Nips and Lighters on the Nashua River

 

Headed upriver on the Nashua River from Harvard, MA yesterday with no other purpose than to see just how far it would be navigable.  Temperatures in the 50s F. had been promised.  The railroad bridge pictured above remained quiet throughout my trip and, it being a Sunday, the firing ranges at adjacent Fort Devens were silent as well.

After 3 miles I reached this shore-to-shore fallen tree in Bolton...

...which became my turnaround point. It was just above where the river makes one of its tighter sweeps below a high bank...

 

In working my way upriver it hadn't taken long to realize I was seeing unusually high numbers of nip bottles and cigarette lighters and likely would be setting a new record for both...

There were 120 nip bottles and 17 cigarette lighters.  It was only back in November that my previous record for nip bottles was set at 83 while paddling the Assabet River in Hudson.

One odd find yesterday was this strange double-ended thumb?...

...gives new meaning to the term "all thumbs".

While returning downriver I entered one of the streams entering the river's east side and, after a ways, stumbled upon a box-culvert which I'd not previously experienced...

This is the terrestrial view southward through the railroad bridge pictured in the opening photo...

With the recent news of CXS Transportation planning to purchase PanAm Railways this rail line linking Worcester and Ayer may take on a more important role and receive some much needed TLC.