Friday, January 17, 2014

Winter's Intermission

Sensing that winter's intermission may be nearing an end prompted me to get out on the Assabet River and enjoy what felt and looked like an early March day.  I launched from the Calf Pasture across from Egg Rock (opening photo) in Concord, MA.  The thaw of late has melted all the snow and most of the ice.  It's hard to believe this area was completely iced-over just 10 days ago.   The combination of melting and recent rain events has resulted in higher river levels than we've seen in awhile.  Real estate on Willow Island is at a premium...
 
 
Further upriver a bottle of Whale's Tale pale ale was seemingly quenching this tree's thirst...
 
 
Seeing where it was brewed brought to mind those old jokes..."There once was an ale from Nantucket..."
 
I went upriver to just above the Nashoba Brook confluence and noted that a good percentage of the Assabet's flow was coming from that source.  The trip back to Egg Rock was a swift one.
 
Wildlife seen today consisted of a mink, mallards, a merganser, Muscovy ducks, and Canada geese.
 
I made it back before they started flashing the houselights, and my trash haul spilled forth...
There were 46 recyclable containers (12 redeemable) and 48 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as Styrofoam, nip bottles, and 2 old life jackets.  YTD = 174
 



Monday, January 13, 2014

Escape to Southern Waters

Today I finally escaped the lingering effects of last week's Polar Vortex and found providence in the Providence River section of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.  The springlike weather provided ideal conditions for getting my 2014 paddling season underway.  From a list of possible launch sites found on the Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association's web site I chose the Passeonkquis Cove Fishing Access in Warwick.  Upon my arrival a pair of duck hunters were launching a small skiff and heading out.  Shortly, I also headed out and after finding things a bit breezy out of the south, crossed the river from Gaspee Point to Bullock Point where more tranquil waters were eventually found in Bullock Cove...
The above photo was taken upon emerging from the culverts under Crescent View Ave.

After my return trip under the roadway I stopped for some leg stretching and found a fair amount of trash in the grass adjacent to the culverts and the road...

As I returned to where the cove meets the bay, the tanker Okhta Bridge was seen making its way towards Providence...
Little Conimicut Light can be seen in the distance to the right of the ship's bow.

Once the tanker passed I re-crossed the river and watched as it prepared to rendezvous with a waiting tugboat...
Perhaps it's carrying some heating oil to replenish dwindling supplies.

Back at Passeonkquis Cove my first aquatic trash haul of the new year gathered hullside...
There were 32 recyclable containers and 30 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags and Styrofoam cups.

I don't recall ever seeing as many mute swans as were seen today.  There were also Brant geese, bufflehead ducks, and sea gulls.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Shut Out: Favorite Haunts on Ice

It wasn't like I was really going to launch my boat in today's bitter cold conditions, but I was curious as to how some of my favorite launch sites are weathering the artic conditions.  So I emerged from my snug cave and ventured out with my camera and a trash bag.  The photo at left is looking down the Assabet River from Sudbury Rd. in Stow near Magazu's Landing.  I followed some deer tracks in the snow down the old railroad right of way...
...to its end where the bridge is long gone ...

At the foot of the old abutments was the first piece of trash for 2014...

I next checked the Assabet at Cox St. in Hudson...
...and the Sudbury at River Rd. in Wayland...
...the Sudbury at Sherman's Bridge in Wayland...
...the Concord at Lowell Rd. in Concord...
...the confluence of the three rivers at Egg Rock in Concord...
Not a very encouraging situation.

Finally, I visited the launch closest to my cave, the Acton Canoe Launch...
 ...and found open water for at least a half mile below the waterfall at Powder Mill Dam...
In conclusion I can only tip my hat to Old Man Winter and begin plotting a breakout to waters with a lower freezing point and saline nature.

On this occasion of starting my 7th year of Trashpaddler.com I'd like to share the post that has been viewed more than any other post on this blog.  It's a post about a very routine after-work paddle on one of the first real hot days of 2013.   Interestingly enough, the majority of viewers were located in the far-off land of China.

Lastly, my first trash haul of this year...
   There were 12 recyclable containers (8 redeemable) and 6 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.