Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A Swath of Wilderness - Westford's Stony Brook

This morning I returned to Westford's Stony Brook a little better prepared for dancing with beavers (or their structures).  By that I mean ready to surmount whatever obstacles they have placed in my path and not be concerned with getting water over the tops of my boots.  Wearing a wetsuit allowed me to exit and re-enter my boat with relative ease.
Once again, I launched from the River Street Boat Launch and headed downstream.  The numbers of ducks seen in this section exceed any waterway I've ever paddled.  While many of these ducks were rising in flight on my approach, this osprey did the opposite and plunged into the water...

Shortly, he rose into the air but appeared to be empty-taloned.  The Canada geese nearby took to the air when he did...

Water levels were a little bit higher than last week and sliding over several beaver dams went smoothly.  Just upstream of the point where the brook's passage is constricted due to ridges on either side, several beaver families have started a multi-lodge village...


The constricted area is shown in the opening photo.

This blowdown has, most likely, required many a boat to be lifted "up and over".  Flip-flop sandals found on both sides of the fallen tree attest to the difficulties encountered here...
  
At Depot Road a paddler needs to either turn back or portage as the bridge pictured cannot be paddled through...
I turned around and returned upstream to a spot sheltered from the building breeze where I took my lunch...

The shore on this side of the brook is town-owned conservation land known as the East Boston Camp Conservation Area. 

As I resumed my trip back upriver, there was a brief rain shower and the air was getting noticeably cooler.
These tiny purple flowers carpeted one section of the brook...


And this Wooly Bear caterpillar, with his wide middle section, seems to be indicating a mild winter...

I sure hope the legend is right.

Once back at River Street my trash haul for the day was unloaded...

The tire/wheel combo and the child's trike were found not very far downstream from the launch site.
The total for the day was 29 pieces of trash: 20 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 9 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, a nip bottle, the tire and trike.  YTD total = 5470.
Thanks to the Westford Highway Department for helping with disposal of the tire and trike.


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