Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Assabet River - Paddling to the Mall

Yet another mild day with temperatures above 65 degrees combined with water levels that remain high, tempted me to see if I could paddle from Hudson Center to the Solomon Pond Mall.  Two other times I tried but was stopped, short of the mall, by trees that had fallen across the river. 
After launching behind the Fire Station in Hudson, I headed upriver as ominous looking clouds blocked the sun (photo at left).  Weather forecasters said to ignore them and I did so with no unfortunate consequences.
Trash was plentiful in the launch area and I encountered trash passenger 7,000 before reaching the footbridge.  Here's the lucky devil bobbing for his last time...

Just before reaching Route 495, at the spot where the river divides into 4 narrow channels, I was able to paddle through the opening second from the right.  On other occasions I had to portage here due to shallow water.
As I approached the Bigelow Street bridge in Berlin I came upon some internal organs and, nearby, what appears to be a deer hide floating in the river...


Under the bridge were the animal's entrails.  I don't know the ins and outs of deerhunting, but I thought dead deer had to be brought to a deer check station before being butchered.

Now, having crossed from Middlesex into wild Worcester County, I encountered a tiny bit of whitewater near Kelsey-McAllister Park...
Paddling up through it got my blood flowing a little faster.  Soon I was nearing the mall and saw this television set making a bad picture...

Near the Dingley Conservation area a fallen tree blocked my passage, but looking up on the embankment I noted my proximity to the Solomon Pond Mall...

Not really needing anything from Macy's store, I enjoyed my PB and J before turning around and heading back to Hudson.  More critters were seen on the downriver trip, such as this big fellow...

Between the north and soutbound bridges of Route 495, a mink popped out from the rip-rap with a mouthful of leaves.  A beaver was seen where the river splits into 4 openings, and a belted kingfisher joined me near Hudson's Riverside Park.

I wonder how many other folks, returning from the mall today, had the wide open travel lane that I did...

My trash haul of 99 at the takeout...

There were 64 recyclable containers (15 redeemable) and 35 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam cups and plastic bags.
Combining this with a modest haul from yesterday's trashpedalling on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, with Mrs. Trashpaddler, brings the YTD total to 7075...




Sunday, November 27, 2011

Sudbury River and Heard Pond in Wayland

This morning I awoke with the thought that since water levels remain high, Heard Pond in Wayland might be easily accessed from the Sudbury River.  After launching at Route 20 and heading upriver, I soon approached the fog enshrouded Pelham Island Road Bridge (at left).  The fog would take its sweet time burning-off today.
Further upriver, one coot passed another...
Other wildlife seen today were mute swans, a hawk, and a white-tailed deer.

After passing Indian Point, the winding channel into Heard Pond was followed until the pond itself materialized before me...

A cocoa break was enjoyed on the far shore while the fog continued to hang tough...
Returning to the river, I continued upstream to the Power Lines where I turned around and headed back to Route 20.

Trash recovery efforts today reminded me of one of those television pitch-men saying "but wait....there's more"....
He was right.  There ended up being 145 pieces of trash: 83 recyclable containers (10 redeemable) and 62 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as soccer balls, styrofoam, plastic, cans of spray paint etc.  YTD = 6965

Friday, November 25, 2011

AsCo Waters - Spencer Brook to Sawmill Brook

There was no Black Friday deal that could draw me away from being on the river this morning.  It was my 100th paddle of the year and marks the first year I've attained a third digit. 
Launching at Lowell Road in Concord afforded me this view of Egg Rock to start the day (at left).  I took the path to the right and ascended the Assabet River to Spencer Brook before turning around for the easy ride downstream.  Willow Island had been reduced to this tiny little bit of dry land...
Once back at Egg Rock, a short break was taken at the Calf Pasture before heading down the Concord River.  Snapped this photo of the "rude bridge" before passing under it...
With the trees now bare, the bridge takes center stage.

Between Flint's Bridge and Sawmill Brook, quite a few beer cans were encountered.  Most were fairly recent additions to the river.

After taking in this view of Buttrick's Hill, I turned around...
In addition to the usual Canada geese, mallards, a belted kingfisher, and 2 red-tailed hawks were numerous folks out walking about.  The Great Meadows trails looked busy as well as the Old North Bridge area.

Just before reaching my takeout at Lowell Road, something caught my eye before passing under the bridge...

Perhaps someone was hurrying to a "Doorbuster" sale to buy a couple of flat-screen television sets and decided to save an extra $50 bucks by tossing their old sets.  I really think disposal costs for televisions should be added to their original purchase price to prevent disposal techniques such as this.  Also think it should be the same with automobile tires.  I'll notify the Concord DPW in the hopes they'll be able to recover these TVs.

My day's catch of 66 on dry land...
44 recyclable containers (23 redeemable) and 22 misc. rubbish.

An afternoon trashpedal on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail with Mrs. Trashpaddler netted this 13 piece batch of additional litter...
10 recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 3 misc. rubbish.  Both combined for 79.  YTD = 6820

While on the rail trail, we stopped for a break at Cushing Place (aka Ginger Ale Plaza) and admired one of the several murals.  This one shows Middlesex Village as it looked in 1839 when the Thoreau brothers passed through on their "Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" journey...


The 3 locks they descended through can be seen in the bottom of the mural.  It was there that they encountered the "serene and liberal-minded man, who came quietly from his book,..." to lower them through the locks that Sunday morning in September.



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Danvers River to Beverly Harbor

Another day working in Danvers had me finding ideal conditions for a late day paddle on the Danvers River.  There was little to no wind as I launched at Pope's Landing in Danversport just past low tide.  Almost immediately I began seeing bufflehead ducks, mallards, herons, a belted kingfisher, gulls, terns, and loons (pictured at left).
What I didn't know at launching was that a special guest was waiting to accompany me downriver.  Here he is near where the Porter, Crane and Waters rivers converge...
My Harbor Seal friend didn't say much, but it was nice knowing he was there for the 2 miles or so to Berverly Harbor.  Everytime I would stop for a bit, he would pop up and slowly approach for a closer look...
That's the Essex Bridge (Rt. 1A) in the background.
The piers under the north end of the bridge were busy as boats were unloading their catch and being refueled...

Returning back upriver, the Kernwood Bridge was approached...

My very modest trash haul of 2 pieces chose to hangout topside for the ride back...
YTD = 6741



Saturday, November 19, 2011

Sudbury River - Sherman's Br. to Pelham Island Rd.

As I headed up the Sudbury River from Sherman's Bridge in Wayland this morning, a cool breeze from the southwest slowed my progress and, at the same time, made me glad I'd remembered to bring a thermos of hot cocoa.  The Sherman's Bridge I returned to, several hours later (at left), was a much warmer place.
About a half mile upriver a couple of duckhunters reported having a successful hunt and taking several ducks and geese.  Their setup of decoys looked very realistic and included one decoy with wings in motion (perhaps wind activated).
This is the section of the Sudbury River that, to me, most meets the Native American description of "grass grown river" or "Musketaquid"...

Approaching Route 27, I decided to follow the original course of the river and pass under the old 4-arch bridge near the Wayland Country Club...
This made a nice to spot to enjoy my hot cocoa and also reflect on the events that occurred here in April 1676.  A short visit was made to the monument...

   The view across the bridge and down the old abandoned road to nowhere...
 Back in 2008, I posted about this spot and one of my ancestors having been here that day.

At River Road, a fair amount of trash was recovered from along the river's bank on either side of the boat launch.

The launch site at Route 20 was much improved by now having an informative kiosk and a trash receptacle...



The trash receptacle was provided by the group "Big Heart Little Feet".

At the Pelham Island Road Bridge, I stopped for lunch before beginning my return trip downriver.

Reaching Route 20, I noticed that in the brief interim since I'd passed by, someone, in turning their vehicle around at the launch site, had knocked over the trash barrel and left it like this...

In their haste to leave they left 2 burnout tracks in the gravel.  I righted the barrel and placed it closer to the side of the ramp.  I'm left to only shake my head that someone could just leave things that way.

A tire/wheel combination was encountered floating about a half mile downriver from Route 20.  It was towed to River Rd., where hopefully the Wayland DPW/Highway Dept. can properly dispose of it...


Below Route 27 I had the wind and current at my back which made for a quick and easy return to my takeout site. 

Back on terra firma, my day's catch of 57 spreadout...


There were 33 recyclable containers (22 redeemable) and 24 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.  YTD total = 6739

Just as I was preparing to head home, a group of paddlers came ashore for a lunch break.  Their 3 kayaks and 1 canoe were in the process of completing a 15 mile trip downriver from Little Farms Road in Framingham.  They reported no unusual obstacles resulting from recent storms.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Assabet River and Fort Meadow Brook

While today wasn't the sunniest of days, it was, nonetheless, fairly decent outside, especially when compared to the kind of weather conditions that will soon be arriving.  My boat and I entered the Assabet River at White Pond Road on the Maynard/Stow town line and headed upriver. Upon reaching the entrance to Fort Meadow Brook (at left) the question was "how bad do I want to enter the brook?"... or, "can I do the limbo?"  Oddly enough, I had an easier time passing through going upstream than I did on the return trip later.  Removal of my PFD was necessary in order to fit and make it back to the Assabet.  My reward for having ascended the brook was reaching the abandoned Central Mass Railroad trestle which is acting as a dam these days...
With a causeway on either side of the trestle, there is quite a good-sized impoundment on the upstream side.

While exploring a backwater near the brook/river confluence, I came across this granddaddy of a tire...
 
There's no way this one could be carried onboard!  As Chief Brody would say "we're gonna need a bigger boat".

Several volleys from duckhunters were heard from the area between Fort Meadow Brook and Gleasondale.  This was further upriver than I was going.

Wildlife seen today were several groups of wood ducks, one pair of mallards, Canada geese, mute swans, red-tailed hawks, and a belted kingfisher.

Once back at White Pond Rd. my day's catch of 71 said their farewells to the river...


There were 39 recyclable containers (13 redeemable) and 32 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as mylar balloons, styrofoam, etc.  YTD total = 6682

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

My Town's Indian Meadow


After seeing the Athol History Trail sign, Indian Meadow, I was reminded of an Indian meadow located in my town of Acton.  Most folks visiting this meadow today may not be aware of its Native American connection.  Today it is known as Heath Hen Meadow and the brook flowing through it Heath Hen Meadow Brook... 

Anyone looking at an old map (left side) would see that the brook was originally named Heathen Meadow Brook.  My guess is that it was changed during the 60’s or 70’s when political correctness became the order of the day.  Isn’t it interesting what adding an h and a space can do?   The unfortunate thing, in my opinion, is that the meadow/brook’s association with a Native American presence in Acton was lost in the process.  Heath Hens,  now extinct chicken like birds, may or may not have lived in the meadow.  When I visited the meadow yesterday, it was a Native American encampment which my imagination envisioned... 

Were those Native Americans heathens?  According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, the word heathen is defined as “an unconverted individual of a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible”.  I believe the derogatory associations this word invoked were due to the adjectives, too often, placed before it i.e. filthy, bloody, merciless, etc.  Mary Rowlandson, in her narrative, described her captors with such terms, commonly used at the time.  How much better it would have been had early colonists chosen to name it “Indian Meadow” as did the early settlers of Athol.  The name might have survived, and thus the connection.

So, while Native Americans no longer pitch their wigwams in this streamside meadow, this beaver continues to lodge closeby…


Monday, November 14, 2011

Millers River - Orange and Athol

This morning, I ventured into Nipmuck Country to trash patrol the Millers River from Orange upriver into Athol and back.  I had paddled this stretch of river several years ago, before the Town of Orange had completed the construction of Riverfront Park.  They did an excellant job, as the photo at left shows.
Once launched, I headed upriver enjoying the near record warmth.  By the time I reached the point where the river seemingly splits in two, clouds had moved in from the west.  This unique looking home sits near the spot where the flow from Lake Rohunta joins the Millers River...
With the smoke rising out of the roof's center, it reminded me of a large wigwam.  Proceeding further up the Millers (to the left at the split), numerous pine trees had fallen into the river...
They may have fallen during the Halloween snowstorm that hit this region particularly hard.
 
About a half mile after passing under the Daniel Shays Highway, I stopped for a lunch break and the sun began to re-emerge...
I continued upriver another quarter mile or so to a spot where power lines crossed.  There I turned around and began the return trip to Orange.  Not far from where I turned around was this roadside sign on nearby Route 2A...
On the other side of the river was another Athol History Trail sign (unseen by me) that was titled "Indian Crossing" and indicated the location where on March 3, 1676 some 2,000 Nipmucks, Wampanoags, and Narragansetts crossed the river enroute to Squakeag (Northfield) after a raid on Lancaster.  Among several captives was Mary Rowlandson who would, later, write a narrative and describe how (in the fifth remove), at a spot not far from my turnaround point, the Native Americans hastily built rafts to transport the whole party across what she called the "Banquag River".  Fortunately for the Native Americans, crossing the river here allowed their escape from some 400 frontier soldiers.  The soldiers were unwilling to cross the river.

My trip downriver was with the current and it wasn't long before I was within a mile of Riverfront Park.  That was where the rumbling of an eastbound Pan Am Railways freight train caught my attention...
It seemed that the whole river was vibrating as the diesel locomotives powered by.  There was also a very light rain shower, at this time.   I believe the sign in front of the leading locomotive is to let participants in the annual River Rat Race know that they are within one mile of the finish line at Riverfront Park.  The event starts in Athol and is held every spring.

Once back at Riverfront Park, the day's trash haul gathered alongside my boat...
This batch broke down as follows: 75 recyclable containers (20 redeemable) and 30 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam, plastic bags, bait tubs, cans of spray paint, etc. 
YTD total = 6611