After hearing and reading much about the Mystic River lately, I finally took the plunge, so to speak, and paddled its lower section this morning. The photo at left looks downriver and towards the Mystic River Bridge visible in the distance. It was taken shortly before I turned around and began heading back upriver.
I wasn't sure if reaching this point would be possible as there is a barrier in the form of the Amelia Earhart Dam...
Not knowing the proper lock procedure, I was hanging around the upriver side when a friendly lock operator asked if I wished to pass through. A few moments later I was sitting inside the lock, in limbo between fresh water and salt water...
While waiting for the water level to rise I was reminded of my favorite passage in Thoreau's
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers: "By noon we were let down into the Merrimack through the locks at Middlesex, just above Pawtucket Falls, by a serene and liberal-minded man, who came quietly from his book, though his duties, we supposed, did not require him to open the locks on Sundays. With him we had a just and equal encounter of the eyes, as between two honest men."
Thus I was afforded the opportunity to paddle into the Mystic's salty section and take in this view of the Bunker Hill Monument...
It almost looks like the crane is getting ready to pick it up.
As I began my return trip upriver, I wondered if the Tarrantine war party came this way back in 1619 while on their mission to find and kill Nanepashemet, the grand sachem of the Massachusetts federation. The great sachem had taken his final refuge in a fortress built upon Rock Hill in Medford which overlooked the river.
Historians note that the Tarrantine were capable seamen possibly using small shallops they obtained from Basque whalers and fishermen. Whether by sea or overland, they ultimately found and killed Nanepashemet.
If they were to return today, their upriver progress might be delayed until they could get the attention of the lock operator at Amelia Earhart dam...
A horn is the best method. Not having one, I resorted to whistling and shouting.
Once through and back into fresh water, this was the view upriver...
Recently, both Will and Faith had mentioned there being a fair amount of trash in this river. They were correct. Empty plastic bottles were seemingly everywhere. Most were trapped in the mats of lily pads extending out from the riverbanks. After trash paddling about 2 miles of river, my trash laden boat and I approached the takeout location at Mystic Riverbend Park...
Once on solid ground my boats contents were disgorged...
There were 145 pieces of trash. The breakdown: 81 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 64 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam, plastic bags, nip bottles, 2 syringes, and the cool "Summerville" sign. My YTD total stands at 3444.
Wildlife seen today were mute swans, a tern, cormorants, ducks, blue herons, and numerous jellyfish on the harbor side of Amelia Earhart Dam.
Next time, it will be up to Rock Hill and possibly Lower Mystic Lake.