An Ice-Free Fairhaven

Got an early start yesterday morning in order to beat the predicted rain.  Was pleasantly surprised to find the Lincoln (MA) Canoe Launch completely free of ice as it's often one of the last places to melt.  Got past this slap-happy beaver...

...and shortly reached the Sudbury River's Fairhaven Bay...

...where the stone boathouse at the far end...

...indicated the water level was still on the high side.  The high water combined with the lack of vegetation allowed access to the sanctity of Well Meadow...

...where this blue heron stood his ground...

Another place not usually accessible was the double-barreled outlet of Farrar Pond...

...which is located almost a mile upriver from Fairhaven.

A row of old sugar maples with their syrup-collecting galvanized pails...

A red-tailed hawk had his eye on something below...

An eagle nest showed little activity...

Once back at the Lincoln Canoe Launch, on its kiosk I noticed this photo (by Maury Eldridge) accompanied by a quote by Henry D. Thoreau...

Before Maury's untimely passing he and I would occasionally run into each other while paddling Fairhaven.  I miss seeing him out on the water.

Trash was on the light side except for two plastic bags full of wet clothing...

...and a baseball bat serving as a reminder of the upcoming baseball season.

A Trashy Equinox

 

Got out on the Assabet River in Stow, MA yesterday to greet the much-awaited Vernal Equinox scheduled to arrive around 10:45 am.

There was sunshine, plenty of water, and more trash than usual for this stretch of river.  Temperatures rose steadily, eventually reaching the low 50s F...

A pair of mute swans came in low and fast...

The growing season has begun for some plants like these skunk cabbage...

Red-winged blackbirds were everywhere and showed their red stripes most when making their distinctive call...

A bald eagle flew overhead...

Later clouds moved in, the wind cranked-up considerably, and the Equinox spell was broken. 

Back to Reality

 

On Sunday I got back out on my local waters and there was still snow in one of the Assabet River's sloughs to welcome me home.

Thanks to all the recent snow melt water levels have risen to the point where the inscription at Egg Rock is almost completely submerged...

Lots of wood ducks were out and about...

A pileated woodpecker went about his work...

...and my first red-winged blackbird of 2026 was encountered on the Concord River..

Also on the Concord the Old North Bridge looks ready for upcoming April 19th...

Trash included 21 "nip" bottles...

After Monday's substantial rainfall several local rivers will likely rise to flood stage levels

Went Looking for Spring, Found Summer Instead

    

                                                      (Rappahannock River near Morattico, VA)

Last year in March I got a jumpstart on springtime by driving down to Jamestown, Virginia and paddling some of the waterways plied by Captain John Smith in late 1607, specifically his exploration of the Chickahominy River, which led to his being captured by the Powhatan tribe and the whole Pocahontas incident at Werowocomoco.  Over this long and cold winter I savored some of those on-water moments while reading more of The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and The Summer Isles 1624 which included firsthand accounts of Capt. Smith's subsequent adventures when he and his crew spent the summer of 1608 exploring and mapping Chesapeake Bay...

Their open boat is believed to have measured 30 feet long by 8 feet wide.  It could be rowed or sailed. Smith called it a "Barge". 

On last Sunday's switch to Daylight Saving Time I left a cold and foggy New England in my rearview mirror and headed south. 

Seven hours later while driving across the Delmarva Peninsula I found the Captain John Smith Trail at Fox Hole Landing in Galena, Maryland...

Smith and crew spent several days in the upper reaches of Chesapeake Bay in early August 1608.  In that general area they encountered 7 or 8 canoes full of Massawomek warriors, a village of the Tockwogh people, and some 60 Sasquesahanock men they described as being giants.  The Sassafras River was called "Tockwogh Flu" on Smith's map.  A unique feature of his map was his drawing a cross to mark the furthest point he ascended each river.  According to his map's scale of leagues, the cross on his map would've been in the general vicinity of Fox Hole Landing.  I launched there and looked downriver...

There were numerous dead fish floating in the river that I believe were shad...

...having fulfilled their life cycle.  

Bald eagles (this, a immature one) ...

...and turkey vultures...

...were feasting.

Once back at Fox Hole Landing I had the pleasure of meeting a Maryland Conservation officer who took the time to share some of his local knowledge.

Then it was back on the road needing to cross the Bay Bridge and the Potomac River before reaching my destination in King George, Virginia.  By the time I got there temperatures were approaching 70 degrees F.

Once in Virginia I travelled to a place on the Rappahannock River that Smith called Moraughtacund.  Today it's known as Morattico...

It was in Moroughtacund that Smith and crew were hospitably welcomed by the Moraughtacund people for a few days after entering the Rappahannock River.  It was then close to mid August.  Here they encountered their "old friend" Mosco...

For me, Mosco is a character who sort of jumps off the page.  Because he has a black, bushy, beard the Englishmen surmise he was perhaps the son of a Frenchman.  He figures prominently in their adventures on the Rappahannock.

This plaque at nearby Belle Isle State Park shows the location of Moraughtacund (just above the "you are here")...

There is also an artist's sketch of Smith and crew trading with Native Americans...

From the park's Canoe and Kayak Launch I dropped into Mulberry Creek and paddled towards Morattico passing this occupied eagle's nest along the way...

...and further along where the Waterfront Museum reminds of bygone days...

In Lancaster Creek I landed at a spot that, for all I know, Smith and company may have gone ashore...

There were oysters laying on the sandy bottom.

A pair of ospreys in nest...

The Rappahannock River is wide in this area...

As Smith's company went further upriver from Moraughtacund they twice came under bow and arrow attack from Rappahannock warriors.  In one of the attacks the Rappahannock warriors were disguised as "bushes".  Fortunately, by following the advice of their guide, Mosco, the arrows were stopped by shield-like devices made of small sticks woven between strings of hemp and grass.  

I next picked up Smith's path at Wilmont Landing in King George, VA.  Launched into foggy conditions on what would turn out to be a beautiful summerlike day...

As the fog burned off Clay Cliffs came into view (heading downriver) ...

Around the bend I looked further down and imagined Smith's "barge" sailing towards me...

An eagle enjoyed a high perch atop one of the cliffs...

Back at Wilmont Landing I had the good fortune to meet Virginia Conservation Police Officer Fisher...

...who generously shared some of his local knowledge with me.

Somewhere between here and Fredericksburg, VA one of Smith's crew, Mr. Fetherstone, came down with a fever and died.  The crew gave him a proper burial at a place they named Fetherstone Bay.  The next day they ascended the Rappahannock River to the head of tide at Fredericksburg...

While away from their boat in the area of the falls they came under attack by a Mannahoac hunting party which resulted in them capturing an injured Mannahoac man, Amoroleck...

Amoroleck's translated words proved prophetic. Later the following day he would be allowed to return to his people and peaceful relations were established with the Mannahoacs.  I can't help but wonder what became of Amoroleck later in life.  I'm also curious as to the fate of Mosco.  As a result of the help he provided to Smith he was gifted many of the items they'd captured: several canoes, numerous bows and arrows, and even one of three Rappahannock women that had been "stolne" by the Moraughtacunds. The three women's fate was a key issue in an awkward peace agreement Smith arranged between the Moraughtacuns and Rappahannocks.  It's my guess that Capt. John Smith enjoyed his adventurous summer of 1608 on the waters of Chesapeake Bay as opposed to having spent it within the confines of Jamestown.  

Less than a mile above the Amoroleck marker...

I launched from City Docks Park in Fredericksburg, VA and paddled upriver...

...to where I reached the head of tide beneath the Route 1 bridge.  They probably left  their boat somewhere in this area and proceeded on foot...

Later I hiked alongside the river's south side up to a marker...

The marker is inscribed as...

   

...and was placed here by the Captain John Smith Cross Project which has placed similar markers at 24 locations corresponding to the crosses on Smith's map.

At this location once stood the Embrey Dam.  A marker there commemorates the dam's removal in 2004...

...thus allowing the Rappahannock to become one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the eastern United States.

City Docks Park also had this plaque mentioning the large numbers of Native Inhabitants of the Chesapeake region...

All of my Rappahannock paddles were on days where the temperature exceeded 80 degrees F.  When I planned this trip I never would've expected to experience summerlike temperatures for 3 days in a row.

By the way, the spot where I launched at City Docks Park in Fredericksburg was located just across the river from the home where George Washington lived as a boy...

A replica of the house could be seen on the opposite shore...

Seemed a coincidence as I was hoping to paddle a bit of the Delaware River at Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania on my way home to New England.

Left Virginia early on Wednesday morning for the drive to Washington Crossing Historic Park...

.  

Arrived there just as a cold front approached the area.  Having the required permit I launched into the Delaware River behind a small island...

It didn't take long to realize the current was stronger than I expected...

At the downstream tip of the island I contemplated crossing to the New Jersey side...

Decided against it and paddled the length of the island a few times while gathering up a bit of trash.  That trash joined with that found on my Rappahannock and Sassafras paddles...

Not too bad for 5 paddles.

Post paddle in the park's Visitor Center I found several depictions of Washington and his force of 2,400 men making the crossing...

Lastly, a statue of General Washington perched high atop a pedestal gazing across the river...