A Quest for Open Water

 

Weather forecasters predicted a beauty of day yesterday with wall-to-wall sunshine and temperatures rising into the upper 40's F.  A great day to paddle but would I be able to find open water in which to do so?

My quest started once the temperature rose above freezing and took me first to a tidal section of the Merrimack River in Haverhill, MA. There I found the boat launch iced-in and most of the river iced-over.  Next I drove to Rocks Village in West Newbury, MA where the launch was also iced-in but the river was open in the middle.  Finally I placed all my cards on the table, and drove further to Plum Island in Newbury, MA.  There at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge I found what I sought, and it was more than worth the price ($5) of admission...first and foremost...

...and secondly, an ice-free place to launch into the Plum Island River...

The tide, while still at a high level, was about to start receding.  Paddled under the Sgt. Donald A. Wilkinson drawbridge which connects Plum Island to the mainland...

 Briefly drank-in the view of the Merrimack River...

...before returning to the Plum Island River and following one of its water trails...

Came across this odd structure...

...with a seemingly appropriate name...

Come to think of it a "dog" would've hit the spot.

A little further on the spell was broken when, even here, ice blocked my passage...

This was the same spot where the opening photo was taken and attests to just how unusually frigid this first half of December has been around these parts.  

So, it was mission accomplished (within limitations imposed by Old Man Winter).  Before leaving the refuge I walked over to the island's ocean side and looked at some totally open-water...the Atlantic Ocean...

According to Wikipedia the first European to show the 8-mile long barrier island on a map was Captain John Smith who described it in 1614 as  "...an ile two or three leagues in length...". 

 

A kiosk near where I launched describes the refuge as having 4,600 acres of pristine coastal habitat and  is one of the top birding sites in the country, showcasing some of the most beautiful beaches in Massachusetts.  A view towards some island dunes...

 

Trash was light with only a Sierra Nevada beer can and the head portion of a despicable "minion"...