My 2026 paddling season got underway this past weekend thanks to a greatly appreciated January thaw. Three days in a row with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees F. saw the ice retreat enough to make my local rivers navigable again. On Saturday I enjoyed a three river sampler of sorts starting from Egg Rock in Concord, MA...
From Egg Rock I first ascended the Assabet River to Willow Island...
Then it was down the Concord River passing under the Old North Bridge...
...and the Minuteman Statue along the way...
Finally paddled up the Sudbury River a short distance to the Nashawtuc Road Bridge...
The next day, Sunday, I paddled a bit of the Nasua River from Oxbow N.W.R. in Harvard, MA. The thaw may have peaked on this day with even more sunshine and temperatures nudging the mid-40s F...
The CSX railroad bridge...
...which in the coming week will start seeing Norfolk Southern double-stack container trains reach Ayer MA for the first time. Previously, these Norfolk Southern trains were routed through the Hoosac Tunnel which is unable to accommodate double-stack trains.
Leaving the Nashua River valley I was afforded this view to the northwest which looked pretty good for January (especially from the viewpoint of a winter hater like myself)...
The very first piece of 2026 trash was encountered on the Assabet River...
The very first "nip" bottle of 2026 was found in the Nashua River...
Saturday's small SuAsCo haul...
Sunday's haul from the Nashua included 18 "nip" bottles...
