Saturday, October 9, 2021

A Week Ending Well

 

On Friday morning my paddling week ended on a high note (and high water level) when paddling on Fairhaven Bay in Concord, MA (above photo).

The week started last Sunday with this view of the Egg Rock inscription...

...seen in its entirety which during this wet year has been the exception rather than the rule.

The dip in water level was short-lived as another two-day soaking with about 3 inches of rain soon had water levels on the rise again.  On Tuesday morning I paddled the Nashua River in Harvard, MA...


The section upriver of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge I've found to be one of the most trash plagued stretches.  Rafts of trash such as the one pictured below are frequent...


The Oxbow N.W.R. launch in Harvard, MA is about 6 miles downriver from the confluence of the Nashua's north and south branches.  Some of the more populated communities upriver include Clinton (on the South Branch) and Fitchburg and Leominster (both on the North Branch).  So far this calendar year I've launched from the Oxbow in Harvard 9 times and recovered more than 700 "nip" bottles.  In addition to this stretch of river's strange attraction for "nip" bottles is its equally strange attraction for huge amounts of repellent-resistant mosquitos. It's almost like a Bermuda Triangle thing.  If you go, bring a head net!

This capsized small fishing boat was also hanging around...

...with a hole in its stern corner.

Friday morning I enjoyed superb paddling conditions on the Sudbury River having launched from the Lincoln Canoe Launch.  The little stone boat house in Fairhaven Bay...


A mirror image of a spider's intricate work in Well Meadow just off of Fairhaven Bay...


A paddle upriver to Pantry Brook was made and the passage over the sheet-piling dam was doable...

...with a running start.  The Pantry Brook Wildlife Management Area lies beyond.


On the trip back downriver Lee's Bridge reminded me of its historic placement...

Trash for the week included:

Sunday's...


Tuesday's (which included 140 "nip" bottles)...


Friday's...



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