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.

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