Assabet Tells a Story

Taking advantage of a lull between rain events, I launched early this morning at Magazu's Landing (Sudbury Road) in Stow.  The Assabet River remains at a fairly high level and my trip upriver was into a steady current.  After passing over the submerged trestle pilings where the Marlboro Branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad once crossed the river, I enjoyed this view upstream...

Also enjoying the view was this eastern kingbird atop an irrigation pump...

At Fort Meadow Brook I thought about trying to squeeze through the box culvert, but several large spiders had me thinking it might be a little tight and perhaps two spiders too many...

So, I continued up to the Route 62 bridge in Gleasondale (aka Rock Bottom) .  The quarter mile below the bridge is where most of today's trash items, etc. were encountered.  Picking up the bottles and cans was interrupted by the sight of a Sea to Summit dry bag snagged on a branch.  The dry bag, containing a paddlers supplies, obviously meant someone's boat had been upset further upriver and that is something paddlers hope to never see.  Items in the bag were a Maynard woman's drivers license, a water-proof disposable camera, two pairs of glasses, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
Upon my arrival home I tried using the address to get a phone number but had no luck.  However, when I checked my trashpaddler email there was a message from the very person I was trying to locate....very strange....almost Twilight Zone strange.  She related that she had capsized her kayak upriver of Cox Street in Hudson two weeks ago and that the boat, which she's paddled for 15 years, her life jacket and dry bag are missing.

The photo of today's trash haul needed to be cropped to keep the driver's license out of view...

By the way, the artificial limb was not related to the aforementioned incident (and isn't of the human variety).
There were 30 recyclable containers (9 redeemable), 26 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish, and the dry bag containing 8 items that I hope to get back to the owner.  YTD = 3166

Fairhaven Before the Rain

With showers in the afternoon forecast I decided to paddle first down the Sudbury River and then up from my starting point at the Lincoln Canoe Launch thus keeping myself closer to the take-out should a thunderstorm develop.  
Before reaching Fairhaven Bay (opening photo) the first trash encountered was a 3-fer...

Inside the plastic bag were 2 Styrofoam food trays of the take-out type.

Fairhaven Bay was fairly busy with a small flotilla of canoes entering the water near the old stone boathouse...

Downriver of the bay these kayakers were pulling water chestnut plants from the river...

A worthy effort to be sure!

After recovering some trash at Heaths Bridge (Sudbury Rd.), I turned around and began heading back upriver.
Paddling, now in a southerly direction, I began thinking of where a good upriver turnaround point might be and it occurred to me that Pantry Brook might be accessible with today's high water levels.  Upon reaching the sheet-piling barrier where the brook enters the river, I found just enough water to clear the obstruction and enter the Pantry Brook Wildlife Area.  Once in I paddled up to where the brook's channel becomes less clear and a large marsh area extends to the west...

As the first raindrops began to fall, I turned about and saw 2 white-tailed deer feeding at the water's edge.  One paused long enough for a photo...

Amazing to see how much lighter their coloring is in summer.

Also seen today were numerous blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, belted kingfishers, and eastern kingbirds.

The rain became steadier as I returned to Lincoln and my small haul of trash could find no shelter from it...

Today's group consisted of 12 recyclable containers (11 redeemable) and 7 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish (plastic and Styrofoam).  YTD = 3110

Another Styrofoam Summer

What could be worse than a littered plastic container?

How about that same plastic container encased in Styrofoam (aka polystyrene), courtesy of Dunkin' Donuts?...

Apparently Dunkin' Donuts hasn't thought about the consequences of Styrofoam proliferation. It may be inconvenient to have our hands get damp due to condensation on the outside of a plastic container; not to mention the little puddles that same condensation might leave in a car's cupholder. Who cares that Styrofoam can't be recycled?

This morning I was happily driving down the road having just seen a well-dressed businessman exit his vehicle in 90 degree temps to help a snapping turtle cross a busy road.  This leaves me feeling pretty good about things in general, so I pull into a Dunkin' Donuts and order a medium iced-coffee.  I'm handed a plastic cup of the stuff that's wearing a Styrofoam "huggie" of sorts.  Explaining that I have no desire for the Styrofoam, the server takes it back and comments that "most customers around here want the Styrofoam, so we provide it".

Later in the day, just to check, I go into a different Dunkin' Donuts and order a medium iced-coffee and it's handed to me without the Styrofoam "huggie".  I asked about the Styrofoam and quickly one was provided with staff saying that customers need only to ask and it will be provided free of charge.
I'm left to wonder if Dunkin' Donuts has a corporate policy on this issue, or instead lets each franchise decide for themselves.

A quick check of Dunkin' Donuts' Web site shows the following under "Our Vision: Serving Responsibly- To be recognized as a company that responsibly serves our guests, franchisees, employees, communities, business partners, and the interests of our planet."
Then under "Our Priorities" they specifically list the following: "Our Planet: We recognize that everything we do has an impact on the environment.  From the materials we use, to the way we construct and operate our stores, we are committed to adapting better, more sustainable approaches whenever possible."

How about putting the kibosh on the "Styrofoam proliferation program"?  If customers absolutely need to handle a dry container, why not sell REUSABLE neoprene "huggies" bearing the corporate logo?  Customers will have dry hands AND our planet will be spared a few tons of Styrofoam. 

Gloucester Harbor on a Sizzler

An after-work tour of Gloucester Harbor began late this morning with a short jaunt to little Ten Pound Island where lunch was taken.  Unfortunately, the island's name also served to remind me of how much weight I need to lose.
While there, a couple of nice boats passed by...one this two-masted schooner...

...and the other a true "work" boat...

After re-launching, I visited Eastern Point from inside the breakwater and then paddled across the harbor to Norman's Woe...

Returning to the inner harbor I passed this nice little pocket beach named Half Moon Beach...

How many beaches have that many shade trees so close to the water?  With today's sweltering temperatures visitors to this spot found much needed relief.

My little tour of the harbor got me thinking about the Blackburn Challenge which is now less than a month away.  Doing some bouncing around near the Dog-Bar Breakwater's end provided a nice preview.

A small amount of trash was found floating at various spots along the way...

There were 9 recyclable containers (3 redeemable) and 10 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 
YTD = 3091
 

A Still Swollen Assabet

When the Assabet River is full and flowing fast, as it has been of late, it holds the right of way at Egg Rock thus forcing the Sudbury River to backup, spread-out, and wait.  Well, this morning the Assabet appeared to be relenting a bit and was finally allowing the Sudbury to pass on by. 
The inscribed rock at the confluence (Egg Rock) was fully submerged.  Compare today's view with this one of the same spot taken back in February when the whole inscription could be seen...

 Please try to ignore the other horrible states of water on display!

Ascending the Assabet brought me past a submerged Dove Rock and Willow Island to where the greenery seemingly came right down to the water...

These Muscovy ducks had taken to the trees in order to keep their feet dry...

 

 

Perhaps the smallest painted turtle I've ever seen...

...he was absolutely fearless and seemed to be saying "you want a piece of me?"

 

Reaching the confluence of Nashoba Brook and the Assabet, I went ashore and enjoyed this relaxing spot...

 

Pushing on still further I made my way up to behind the Thoreau School where I let the current swing my bow around, and then enjoyed the quick ride downriver.  It was on the downriver run that I saw the only other boaters today...two canoes...each paddled by a couple.

 

The high water levels of late had liberated a fair amount of trash from upriver...

There were 30 recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 69 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish including plastic bags, nip bottles, fishing bobbers, and Styrofoam. 

 

This past Thursday Mrs. Trashpaddler and I continued our habit of bringing a bag and gloves with us while bicycling.  This haul is pretty typical of what we encounter...

Included are 11 recyclable containers (1 redeemable).

 

YTD = 3072

 





Connecticut River - Pachaug to Wequamps

This past weekend I teamed up once again with good friend Paul (aka Capt'n Dangerous) to further explore the Connecticut River as it flows down through the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts.  This passage would take us under the French King Bridge where the river passes through a gorge, and past a rock named for that same French King by a French officer during the French and Indian War (opening photo).
But first, a base of operations/campsite was established at the Barton Cove Campground in Gill.  The campground, operated by FirstLight Hydro Generating Company, is not your typical campground by today's standards.  It is located on a rocky peninsula that extends almost a mile to a spot on the river known as the "Narrows".  This photo is looking towards the peninsula from Barton Cove with the "Narrows" visible in the distant right...

On that green peninsula are only tent sites (31) with no hookups and limited vehicular access.  Campers are allowed to drive into their campsite, unload their camping gear, and are then required to remove their vehicle to a designated parking lot which can be a fair distance from their camp.  In my case it was a 10 minute walk from tent to car.  This became a factor on Friday evening when just before turning in for the night I realized my pillow was still in my car.  Hmm, a combined 20 minute walk or go pillowless.  Off I went and while walking back in the gathering darkness an unfamiliar creature crossed my path...a critter I'd never encountered before.  It was a porcupine.  Perhaps because of my presence the porcupine ambled to the nearest tree and began to both embrace and climb it at the same time...the original "Tree Hugger"!

Amazingly for mid-June, and especially considering all the rain we've had, bothersome bugs were not an issue at the campground.
 
On Saturday morning Paul arrived from the Adirondacks and we shuttled boats to Pachaug some 14 miles to the north in Northfield where our downriver journey began.  Due to considerable rains of late, the hydro dam in Vernon, VT was releasing a good amount of water, and very little paddling effort was required on our part.  The day was a June classic, sunny and warm.
Munn's Ferry, another FirstLight operated camping facility, was located on the river's east shore.  It is only accessible by boat and looked like an ideal spot for through paddlers to spend a night.

Also on the east shore was the Northfield Mountain FirstLight generating station...

This is the least visible of the 15 generating stations operated by FirstLight yet, according to company literature, is capable of generating the most power.  Northfield Mtn. Station can generate 1,080 megawatts of electricity by releasing stored water from an 800' high reservoir down into a subterranean generating facility housing 4 giant reversible turbines each capable of pumping 27,000 gallons of water per second!  Water is pumped from the river up to the mountain-top reservoir at night, and then released back down during peak power demand times.

At any rate we soon reached the French King Bridge and the mouth of the Millers River where we stopped briefly at Cabot Camp.  Looking up the Millers showed it was also running swiftly...

After passing through the "Horserace" and the  "Narrows" we circled Barton Island before landing near the campsite.  Paul had once again brought his miniature tent which made my tent, by comparison, look like the Hilton...

Sunday morning arrived with clouds moving in and, after breaking camp, we brought our boats to the "official" Turners Falls portage point located at the end of Poplar St. in Montague City (below the dam and canal)...

This spot has a steep path down to the river and is below an old railroad bridge which is now a rail trail.  The Connecticut River mud is pretty greasy when the slightest bit wet.  Caution and patience are required!
Safely launched we were once again gliding down the river.  Just below the Pan American Railways bridge and East Deerfield freight yards, we encountered the first of seven bald eagles we would see on this passage...

On an island once known to the Pocumtuck Native American peoples as "Mattampash" we saw this eagle's nest and eaglet...

According to the 1910 published History of Montague: A Typical Puritan Town by Edward Pearson Pressy, Native American legends revolved around this island and the two prominent hills downstream of it.  The island is said to be where Pocumtuck sachem Wattawolunksin maintained his long house and lived out his final days.  Could his spirit possibly remain here today in this form?...

 

Downriver and to the east is "Kunckwadchu" (Mt. Toby)...

...where the man-eating "Wittum" is said to have lived before being slain by benevolent spirit, Hobmock.

Another legend involves a giant beaver who also resorted to eating people when his usual food was in short supply.  Once again Hobmock was called upon to slay the beast.  The giant beaver's head and body remain to this day in stone form as "Wequamps" (Mt. Sugarloaf) to the west and opposite the point where our journey ended...

As Paul took in the view of Wequamps he saw the outline of a fish in the formation.

Trash on this trip was very light.  Most was encountered where we landed or launched.  Very little was seen out on the river (which is nice for a change)...

There were 11 recyclable containers (1 redeemable) and 5 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 
YTD = 2962

Another Raid on Ram Island

Back in early May I landed on Ram Island in the Merrimack River and encountered more plastic trash than I could fit in my boat.  I've been planning to get back ever since.  Today, thanks to my workday ending nearby and a favorable tide, I launched at Cashman Park in Newburyport.  Ram Island is not far from where I launched and is about 3.5 miles above the spot where the Merrimack meets the Atlantic Ocean.  It seems to be a magnet for plastic flotsam.  After landing on Ram (opening photo) I began collecting as much of the plastic trash as I could fit into or upon my boat...

There were 106 plastic containers and 125 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish which included another 67 Hooksett disks (1374 disks recovered to date).  YTD = 2946

After re-launching, I explored Town Creek where I found a bit of refuge from today's gusty northwest winds.  A squadron of turkey vultures patrolled the skies east of the creek and a lone osprey was seen as well.

Upon returning home, Mrs. Trashpaddler showed me this haul of plastic trash she recovered during a morning walk along local roads...

Sudbury Slingshot

On yesterday's late day paddle down the Sudbury River I was inspired to tweak the old Irish blessing: "May the river rise to meet your paddle, and the wind be always at your back....".  Friday night's deluge of rain had the river running at a level more typical of late March, and this allowed access to just about anywhere a paddler wanted to explore.  Thanks to a shuttle service provided by Mrs. Trashpaddler, I was able to ride the swift current from Little Farms Road in Framingham down to Sherman's Bridge in Wayland.  After launching, however, these water levels allowed me to enter and pass around the nearly mile long oxbow that was once the river's actual course (opening photo).  This oxbow, now a sleepy backwater of sorts, provided a tranquil place from which to start my journey. Emerging back into the flow felt like being released from a slingshot, and I soon found myself dodging obstacles of one kind or the other as I rode with the flow. 

This obstacle was one a paddler hopes to never see...

It's an overturned kayak pressed up against a tree.  My hope is that it resulted from a boat being left too close to the water's edge rather than an accident.

Near the often difficult to discern entrance to Heard Pond I encountered a paddler who was looking for that very entrance.  Chris recently began kayaking after purchasing a Dagger Alchemy...

While new to kayaking Chris is no stranger to boats having once sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on a 35' sailboat.  I was glad he asked for directions, as I otherwise might have passed downriver without taking advantage of the rare (for this time of year) opportunity to visit the pond via the river.

Once past Route 27 the river's old course was selected again which took me under the stone bridge to nowhere...

Being out of the current for a bit allowed my brakes to cool down.

Downstream of the bridge I headed towards the present-day river and enjoyed a dramatic looking sky to the west...

The only thunder heard today was from cars rumbling over the wooden Sherman's Bridge where my passengers and I soon disembarked...

There were 28 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 15 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.

YTD = 2715

Litter Progress Pending?

 

 

The job is almost done.  A little more than two weeks ago the Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly to include non-carbonated plastic beverage containers in our state's Bottle Bill. 

 

Senate Bill 1588 was brought forward by Cynthia S. Creem of Newton who was joined by 35 legislators and/or citizens supporting its passage.  It's my understanding that an amended version passed the Senate on May 22, 2013.

 

Now, if the Massachusetts House of Representatives does the same, the updated bottle bill could be signed into law by Governor Patrick and the letters "MA" would proudly join those representing other environmentally progressive states.

 

Gazillions of plastic bottles once containing water, energy drinks, or iced-teas would finally have a bounty placed upon their heads. 

 

To help insure this happens, folks might want to encourage their state representative to support this long overdue measure.

 

I'm willing to bet we'll see a lot less of this...

...in our state's waterways.