Keeping the Streak Alive

 

Things were looking bleak for a February paddle.  I haven't missed a month since 2007, and February was down to its last few hours.  However, yesterday, seeing the Assabet River in Concord, MA looking like this...

...didn't give me much hope of finding open water today.  My streak it seemed would come to an end.  Nonetheless, I put on my wet suit and other gear and drove just a bit further afield to Cox Street in Hudson, MA where conditions on the Assabet River exceeded my expectations.  Open water downstream for more than a mile to this blowdown...

...which was near Orchard Hill (opening photo).

Upstream from Cox Street the river was open for another half mile up to the abandoned Boston and Maine Railroad's Central Mass branch...

  Trash was found mostly behind blowdowns...

In addition to 19 "nip" bottles there was someone's boot-cast.  First time I've encountered one of those and wonder if there's a story behind how it ended up in the Assabet River

Fairhaven By Foot

 

Usually when I pay a visit to the Sudbury River's Fairhaven Bay (photo above) I'm in my boat.  However, these days, Old Man Winter has both the river and bay locked in his icy grip.  Thus in order to pay the bay a visit yesterday, I joined with Hiker Joe's winter hiking group, and followed trails of hard-packed snow through Walden Woods, Seton Woods, Wright Woods, and Adams Woods all in Concord, MA...

We passed the west end of Walden Pond along the way...

 

Ice fishermen were out on both Walden Pond and Fairhaven Bay and they displayed the kind of patience necessary these days, probably knowing that good things come to those who wait...

The journey back included this reminder of where a long-gone cabin once stood on a rise overlooking the river...

Despite knowing this chimney's exact location and having paddled past it many times I've never been able to discern it amidst the trees while in my boat. 

Only 13 more days until the arrival of meteorological spring! My patience is being put to the test!