Sudbury River - Rt. 62 to Lee's Bridge and Back

Today's trash patrol of the Sudbury River had two objectives in addition to recovering trash. One was to find out whether or not the river was open-water through Fairhaven Bay and the other was to see my first red-winged blackbird of the season.
After some work breaking through 1" thick near-shore ice, I launched into the river at about 11 am and headed upstream with a pretty good breeze at my back. Recovered my first piece of trash, a Pepsi can, just before passing under the Route 2 bridge. A small group of ducks kept moving further upriver each time I approached. Looking through my binoculars, as they took flight, it appeared they were buffleheads but I could not be sure. Near Sudbury Road (Heath's Bridge) I began seeing common mergansers in pretty good numbers.
Soon, Martha's Point was in sight and I could see open water all the way to Fairhaven Bay. I could also see people standing on the water in the far-off distance. Upon entering the bay I discovered that the folks standing on the water were ice fishermen and there were 8 in all. Five were on the west side of the bay and three were on the east side near the stone boathouse.


The river was ice free right through the middle of the bay and with the wind at my back it seemed I was flying across. Passed by the channel that leads to the Lincoln Canoe launch and noted that it is still firmly iced in. Upon reaching Lee's Bridge (Rt. 117), I decided to stop for a break at what might now be called Lee's Bridge Landing. The small wooden platform used as a dock by the bridge rebuilding contractors is still there and makes a convenient spot to sit in the sun, out of the wind, and enjoy a mug-up of hot cocoa.

A little ice-breaking work was required but was well worth it, as two red-tailed hawks circled overhead while I was on break.


After my break, I decided to head downstream and very shortly passed this "Springtime in New England" scene of maple syrup collecting.

A little ways downstream of the Lincoln Canoe Launch I was able to recover an empty juice container, empty 'Wise Potatoe Chip' bag, and what appeared to be gas tank cap.

A cool breeze greeted me upon entering Fairhaven Bay and I began a steady slog into the teeth of it. From here to Heath's Bridge was a nice little workout. I passed 'Old Man Winter's' now abandoned chair.

After making it through the windy stretch, I came upon this testament to another creature's very recent workout.

On rounding the bend near Clamshell Bank I surprised two of the small ducks I had been seeing throughout my trip. Aided by my binoculars, I'm fairly sure that they were buffleheads.
I reached my takeout location without having seen any red-winged blackbirds. I'll just have to wait another week or two. My trashcount was 14 empty containers of which 6 were recyclable. YTD total 92.

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Concord Jct. & Back

Yesterday afternoon's trash patrol of the Assabet River produced the eclectic trash bounty pictured above.
Upon launching, just upsteam of Egg Rock, my intention was to trash patrol the Sudbury River. By the time I'd reached the South Bridge, paddling into a stiff cool breeze, I concluded that the Assabet River would provide a more sheltered choice, so I turned around and headed back to Egg Rock. On the way, I came upon an empty plastic bag of Blizzard Wizard ice melt that bore the image of 'Old Man Winter'. I'm happy to report that the 'Old Man' has been removed from the river and now resides in a dumpster where I hope he'll remain until next December.
Soon I was back at Egg Rock and passing the rapidly shrinking tongue of ice that marks the junction of the three rivers (SUASCO). I swung my bow to the left and began ascending the Assabet River and shortly after passing the leaning hemlocks came upon a floating coyote head, albeit from a faux coyote. Suspecting it was from a certain faux coyote that has lost his head before (see November 1 post), I placed the head on my kayak's deck for the trip to where the torso resides. Before reaching that location, however, I came upon a floating golf club. It was actually a Taylor Made 320 T driver with the address of a Park Lane resident. Had the golf club been used in an assualt on the coyote? Hmmm... At any rate, I proceeded paddling until I was looking up at a headless faux coyote standing on the river's bank. I placed his head on my paddle blade and served it up to a spot near his body.
Resuming my trip upriver I began ecountering the same wildlife as last week. There were mallards, Canada geese, robins, bluebirds, a small woodpecker, a cardinal, a red-tailed hawk, and Muscovite ducks. At one spot the robins were patrolling the ground while bluebirds were jumping around in the branches above them and the small woodpecker was in the branches above the bluebirds. This busy spot was a little ways upriver from where the Reformatory Branch railroad used to run between the river and the cornfields off of Barrets Mill Road. The hawk was perched in a tree just upriver from Route 2.
Near the mouth of Nashoba Brook, I found a back eddy, out of the breeze and in the sun, where I enjoyed a mug-up of hot cocoa and a fuel bar. Trash was fairly plentiful between Nashoba Brook and the Route 62 bridge in Concord Junction. Much of it made of styrofoam and attesting that perhaps America really does Run on Dunkin. How about Dunkin ditching the styrofoam and only filling re-useable containers that either they or the customer provide? A little less convenient? Sure, but I think we Americans can handle it.
Paddling back downriver I'm always surprised by how many pieces of trash I didn't see while going upriver. In order to recover pieces of trash while heading downriver, I usually turn my boat around and face into the current. This makes it easier to maintain the boat's position while performing the retrieval. Often my paddle becomes an extension of my arm and is used to draw the item alongside my boat till it is within easy reach. I believe kayaks are best suited for retrieving floatable pieces of trash from waterbodies because the kayaker is sitting very close to the water's surface in a boat so narrow that when his arms are placed alongside the boat they are actually in the water. While I recognize that a canoe can hold far more trash, the canoeist, sitting on a raised seat and in a wider vessel, is not positioned in such proximity to the water's surface.
Upon reaching my takeout location, my trash count for the day was 31, bringing my YTD total to 78.

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Pine Street & Back

This afternoon I celebrated the return of open water by trash patrolling the lower Assabet River. At high noon, under bright sunny skies and with air temperatures in the mid-thirties, I slid my kayak off of the shore ice and into the lower Sudbury River, just a little ways from Egg Rock. At the confluence of the Sudbury and Assabet, I turned left and began paddling upstream on the Assabet. Shortly after passing the leaning hemlocks, I came upon a pair of common mergansers and a red-tailed hawk. Further along many mallards and Canada geese were on the water.
Approaching the Leaning Hemlocks:

Willow Island was wearing a thick layer of ice left by the recently lowered water level. The mouth of Spencer Brook was open water and nicely sheltered from the breeze:


The ice has retreated all the way to the riverbank in most places and it is evident that 'Old Man Winter' has released us from the month long siege he'd so firmly held us in. The numerous robins and several bluebirds I saw today confirmed for me that the darkest hours are behind us. I've heard many recent reports of red-winged blackbirds showing up and if true, it would bolster the case that spring is in the offing.
Trash recovery started out slow today but after passing through Concord Junction my deck was getting a little crowded. Paddling under the new Pine Street bridge was much easier now that the river's flow isn't forced to divide between two narrow portals. At a sandbar behind the Thoreau School I beached my vessel and stowed some of the trashload below deck. Once that work was done I enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa while sitting in the afternoon sunshine.
Pine Street Bridge:

Sandbar behind Thoreau School:

The trip downriver was smooth and fast and before I knew it I was swinging around the tongue of ice that still projects out from Egg Rock, and heading up the Sudbury River to my takeout location. My trash count for the day was 40 empty containers of which 19 were recyclable. My YTD total is 47.
Today's Bounty:

Hope for an Updated Bottle Bill in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick is recommending changes to the state's Bottle Bill for the first time since it took effect back in January 1983. To see proposed changes click here
This change is long overdue and will finally give a monetary value to a large percentage of the single-use beverage containers that are purchased in Massachusetts and too often end up as worthless litter.
Opponents are calling it a tax but it really isn't. While it is true that folks will be required to pay an additional nickel, they will have three choices when the container is empty: Return it to the store and redeem the nickel; Place the container in their trash/recycle container and let the state have the nickel; carelessly discard the container into the environment and hopefully allow someone willing to recover it to get the nickel. Sounds like a win-win situation to me! Only improvement that I would suggest is that the deposit should be a dime to help offset the present-day costs to retailers and recycling facilities.
Before happily ripping the January page from the calender hanging on the wall of my cave, I note that there are only 48 days till the arrival of spring. Might the worst be over?

Concord River - Egg Rock to near Ball's Hill & Back

Hearing the weather forecast for artic conditions later this week, prompted me to squeeze in a paddle/trash patrol this afternoon, while conditions were relatively hospitable.
Just as last week, getting to open water proved a bit of a challenge. However, once that challenge was overcome, I found myself happily gliding along a glass smooth river through a New England winterscape. The scenery could be summed-up as ice (in numerous formations), snow covered ground, still some snow covered trees from Saturday's storm, cloudy skies, and air temperatures just above the freezing point. The theme of the day was "winter is tightening its icy grip" and like it or not, it may be time to retreat to the warmth of my cave till the 'January Thaw' arrives.
Heading downriver, I passed under the 'Old North Bridge' and noted not a soul in the area which, in my experience, is fairly unusual. Flint's Bridge or Monument Street is still closed to traffic, though no construction work was occurring. A little ways past this bridge, I encountered a lone common merganser. She was working her way upriver with an eye-catching motion of jutting her neck forward and back while paddling with her feet. Occasionally she would disappear beneath the river's surface in search of fish. Once she became aware of my presence, she flew a short distance away.
Continuing downriver, I saw a few cross-country skiers at Great Meadows and noted another in an orchard as I looked up towards Punkatasset Hill. Saw a pair of wood ducks just before passing Saw Mill Brook. After the abandoned cabin the river turns sharply to the southeast, past a well iced-in backwater, then northeast to round Ball's Hill. Before reaching Ball's Hill however, I encountered the end of open water. The river's steady current was being swallowed under the jagged ice and this became my turnaround point for this trip.
After a quick re-fueling, I began my trip back upriver. Aside from several grey squirrels and the aforementioned common merganser who was re-encountered near the North Bridge, I saw only two people enjoying the North Bridge area.
Reaching Egg Rock, I decided to see if the Assabet was open water through the 'Leaning Hemlocks'. It was and the hemlock's boughs were still cradling the recent snow. Would have been a nice photo had I remembered to bring a camera.
Turned around one more time and paddled around the tongue of ice sticking out from Egg Rock and headed to my takeout location. As a trash patrol, today was a bust! Any trash there may have been was locked in or under the near shore ice. My YTD total remains at 7.

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Nashoba Brook & Back

This afternoon I broke the ice quite literally on the 2009 trash paddling season and patrolled the lower Sudbury River and the Assabet River from Egg Rock to Nashoba Brook and back. The main channel of the river was open water but the shorelines are iced over for as much as 10 feet out from the shore in places. Getting to the open water was a little more challenging than usual.
On the way to Egg Rock, I recovered an empty Dunkin Dounuts Latte plastic container and that became the first piece of trash for the new year. It was followed by a nip bottle, 3 empty plastic bags, an empty Gatorade container and an empty cardboard box.
The scenery was very winterlike; snow, ice, bare trees and cloudy skies. However the air temperature was several degrees above freezing and there wasn't too much wind.
Wildlife observed were 3 hawks, and a mixed group of mallards, Canada geese, and Muscovite ducks.
Water levels are still high. Dodge Rock is submerged and Willow Island is awash. The mouth of Spencer Brook is frozen over but Nashoba Brook is open water and flowing at a pretty good clip.
After reaching the mouth of Nashoba Brook, I paddled upstream a short way and turned around after passing under the abandoned Old Colony Railroad bridge.
The trip back to my starting point was smooth and fast and I reached my takeout location with a lucky 7 pieces of trash bringing my YTD total to a lucky 7.

Some 2008 Reflections

While awaiting a more favorable day to begin the 2009 trash paddling season, I reflect back on 2008. In addition to the trash that made it into either dumpsters or recycling containers were the following tangible and not so tangible items:
This old wooden paddle found floating on the upper Concord River

These bottles and cans include a Coke bottle (50's);Budweiser can commemorating 2007 World Champion Red Sox: Parsons' Ammonia bottle; an unknown small bottle; a Virginia Dare soda bottle

Additional bottles include a LaChoy soy sauce bottle; a rugged but broken old bottle that bears an Indian chief's image and the slogan "It is different, we use a natural pure spring water" the Indians called it "The water of life", That is why they came here to drink"; an eight-sided Heinz ketchup bottle; a small bottle of Foss' Liquid Fruit Flavors; and a larger Virginia Dare bottle. Apparently Virginia Dare was referred to as "The First Lady of the Land" and her name showed up on different beverages. Virginia was the first child born of English parents in North America. She was born in 1587 into the Roanoke Colony of which no trace could be found in 1590. Sunsequently her rather Anglo-centric title.

The non-tangible included: numerous encounters with wildlife in which I was priviledged to come eye to eye with wild creatures in their element and witness their displays of prowess; a new appreciation of the very dynamic nature of the rivers which has resulted in my becoming more willing to be enveloped by the river's environment, slow down, and subsequently note the many small things that are in a state of continual change; and lastly, a good amount of exercise and a ton of fresh air!