getting his first look at this particular stretch of the Assabet River.  Amongst the Adirondack Pirates with whom he usually paddles he is known as 'Captain Dangerous'. 
We launched at Cox Street in Hudson and paddled downriver to the village of Gleasondale and the dam that once powered the mill there.  Along the way we saw great blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, a mute swan, a wood duck, mallards, and a musquash or two. Turning around at the dam, we paddled back upriver to Cox Street and then continued upriver to Hudson's old electric generating station on Main Street.  The stretch near the old electric plant could use some more water as many shoals are developing.  An additional four inches of water would be just the ticket!
It was decided at this point that the lucky spell of pleasant weather we'd enjoyed was about to expire and we returned to Cox Street where the day's catch of 35 pieces posed for a photo. Today's trash broke down as follows: 20 recyclables (18 redeemable) and 5 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.
The Budweiser bottles were found at the Cox Street launch site.  YTD total stands at 2810.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Assabet River - Whitman's Crossing to Gleasondale & Back

Trash patrolled the Assabet River starting at Whitman's Crossing (Sudbury Rd.) to the Route 62 bridge in Gleasondale this afternoon.  Heading upriver I passed the stonework where boats once unloaded passengers enroute to nearby Lake Boon.  A hundred years ago or so, this was a happening place with gents wearing dapper straw hats and ladies with their fancy parasols.  Not too busy a spot these days!
Conditions, however, were ideal for my purposes and this stretch of the Assabet is one of my favorites.
About half way to Gleasondale I came upon a tree bearing evidence of some critter's recent work under the moonlight .  Looks like this project will keep Mr. Beaver busy for several weeks...
Wildlife encountered today were the usual residents: red-winged blackbirds, eastern kingbirds, blue herons, mallards, a musquash, a red-tailed hawk, and numerous painted turtles.
After a brief respite just below the Route 62 bridge, I began the trip back downriver and approached this natural 'ford' in the river...
The distance between the stone banks is less than 20 feet.  Must have been a great spot for spearing fish.

Once back at Whitman's Crossing, the gang posed for a photo before saying their "goodbyes" to the river...

The count for the day was 65 pieces of trash and it broke down as follows: 26 recyclable containers (12 redeemable) and 39 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as an aluminum baseball bat, a soccer ball, a fishing rod/reel, a bicycle tire, plastic bags, and several nip bottles. YTD total stands at 2775.

Oddly, last week a bottle of Captain Morgan sought refuge onboard my ship and today a pint-sized bottle of Admiral Nelson strode my deck!  I felt a little bad for them reduced to sailing aboard my scow!