Squeezin' into Fort Meadow Brook

This morning I pushed off from Russell's Bridge at the Maynard/Stow line and headed upriver on the Assabet.  My hope was to enter Fort Meadow Brook if water levels would allow.  Once I arrived there, the box culvert (at left) teased me offering just enough water to clear the beaver-placed branches and sticks but very little in the way of headroom.  It took a couple of minutes but I did manage to squeeze through by grasping the ceiling and both walls using my hands, paddle, and head.  Passage would have been easier had I removed my life jacket.  Once free and in the clear, I was rewarded with this view into the brook...

 

I always enjoy the feeling this place provides.  Even though it isn't really that remote, it somehow feels like a special place to me.  I paddled up to the old Mass Central RR trestle and found a fair amount of water pouring over the debris-clogged east portal...

 

This was probably the result of yesterday's rainstorm.

 

While on the Assabet today I encountered this pair of wood ducks...

 

...this pair of belted kingfishers...

 

...this solitary blue heron...

 

...and this solitary hawk...

 

Also seen today were several other kayakers, including two who could continue making upriver headway while throwing a frisbee from boat to boat without missing.

 

Additionally there were folks fishing from both boats and the shore.

 

My trash haul for this trip gathered hullside...

There were 36 recyclable containers (14 redeemable) and 27 pieces of misc. rubbish.  YTD = 1809

 

Oh yeah, the trip back through the box culvert was much easier going with the flow and sans life jacket.