Salted and Unsalted Waters

 

Had a variety of salted and unsalted experiences this past week which included paddles on the Concord, Danvers, Annisquam, and Merrimack rivers.  In the above photo, taken on Thursday in Gloucester, MA, I was passing under the Annisquam River's A. Andrew Piatt Bridge just prior to the hazy (wildfire smoke) finally dissipating.

Started my paddling week last Sunday morning on the Concord River where I saw my first Cardinal flower of the season...

...and this immature eagle with what looks to be a band on his leg...

On Tuesday enroute to Gloucester I got off Rt. 128 for a paddle down the Danvers River from Pope's Landing to Beverly Harbor...

Hard to believe there was clear blue sky above the haze.
  

Once I'd set up camp at Cape Ann Camp Site in West Gloucester I had easy access to the Jones and Annisquam rivers from Gloucester's Long Wharf...

...where launches are easily made 3 hours either side of high tide.  A banks dory moored nearby...

On Wednesday I headed up to Ipswich Bay passing Annisquam Light on the way...

...as well as these flags showing a light northerly breeze...

 

Followed Cape Ann's coastline to the picturesque Lanes Cove...

A great spot for a break and some leg-stretching.  Then it was back out to sea from the granite block protected cove...

...and back to the Annisquam River for a top-of-the-tide swim followed by a short foray to the head of Lobster Cove...

The following day I again launched at Long Wharf and headed downriver with the incoming tide passing under the A. Andrew Piatt Bridge (opening photo) on my way to Little River.   In this quiet and scenic cove the 2-masted "Bald Eagle" was tied up at a houseboat...

...only a few hundred yards from the traffic on Route 128. 

This area seemed popular with osprey...

...snowy egret...

...and this blue heron...

I made landfall at Stubby Knowles Landing...

...named for...

A sign describes the landing...

There's a variety store across Essex Ave which allows supplies to be replenished.

Re-launched and paddled around Stanwood Point for a visit to the re-configured railroad draw-bridge across the Annisquam River...

The wildfire haze and clouds had finally left the skies making for an enjoyable trip back under the bridge...

...to Long Wharf via the Jones River .

Before breaking camp on Friday morning I drove to Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary...

 ...where I hiked past the Eastern Point Lighthouse...

...and out onto the 2,250-foot long Dog Bar Breakwater...

...ending at the diminutive Dog Bar Breakwater Lighthouse...

...where a a reference marker is planted in the granite...

A couple of boat names I liked were at dock in the Annisquam...

Wrapped up the week early this morning with a beat-the-heat paddle on the Merrimack River from Greeley Park Boat Ramp in Nashua, NH...

...one of the Merrimack's nicer spots to launch from..

.Paddled upriver to Cromwell's Falls...

...where the boat lock the Thoreau brothers passed through in 1839 still remains...

Enjoyed the novelty of paddling through the lock. Upriver from the lock a stonewall of sorts diverts a good portion of the river's flow to create a deeper channel along river's west shoreline...

On my way back to the takeout at Greeley I had the chance to meet two New Hampshire Conservation Officers patrolling the river.  Both Kevin Bronson and Rob McDermott have often appeared on the Animal Planet television show North Woods Law.  Kind of strange that though I'd never met them it felt like I had.  Sgt. Bronson seen later at the boat launch...

Saw a bald eagle in flight at Cromwell's Falls as well as this more stationary great egret...

Also saw blue and green herons, an osprey, and a pair of killdeer.

Trash for the week was a bit unusual:

Trash from the Concord River included a nearly full propane cylinder...

...which came in handy to fuel my stove while camping in Gloucester.

Trash from my 3 saltwater paddles was light...

...but included a nearly full can of "Deep Woods OFF" bug repellant, also handy in camp.  Suspect the unopened package of sausages must have been missed by a boater perhaps unaware it had fallen overboard.

Finally, the trash from the Merrimack River...

...included a couple of Mylar balloons along with the more usual assortment of plastic containers.