Sunday, December 28, 2014

Year's End Paddle and Portage

One last holiday gift arrived yesterday in the form of a gorgeous day, especially considering that it's late December.  Blue skies and light winds saw the temperature quickly rise into the mid-40's F.  Such a day afforded me an opportunity to sandwich a new section of the Nashua River between two previously explored sections and would include both a new confluence and portage.

My boat and I were dropped off at the Oxbows National Wildlife Refuge canoe launch at the end of Still River Road in Harvard, MA thanks to Mrs. Trashpaddler.  My goal was to paddle the Nashua River in a northerly and downriver direction with hopes of making it to Petapawag (see map)...
After launching I briefly paddled upriver to the railroad bridge where one of the few surviving sections of the Worcester, Nashua, and Portland division of the Boston and Maine RR still sees freight trains running between Worcester and Ayer.

Heading downriver from this point, under such ideal conditions, it seemed I should pinch myself...

A rather disdainful look from a resident hawk was endured...

The land running along the river's east side for the next 8 miles would be that of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.  Land on the river's west side is posted "Off Limits", having once been part of Fort Devens military base.

Reaching Route 2 and Jackson Road I prepared to enter a stretch of the Nashua River I'd yet to explore...
It never ceases to amaze me how highways look so small from the river and vice versa.

The new section didn't disappoint in the scenery department...
Very few buildings were seen.  One of the more intriguing was these remains of a riverside structure and its once grand hearth...
I'm sure that on a long ago December 27th there was a nice warming fire crackling.

A little ways past was a new confluence providing me two new (to me) Native American words...
The stream entering the river here is Catacoonamug Brook and it flows down from a distant pond in Luneburg originally known as Unchechewhaton Pond.  Most folks today know Unchechewhaton as Whalom Lake where an amusement park operated from 1893 'till 2000.

Rounding a bend brought me to the Ayer Ice House Dam where hydro-power is still used in generating electricity...

The takeout for the portage is on the river's left side and clearly marked...

Enjoyed some hot cocoa and a sandwich while sitting in the sunshine mid-portage...

After portaging the short distance down Walker Road, I took a look back before re-launching...

A short section of quickwater was encountered about a mile below the dam where both the river and Walker Road drop while passing under the Fitchburg Railroad bridge...
Staying to the left kept me in the deeper water.

Below this point I was on familiar sections of the Nashua for the remaining 7.5 miles to Petapawag.  Tributaries glided past in this section were: Nonacoicus Brook, Mulpus Brook, Squannacook River, and James Brook.   Sounds of duck hunting were heard near the lower Squannacook.

Upon reaching the Route 225 bridge...
 ...I utilized my cell phone to notify Mrs. Trashpaddler of my ETA at Petapawag at Route 119 in Groton, and low and behold she arrived just after I'd checked out some boater's misfortune...

...the power boat (sans motor) was tied to a tree.  Not sure if rainwater and rising river levels did this, or if someone removed the bilge plugs.  Either way not a good set of circumstances for the boat's owner to come upon.

Trash recovered along the way...
Some 56 recyclable containers (8 redeemable) and 26 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as nip bottles, cigarette lighters (4), Styrofoam cups, and plastic bags.  YTD = 5940

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