Assabet River - Rt. 62 Hudson to Orchard Hill In Stow

Today I trash patrolled a section of the Assabet River that I'd never paddled before. Using Ron McAdow's book The Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers as my guide, I launched into the Assabet River at Cox Street in Hudson and paddled upstream. The air was filled with birdsong and the tapping of woodpeckers. A small mink that I encountered stared me down for about a minute before he slipped beneath the surface. I turned around where Main Street presently, and two railroads formerly, crossed the river. Construction of a new bridge is ongoing and when finished it will carry bicyclists across the river on the Assabet River Rail Trail. I returned to Cox Street and stowed 57 pieces of trash below deck before heading downstream towards Stow and the drumlin Orchard Hill. Trash was plentiful at every snag and there were many snags. As I approached Orchard Hill the river turned to the left to begin its wide sweep around the 300 foot high drumlin....

Shortly after the left turn, I came upon this snag and the large amount of trash it had captured...

Following about 20 minutes of work it looked a little better, but there was still ample trash left for another day's patrol...

Just downriver from this worksite, the river was blocked by downed trees in two locations...

After turning around I headed upstream towards the west-facing side of the hill...

Arriving back at Cox Street the bungees on my deck were stretched to the max...

Lastly, here's the lot of them after being transferred from the deck of my boat to the deck of my home. I think they're smiling...

Today's haul was 142 pieces of trash. Of these, 66 were recyclable and another 23 were both recyclable and redeemable. My YTD total stands at 688.
This section of river could easily provide for another 2 or 3 trash patrols.

Impromptu Terrestrial Patrol with U.S. Gov. Support

As I return from work each day I turn off of Route 27 after crossing the Sudbury River and head up Water Row past the Haynes Garrison House in Sudbury. Lately, I've been noting the amount of roadside litter becoming more and more evident as the early March flood waters recede back from the road's edge. Well today, for no apparent reason, the words of boxer Roberto Duran sprang forth..."No Mas!".
Knowing full well that in my car's trunk I had all the fixins for a trash patrol, I parked by the garrison house and walked back towards Route 27 on the river side of the road. It was easy pickens and by the time I had walked about 100 yards to where the wooden guardrails are, my 30-gallon trash bag was full of beer cans, beer bottles, miscellaneous trash and some poor car's missing wheelcover. I had just turned around and begun heading back towards my car when a U.S. Fish and Wildlife pick-up truck pulled along side and the driver said "I'm taking a load of trash to our dumpster. If you'd like, throw yours in the back and I'll get rid of it for you." I thanked him and placed my haul into the bed of his truck along with his trash haul which included a deceased goose.
I hereby take back any negative things I may have said about our federal government or its employees!
So, at any rate, there I was empty handed with no trash to count and no trash to photograph. Only the knowledge that in a few short minutes this little section of roadside looked a little bit better than it did before my "No Mas!" patrol.
Regarding my trash count for this patrol, I will give myself a mulligan and call it 50 pieces of trash bringing my YTD total to 546.
BTW, this haul was quite rich in regards to redeemable containers. It easily would have scored two 'Happy Meals'!

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

This afternoon the busy wind of the last 3 days finally stopped for a breather and afforded me a chance to trash patrol a section of the Sudbury River I hadn't paddled for a while. I had the nice launch site at Little Farms Road all to myself and soon my kayak and I were gliding towards the arching aquaduct that transports drinking water from Wachusett Reservoir to the greater Boston area. The pipe is approximately four feet in diameter...

Trash started tp pick up soon after I passed under Stone Bridge Road and my count was up to 24 by the time I reached the old four arch stone bridge. This bridge is no longer connected to anything on its western end...

This is the location where in January of 1776 General Knox hauled the cannons he was bringing from Fort Ticonderoga across the river on an even earlier bridge. Those cannons were used to persuade the British to leave Boston Harbor.
The stretch downstream of the old stone structure had numerous wood ducks and red-winged blackbirds. Also very numerous was trash, slowing my progress considerably. Twice in just a little over a mile, I stopped to transload from a crowded deck to my ship's hold. I turned around at the spot where several power lines cross the river and had more than 80 pieces of trash stowed below deck.
Returning upriver I recovered an additional batch which still adorned my deck when I landed back at Little Farms Road...

And finally, the bounty that spilled forth after my kayak disgorged its contents...

My trash count for this patrol was 114 of which 72 were recyclable and of those 72 only a meager 17 were redeemable. YTD total stands at 496.

Sudbury River - Rt. 62 to Lee's Bridge and Back

This morning I trash patrolled the Sudbury River from Rt. 62 to Lee's Bridge and back. Skies were cloudy and winds were light when I launched a little before 8am. Prior to passing under Rt. 2, I noticed some trash between the two wildlife underpasses. Upon getting closer and seeing considerable trash on shore, it became apparent that a brief shore raid would be in order. Shortly thereafter my dry bag was full as well as my ship's hold astern and 7 aluminum baking pans adorned the deck behind my cockpit. This one raid netted about 50 pieces of trash. I took this photo of the area later when the sun was out....

Proceeding upriver I began seeing wood ducks, mallards, and red-winged blackbirds. About a half mile upriver from Clamshell Bank, I recovered a single empty bottle of Pilsner Urquell a beer made in Plzen, Czech Republic. When this bottle was placed next to a can of Foster's lager, my deck began to take on an international look.
Just after Heath's Bridge, I saw my first great blue heron of the season. As I entered Fairhaven Bay I noted a large bird flying to the north. Its wingspan was nearly that of a blue heron. I wondered if it might be one of the eagles I saw last week. Looking with my binoculars, I could not confirm its identity. Once in the bay, another large bird was perched in a tree in the same area from which the previous bird came. I got a fairly good look at this bird but could not be sure if it was an immature eagle or perhaps an osprey. It did not have the white mask near the eyes that the osprey has and when it took flight it spiralled on the updrafts similar to a hawk. If it was a hawk it was much larger than any of the hawks I have previously seen and definitely was not a red-tailed.
Turning back upriver I approached something white near the north end of Brooke Island. Upon getting closer I found it was a dead northern pike. The shore behind the dead fish had a recently made hole and no sooner had I noticed the hole than a beaver came swimming out of it. Seeing me he dove under the surface and shot through the water about 10 feet from my boat. He then surfaced and tail-slapped several times. Thinking that there might be beaver kits in the area, I decided to move away and headed along the shore of the island. This shoreline was only recently released from the winter's ice and it yielded 2 plastic bags and a beer can.
Between the bay and Lee's Bridge I encountered a fisherman heading to the bay in a motorboat. His was the only other boat I would see all morning.
At Lee's Bridge I turned around and headed downriver as the sun began to break through the clouds. At the same time the wind began to pickup out of the northwest.
Below Heath's Bridge I encountered my first tree swallows of the season. They must have waited for the sun to come out as I had not seen them earlier on the trip upriver.
Reaching my takeout location, my trash count for the day was 65 pieces of trash. Of these 48 were recyclable and 16 were both recyclable and redeemable. YTD total 382 Here they are "fresh off the boat"...

This day's trash patrol was in honor of Mr. Peanut, a Toy Fox Terrier who had been a loyal companion to my Dad for the past 10 years. May he rest in peace.

Assabet River - Ice House Landing to Sudbury Rd.

Decided to trash patrol a different stretch of the Assabet River this afternoon. I launched at the Ice House Landing which is just upstream of the Ben Smith Dam in Maynard. Once on the water, I headed upriver and into a fairly stiff breeze out of the southwest. Trash was light at first but began to pick up steadily. Wood ducks and mallards were present in good numbers. Also saw a few red-winged blackbirds, a mute swan, the first belted kingfisher of the season, a red-tailed hawk, and one common merganser. Evidence of beavers was everywhere including some fairly large diameter tree cuts. Passed 3 beaver lodges and one musquash lodge
The last half mile before reaching the Sudbury Rd. bridge in Stow had the most trash. It made this stretch seem like the 'longest half mile' due to there being bottles and cans almost every 50 feet. Turned around after the bridge and the wind gave me a big assist on the way downriver. The highlight of the patrol was coming upon a mated pair of wood ducks performing their head-jutting mating ritual in the middle of the river. The wind brought me quietly towards them while my binoculars allowed me to witness their performance.
I enjoyed paddling this stretch of the Assabet River and was a bit surprised to have it all to myself on such a warm day in March.
Reached my takeout location with 71 pieces of trash of which 62 were recyclable. This is today's haul laid out on my deck (forgot to bring camera in boat)...

My YTD total stands at 317.

Sudbury River - Rt. 62 to Pantry Brook & Back

With the promise of a warm and sunny day I launched my kayak into the Sudbury River and headed upstream towards Fairhaven Bay and beyond. The temperature was about 30 degrees at the start of my journey and had warmed to about 50 at the end.
Red-winged blackbirds were everywhere and wood ducks were also numerous. This musquash was busy eating and didn't seem to mind my presence....

Trash was spotty with a few pieces just before the Route 2 underpass and a few more in the riprap under Heath's Bridge at Sudbury Road.
Between the bridge and Martha's Point, I came upon this canoe patiently awaiting its master...

Martha's Point looked particularly nice in the morning sun...

Fairhaven Bay was serene and after paddling across it, I turned to admire and drink-in the view...

Turning to proceed upstream I noticed a large bird perched in a dead tree also enjoying the view. At first I thought it was an osprey but as I got closer I noticed a second bird in an adjacent tree. While the first bird took flight I remained focused on the second bird and realized I was looking at a bald eagle. I fumbled with my camera and got one shot, showing his all white head, before he took flight...

Once he was in the air I took another photo but the image is blurry...

This was the first eagle I've seen this close to home. In fact, when I later returned home and opened the Sunday Globe, this week's "Bird Sightings" had recorded a bald eagle in the Nine-Acre area of Concord. A tufted duck was also noted to have been seen behind the Nashawtuc Country Club and this probably explained the folks I saw with tripods at Route 117 and behind Nashawtuc. I did not see the tufted duck and had never heard of this duck before seeing it mentioned in the Globe. Apparently the tufted is native to eurasia and considered very rare in these parts. It's similar to our ring-necked duck.
As I neared the mouth of Pantry Brook this triple notched beaver job appeared and seems to prove the old adage "third time's the charm"...

I paddled up Pantry Brook and was able to enter the impoundment as the water level gauge showed 4.70 feet. This was the view looking into the Pantry Brook impoundment...

Turned around here and began the trip back downriver shedding gloves and opening vents to cool down along the way. Got passed by the first fishing boat I've seen this season. The two guys on board headed into Fairhaven Bay, shut of the motor and began casting their lines. A well practiced drill!
Saw one other kayaker and a two-man canoe on the river today.
At my takeout location my haul for the day was 33 empty containers of which 14 were recyclable...

My YTD total stands at 246.

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Rt.2 and Back

This afternoon I closed out my work week with a 'Friday the 13th' trash patrol of the lower Sudbury and Assabet Rivers. The day had started off fairly cold and a cool breeze remained but the brilliant mid-March sunshine more than compensated.
I launched my kayak into the lower Sudbury River and paddled to Egg Rock. Upon arriving there, I saw a small group of wood ducks and enjoyed seeing their bright coloring in the sunshine. The ducks took flight from the area and I began my patrol of the Assabet. Almost immediately I came upon a large beaver resting in the sun on the riverbank. He moved closer to the water but seemed in no hurry to escape. As I reached for my camera, he slowly entered the water, swam a little ways and quietly dove beneath the surface without the usual tail slap.
Trash was plentiful in the water behind Egg Rock. Recovered a 6-pack of empty Heineken bottles in this one spot. Approaching a submerged Dodge Rock, I observed the headless faux coyote with his head still laying on the ground beside him. Though headless, he still guards the small boathouse...

Fresh beaver work was quite evident in the area where Dakin's Brook enters the river. One unusual piece of work was this double-gnawed job. Were there two beavers having a contest? Or one who decided to measure once but cut twice?...

Passing a submerged Willow Island I began seeing numerous groups of wood ducks and after they took flight four small deer were watching me from the sloping meadow on the river's west side. Tried to get a photo but no luck. Proceeding upriver there were more and more wood ducks and more and more trash and even a few red-winged blackbirds.
About a half mile downstream of the Route 2 bridge I came upon another group of deer including this curious doe...

I pushed upriver a little ways past Route 2 and then turned around under the shadow of MCI Concord for the trip back downriver. By this point, a little after 5 pm, my dry bag was full, rear hatch half full and my deck was getting rather crowded. Nice to have that extra hour of daylight or I would have been paddling back in the dark.
After reaching Egg Rock, I began the trip to my takeout location on the lower Sudbury and passed under these backlit icicles hanging from the Nashawtuc Road bridge...

Reached the takeout spot with 55 empty containers of which 31 were recyclable. Today's bounty ...

My YTD total stands at 213.

Concord River - Egg Rock to Davis Hill & Return

Today marked my first real springtime trash patrol. Temperatures approaching 60 degrees allowed some of the more artic-like gear to be left in the closet where hopefully it will now reside until next winter.
At my launch site, the little bit of ice that was there moved away after only nudging it with my foot. No hatchet work needed today!
On my way to Egg Rock I recovered 2 bottles and this 3 foot diameter 'Snow Tube' that was half full of water.

Getting underway again I heard the sound of a small outboard engine and soon this motorized kayak appeared.

The kayak had one outrigger and the motor was attached between the boat and outrigger. In talking with the owner I discovered that this was the same boat I used to see in Sandy Bay (Rockport, MA) out around the Salvages. Back then, about 8 years ago, the owner and his wife would be undersail using two outriggers, and their pet iguana would be lounging under a plastic canopy on the foredeck. Not something you see everyday!
Right after encountering the motorized kayak, a nice wood canoe was seen heading upriver on the lower Sudbury and at Lowell Road, two more kayakers were launching from a spot from where they had just chopped through the ice. The river was jumpin!
Just upstream of the North Bridge I recovered some floatable trash and came across a container used by Geo-Cachers. Geo-Caching is an activity that involves placing a 'treasure' somewhere and then providing the longitude and latitude coordinates to those who will try to locate it using GPS (Global Positioning System). This particular treasure (a jellybean container) had ended up submerged in the water and the contents were soaked. It brought to mind a variation on Geo-Caching used by some fellow river janitors in Minnesota. Mike and Julie Anderson developed a technique they call Geo-Trashing and it involves using GPS to pinpoint the locations of debris hotspots and also large items such as tires, appliances, etc. The coordinates and also photographs can be used later in facilitating the removal of the trash. The rivers they work are the Mississippi and St. Croix in the Minneapolis area. You can read about their activities on their CleanUpTheRiver.com blog
After passing under Flint's Bridge at Monument Street, I saw my first red-winged blackbird of the season. Between the bridge and Great Meadows Landing I saw and heard about 20 of them. I landed at Great Meadows in order to transload my deckload of trash into my ship's hold.
Once underway again, I began seeing wood ducks, common mergansers, mallards, Canada geese, and some ducks I don't usually encounter. By Ball's Hill I saw a pair of hooded mergansers and got a good look at them with my binoculars. Further downriver by Davis Hill, I saw a small group of about 10 common goldeneyes. Their identity was confirmed by the males odd mating display of jutting his head way back while lifting the front of his body upward and by the whistling sound their wings created as they took flight. This location became my turnaround point.

The trip back upriver was mostly into a warm breeze out of the southwest. I almost forgot how nice a breeze can feel. At the North Bridge a red-coated British soldier was on-hand for tourists to speak with and pose for pictures with. It was nice to see so many people enjoying the area.
By the time I arrived at my takeout location my deck was nicely decorated.

My trash count for the day was 66 pieces of trash of which 46 were recyclable. My YTD total is 158. Today's haul: