Monday, April 21, 2008

Sudbury River - Egg Rock to Sherman's Bridge

Today being a holiday and with predictions of yet another beautiful spring day, how could one resist some trash paddling. Also, with the 'Run of the Charles' being less than a week away, I could multi-task, and get some training in for that event.



I launched at 8 am and headed upstream on the Sudbury River, deliberately heading away from all the festivities in the vicinity of the North Bridge. It was cloudy and a little cool, but you see that the sun was already trying to break through.



In the area of Heaths Bridge or Sudbury Road, I quickly rounded up 16 pieces of trash. About 10 of these were empty beer cans that were full of water and resting on the river bottom near shore. The air was full of birdsong and the male red-winged blackbirds were displaying their red wings for any interested females.



Crossing Fairhaven Bay, the sun made its first prolonged appearance of the day and fittingly, I saw my first osprey of the season.



The newly built Lees Bridge at Rt. 117 continues to emerge as the temporary bridge is dismantled. I noticed a second, smaller, portal for the first time today. Paddled past the beaver lodge near Macone's and didn't see any sign of my submarine swimming beaver friend. He must have been sleeping in.



Arriving at Sherman's Bridge, I stowed 21 pieces of trash in my ship's hold and after removing my jacket began the trip downriver. Rounding the tight curves upriver from Weir Hill, I espied two recently built beaver lodges in fairly close proximity to one another. Both are on the east side of the river and look well built.



I encountered only a few pieces of trash between my turnaround point and Heaths Bridge. Just upstream of this bridge, another 12 pieces of trash were added to my deck bungees.



Reaching my takeout location, a little after noontime, my count for the day was 33 pieces of trash. 16 were recycleable. My YTD total now stands at 1004.

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