A Full Flowing Assabet

 

This past Tuesday the Assabet River was full to the point where paddling beneath the Cox Street Bridge in Hudson was out of the question.  Fortunately, I was planning on a down and back to the dam at Gleasondale.  The gauge in Maynard showed the river at 4.7 feet which is unusual for mid July.  Also unusual was the river staying above 4.5 feet for a good three days.

The 1.5 mile paddle down to Gleasondale was a swift glide with almost all the usual obstacles completely submerged.  Where the river swerves to the northwest around Orchard Hill in Stow a mature bald eagle watched my passage...

Approaching the dam paddlers need to be alert for there's nothing to warn them of the impending drop-off over the dam...

By Friday the Assabet had dropped about a foot and I launched from the landing in West Concord...

...where paddling commenced on the footpath above the river bank.  

The stretch through Westvale...

  

Nashoba Brook was in a very generous mood allowing easy upstream travel...

...toward the fragrant Nashoba Brook Bakery, and under Commonwealth Ave to the outlet of Warner's Pond...

 

Trash from the week's two paddles...