Connecticut River - Pachaug to Wequamps

This past weekend I teamed up once again with good friend Paul (aka Capt'n Dangerous) to further explore the Connecticut River as it flows down through the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts.  This passage would take us under the French King Bridge where the river passes through a gorge, and past a rock named for that same French King by a French officer during the French and Indian War (opening photo).
But first, a base of operations/campsite was established at the Barton Cove Campground in Gill.  The campground, operated by FirstLight Hydro Generating Company, is not your typical campground by today's standards.  It is located on a rocky peninsula that extends almost a mile to a spot on the river known as the "Narrows".  This photo is looking towards the peninsula from Barton Cove with the "Narrows" visible in the distant right...

On that green peninsula are only tent sites (31) with no hookups and limited vehicular access.  Campers are allowed to drive into their campsite, unload their camping gear, and are then required to remove their vehicle to a designated parking lot which can be a fair distance from their camp.  In my case it was a 10 minute walk from tent to car.  This became a factor on Friday evening when just before turning in for the night I realized my pillow was still in my car.  Hmm, a combined 20 minute walk or go pillowless.  Off I went and while walking back in the gathering darkness an unfamiliar creature crossed my path...a critter I'd never encountered before.  It was a porcupine.  Perhaps because of my presence the porcupine ambled to the nearest tree and began to both embrace and climb it at the same time...the original "Tree Hugger"!

Amazingly for mid-June, and especially considering all the rain we've had, bothersome bugs were not an issue at the campground.
 
On Saturday morning Paul arrived from the Adirondacks and we shuttled boats to Pachaug some 14 miles to the north in Northfield where our downriver journey began.  Due to considerable rains of late, the hydro dam in Vernon, VT was releasing a good amount of water, and very little paddling effort was required on our part.  The day was a June classic, sunny and warm.
Munn's Ferry, another FirstLight operated camping facility, was located on the river's east shore.  It is only accessible by boat and looked like an ideal spot for through paddlers to spend a night.

Also on the east shore was the Northfield Mountain FirstLight generating station...

This is the least visible of the 15 generating stations operated by FirstLight yet, according to company literature, is capable of generating the most power.  Northfield Mtn. Station can generate 1,080 megawatts of electricity by releasing stored water from an 800' high reservoir down into a subterranean generating facility housing 4 giant reversible turbines each capable of pumping 27,000 gallons of water per second!  Water is pumped from the river up to the mountain-top reservoir at night, and then released back down during peak power demand times.

At any rate we soon reached the French King Bridge and the mouth of the Millers River where we stopped briefly at Cabot Camp.  Looking up the Millers showed it was also running swiftly...

After passing through the "Horserace" and the  "Narrows" we circled Barton Island before landing near the campsite.  Paul had once again brought his miniature tent which made my tent, by comparison, look like the Hilton...

Sunday morning arrived with clouds moving in and, after breaking camp, we brought our boats to the "official" Turners Falls portage point located at the end of Poplar St. in Montague City (below the dam and canal)...

This spot has a steep path down to the river and is below an old railroad bridge which is now a rail trail.  The Connecticut River mud is pretty greasy when the slightest bit wet.  Caution and patience are required!
Safely launched we were once again gliding down the river.  Just below the Pan American Railways bridge and East Deerfield freight yards, we encountered the first of seven bald eagles we would see on this passage...

On an island once known to the Pocumtuck Native American peoples as "Mattampash" we saw this eagle's nest and eaglet...

According to the 1910 published History of Montague: A Typical Puritan Town by Edward Pearson Pressy, Native American legends revolved around this island and the two prominent hills downstream of it.  The island is said to be where Pocumtuck sachem Wattawolunksin maintained his long house and lived out his final days.  Could his spirit possibly remain here today in this form?...

 

Downriver and to the east is "Kunckwadchu" (Mt. Toby)...

...where the man-eating "Wittum" is said to have lived before being slain by benevolent spirit, Hobmock.

Another legend involves a giant beaver who also resorted to eating people when his usual food was in short supply.  Once again Hobmock was called upon to slay the beast.  The giant beaver's head and body remain to this day in stone form as "Wequamps" (Mt. Sugarloaf) to the west and opposite the point where our journey ended...

As Paul took in the view of Wequamps he saw the outline of a fish in the formation.

Trash on this trip was very light.  Most was encountered where we landed or launched.  Very little was seen out on the river (which is nice for a change)...

There were 11 recyclable containers (1 redeemable) and 5 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 
YTD = 2962

Another Raid on Ram Island

Back in early May I landed on Ram Island in the Merrimack River and encountered more plastic trash than I could fit in my boat.  I've been planning to get back ever since.  Today, thanks to my workday ending nearby and a favorable tide, I launched at Cashman Park in Newburyport.  Ram Island is not far from where I launched and is about 3.5 miles above the spot where the Merrimack meets the Atlantic Ocean.  It seems to be a magnet for plastic flotsam.  After landing on Ram (opening photo) I began collecting as much of the plastic trash as I could fit into or upon my boat...

There were 106 plastic containers and 125 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish which included another 67 Hooksett disks (1374 disks recovered to date).  YTD = 2946

After re-launching, I explored Town Creek where I found a bit of refuge from today's gusty northwest winds.  A squadron of turkey vultures patrolled the skies east of the creek and a lone osprey was seen as well.

Upon returning home, Mrs. Trashpaddler showed me this haul of plastic trash she recovered during a morning walk along local roads...

Sudbury Slingshot

On yesterday's late day paddle down the Sudbury River I was inspired to tweak the old Irish blessing: "May the river rise to meet your paddle, and the wind be always at your back....".  Friday night's deluge of rain had the river running at a level more typical of late March, and this allowed access to just about anywhere a paddler wanted to explore.  Thanks to a shuttle service provided by Mrs. Trashpaddler, I was able to ride the swift current from Little Farms Road in Framingham down to Sherman's Bridge in Wayland.  After launching, however, these water levels allowed me to enter and pass around the nearly mile long oxbow that was once the river's actual course (opening photo).  This oxbow, now a sleepy backwater of sorts, provided a tranquil place from which to start my journey. Emerging back into the flow felt like being released from a slingshot, and I soon found myself dodging obstacles of one kind or the other as I rode with the flow. 

This obstacle was one a paddler hopes to never see...

It's an overturned kayak pressed up against a tree.  My hope is that it resulted from a boat being left too close to the water's edge rather than an accident.

Near the often difficult to discern entrance to Heard Pond I encountered a paddler who was looking for that very entrance.  Chris recently began kayaking after purchasing a Dagger Alchemy...

While new to kayaking Chris is no stranger to boats having once sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on a 35' sailboat.  I was glad he asked for directions, as I otherwise might have passed downriver without taking advantage of the rare (for this time of year) opportunity to visit the pond via the river.

Once past Route 27 the river's old course was selected again which took me under the stone bridge to nowhere...

Being out of the current for a bit allowed my brakes to cool down.

Downstream of the bridge I headed towards the present-day river and enjoyed a dramatic looking sky to the west...

The only thunder heard today was from cars rumbling over the wooden Sherman's Bridge where my passengers and I soon disembarked...

There were 28 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 15 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.

YTD = 2715

Litter Progress Pending?

 

 

The job is almost done.  A little more than two weeks ago the Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly to include non-carbonated plastic beverage containers in our state's Bottle Bill. 

 

Senate Bill 1588 was brought forward by Cynthia S. Creem of Newton who was joined by 35 legislators and/or citizens supporting its passage.  It's my understanding that an amended version passed the Senate on May 22, 2013.

 

Now, if the Massachusetts House of Representatives does the same, the updated bottle bill could be signed into law by Governor Patrick and the letters "MA" would proudly join those representing other environmentally progressive states.

 

Gazillions of plastic bottles once containing water, energy drinks, or iced-teas would finally have a bounty placed upon their heads. 

 

To help insure this happens, folks might want to encourage their state representative to support this long overdue measure.

 

I'm willing to bet we'll see a lot less of this...

...in our state's waterways.

 

 

 

  



Concord River Diversity

Lucky were those able to get out on the Concord River this afternoon.  Conditions were near perfect.  I launched at the Bedford Boat Launch which was as free of trash as I've ever seen it.  Paddling along both sides of the river for a mile or so above and below Route 225 produced very little trash as well. 
Since it was a weekday, there weren't nearly as many boats as would be found on a weekend.  What boats there were, however, demonstrated the wide variety in watercraft types.  Here the river is wide enough to allow power boats such as this one...

...and unpowered simple crafts such as this raft, perhaps waiting for Tom and Huck to return...

Another type of craft seen today was this Hobie Pro Angler with a Mirage propulsion system being pedaled (?) by Ryan who was enjoying a day of fishing on the river...

Ryan reported this set-up as being ideal for both the fresh and salt water fishing he does.  His hands remain free for casting/reeling while he drives the boat with his feet.  Today he caught 5 large mouth bass (one 3.5 lbs) and 2 good-sized chain pickerel.  I think he mentioned having been on the water since 5 am.

Also seen on the river was a stand-up paddler and a stand-up water skier.

The very small haul of trash for today...

There were 8 recyclable containers (3 redeemable) and 4 pieces of misc. rubbish.  YTD = 2672

John Paul Jones on the Assabet

Skies were just starting to clear when, after launching at Lowell Rd. in Concord, I headed towards Egg Rock and the Assabet River (opening photo).  As I worked my way upriver I came upon the first Musquash trap I've seen this year...

 
A little further along was this Muscovy duck and her ducklings...

 

 

Above them was an active bird's nest...

 

 

Couldn't find the bird in my guidebook.  Perhaps a warbler?

 



Still further upriver, a piece of trash brought me close to the shore, where an old amber 1-pint bottle was found with a Revolutionary War soldier depicted...

 

 

Once cleaned up a bit, the bottle seems to be relating the 1779 Battle of Flamborough Head in which John Paul Jones is believed to have responded to the British commander "I have not yet begun to fight".  In addition to having an image of John Paul Jones, the bottle is also embossed with 2 tall ships (one broadside to the other) and a soldier with sword drawn.  The story of a battle which took place in the North Sea found lying on the bottom of the Assabet River!  And the bottle's in great shape!

 

Other, more ordinary trash found today gathered alongside my hull (without any drama)...

 

There were 36 recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 38 pieces of trash including 2 balloons, several empty cans of spray paint, a spool of fishing line, and several plastic bags.  YTD = 2660







Contoocook River Found Nice'n Clean

Today the New Hampshire Appalachian Mountain Club Paddlers (NH-AMC Paddlers) conducted a trash patrol on the Contoocook River in Henniker, NH.  This was the second in a series of monthly trash patrols organized by club member Denise Hurt.  The club's trash patrols are scheduled for the first Saturday of each month through September.  The NH-AMC Paddlers were joined, on today's patrol, by members of the Merrimack River Watershed Association and myself.  In total, we numbered 9 paddlers in 9 boats and our flotilla headed upriver from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers River Road Boat Launch in Henniker (opening photo).

When not busy scouring both river banks for trash, we enjoyed views of the Pats Peak Ski Area such as this one...

At the confluence of Amey Brook and the Contoocook nearly all participants congregated during a break...

Participants included Dean, Debbie, Denise, John, Ron, Sally, Sue, Whit, and yours truly.

Despite our best efforts, we were only able to round up 146 pieces of trash, and trip leader Denise seemed pleased at finding the river so relatively free of trash...

The trash we did find is pictured here...

...and in addition to the usual plastic bottles, cans etc. was an aluminum extension ladder and an old reel-type lawn mower that's been resting in the river for quite a while.

Another relic from the past, found today, was an old re-usable milk bottle which after a little cleaning-up looked ready to be left on the front steps for the milkman's next visit...

My ride home to "flatlander" country brought me by the old Boston & Maine Railroad depot in Milford, NH.  Like the old lawn mower and milk bottle, the train depot is no longer serving its original purpose. Nonetheless, you have to admit the old building still looks pretty good...

 

 

And further down Route 13 another Boston & Maine depot lives on as someone's private home in Brookline, NH (note the semaphore signals still at the ready)...



  
The next trash patrol by the NH-AMC Paddlers will be conducted on the Merrimack River, starting from Tyngsboro, MA on Saturday, July 6th.