Essex River - Essex to Ipswich Bay and Back

Yesterday felt like mid-summer and the kind of day where being on salty water seemed somehow more appropriate.  That combined with my daughter having mentioned wanting to paddle the area behind Crane Beach resulted in two kayakers traveling to the little town of Essex. 
We launched at the Town Landing near the intersection of Routes 22 and 133 and began following the river's circuitous route to the open sea.  The tide would be incoming for most of our trip and the tidal current was most noticeable in the narrow passage between Cross Island and Conomo Point. 
As we crossed Essex Bay towards the southwest tip of Castle Neck, we began to feel the cooling effect of a southerly breeze coming across the water.  Having decided to paddle up to Crane Beach allowed us to pass by the green bell-buoy "1" pictured at left (Note: Picture can be enlarged twice by clicking on it).  It looked as though one of last winter's storms had thrown it onto the beach like a piece of driftwood.  Usually it is located about a half-mile out into Ipswich Bay and rides the waves in a vertical position.
This photo was taken in the same proximity and behind my daughter's boat, Cape Ann can be seen in the distance...

On the return trip across Essex Bay we took in this nice view of Hog Island... 

The facing slope of the island served as the outdoor set for the movie The Crucible.  A replica of a 17th century Puritan village was built for the film about a little witch-hunting between friends and neighbors!  Those Puritans sure were a bunch of "funseekers", eh?
Much of the route we paddled will be packed with small human-powered boats during the upcoming Essex River Race on May 15th.  Yesterday, however, boat traffic was fairly light.  As we approached the town, we were treated to paddling alongside the two-masted schooner, Maine.  With its red sails aloft it looked quite elegant in the narrow river's confines.  The Maine can be seen by visiting the web site of H. A. Burnham shipbuilding.
Trash was sparse and consisted of only one beer can, one styrofoam coffee cup, and one plastic bag...

Before leaving town, we enjoyed tasting some locally harvested seafood. 

Didn't listen to music on this trip, but Tom Rush's Rockport Sunday would have worked just fine for me!

Assabet River - White Pond Rd. to Lake Boon Outlet and Return

This afternoon the Assabet River was trash patrolled between the Maynard/Stow line at White Pond Road to a point upstream where the outlet from Lake Boon enters the river.  Conditions were pleasant though still a bit on the breezy side.
Most of the trash encountered today looked old as though it had been outdoors for quite a long spell.
After passing the small private airport, I came upon a beaver worksite. Here a busy beaver, and perhaps his associates had been recently enjoying some tasty white birch...



On the upstream side of the Sudbury Road bridge I was surprised to see a piece of household plumbing.  I'll bet there's an interesting story as to how this came to rest at the water's edge...

This item was left where it lies.  It could be accessed from the road easily by someone who's not too sensitive to poison ivy.
Wildlife seen today consisted of the usual gang: mallards, wood ducks, Canada geese, a lone mute swan, red-winged blackbirds, numerous turtles, and a flying snake.  It's true!  I looked up to see a snake crossing the river about 25 feet above my head.  The unlucky snake happened to be dangling from the talons of a red-tailed hawk.  The hawk took up a perch on a large dead tree near where Elizabeth Brook enters the Assabet.  Before I could get a photo, it flew to another tree further from the brook.
Favorite piece of music heard while on the water today was Richie Haven's rendition of Pete Seeger's song Of Time and Rivers Flowing.
The trash haul for the day was 72 pieces and they posed in the mid-afternoon sunshine...

 
The breakdown: 37 recyclable containers (4 redeemable) and 35 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, a balloon, nip bottles (8), and styrofoam containers.  My YTD total stands at 1966.

Poem In Your Pocket Day

Mrs. Trashpaddler informed me that today is national Poem In Your Pocket Day, so it took only a minute for me to recall my personal favorite and stash it in my pocket.
It's a little poem that plays on the pronunciation of an island's name.  The island is off the coast of Maine was named Isle au Haut by Samuel Champlain.

“Says the summer man, when the fog hangs low,

‘There’s bridal wreath over Isle au Haut’;

But the fisherman says when he launches his boat,

‘It’s gosh darn foggy off Isle au Haut.’ “

As far as I can tell, the author is unknown.

Bottom Mile of both the Sudbury & Assabet Rivers

This afternoon I trash patrolled the bottom mile of the Sudbury River to Egg Rock and then ascended the last mile of the Assabet River to a point just upstream of Spencer Brook.  Water levels have dropped substantially from where they were during the floods of March.
Between Egg Rock and the Leaning Hemlocks, I came upon a beaver lodge built behind a large fallen tree that appears fortress-like....

A little further upriver, I saw this fallen faux coyote who may well have frightened his last Canada goose...

At Willow Island this strange site was seen...

A deer hunter's tree stand perhaps? 
Actually it is testament to just how high the water levels were.  There were also several plastic bags tightly embracing trees on the island.
Conditions were a little moody with clouds and occasional drizzle.  Just right for listening to songs by the late Fred Neil.  Particularly enjoyed was his "Other Side of This Life".
Wildlife seen were mallards, wood ducks, Canada geese, great blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, and quite a few grey squirrels.  
Back at my takeout location today's 83 refugees were denied their moment in the sun and instead posed under dismal skies...

The breakdown was 35 recyclables (7 redeemable) and 48 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam, nip bottles, and a stately lawn chair.  My YTD total stands at 1894.

The Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race

The Charles River Watershed Association has been working diligently to improve the Charles River since 1965.  Today they held their 28th Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race.  This event allows hundreds of paddlers and their families to see first hand the improvements in water quality that have been achieved.
As I waited for my boat class to begin heading downriver from Riverdale Park in Dedham, 4 pieces of trash made me aware of their desire to make the trip as stowaways.  I explained that this wasn't going to be a mellow trash patrol but instead a 19-mile race with lots of portages and even a short stretch of rapids where things could get dicey.  They were undeterred and promised to hang on tight.  When all was said and done, and my boat had made landfall at DCR's Artesani Park in Brighton, they were still securely onboard.  A good time was had by all!
My YTD totals stands at 1811.

A Little Trash Pedalling and Reflecting on Earlier Earth Days

Was it really 40 years ago that the first Earth Day was celebrated?  I remember this song by the late Jim Pepper and his group, Everything is Everything, as having really captured the feeling that was floating around at that time...
http://www.last.fm/music/Everything+Is+Everything/_/Witchi+Tai+To

There was also a "lighter" version by Brewer & Shipley...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkVjd1fJMME&feature=related

But if you stayed up late at night you were able to hear the best version of all on FM radio...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2YeEUlyhQw&feature=related

Rough translation of chant: "Water spirit feelings springin' round my head, Makes me feel glad that I'm not dead"

This Kenyan proverb also applies:

Treat the Earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents.
It was loaned to you by your children.

This afternoon's splendid weather afforded Mrs. Trashpaddler and I an opportunity for a little 'trash pedal' in our local haunts.  As usual, most of the trash was in the immediate vicinity of streams and culverts.  The total was a modest 19 pieces of roadside litter.  The breakdown: 8 recyclable (2 redeemable) and 11 miscellaneous rubbish.  Combined with an even more modest haul of 3 plastic bags while paddling the Concord River yesterday, my YTD total stands at 1802.  Happy Earth Day!

Charles River - A Little Ways Upstream from Norumbega

                                                              

With only a week remaining until the Run of the Charles, I decided to checkout part of the course and conduct a trash patrol at the same time.  Skies were fairly fickle with showers and dark clouds bracketed by occasional peeks at the sun.  After launching at the Norumbega Duck Feeding Area, I headed upriver into a steady  current.  Initially a belted kingfisher was scouting ahead for me.  However, he transferred me over to this Mute Swan that paddled my right flank for nearly a half-mile above Riverside...

It was interesting to see the swan show a few unruly Canada geese who the real boss was.  

  Upon reaching the Leo J. Martin Memorial golf course, I made a point of seeing how much clearance there was under the golfcart bridge that crosses the river there.  Downriver paddlers will see this view as they approach the bridge...

Proceeding to the left of the small island will reveal these 2 passageways with adequate headroom...

To the right of the island, not so much! 
The bridge became my turnaround point and the swift current provided an almost effortless ride back to Norumbega.  Along the way I observed red-winged blackbirds, the earlier mentioned swan and Canada geese, a deceased beaver, a kestral, and several red-tailed hawks.
Also encountered today were several groups of canoe and kayak paddlers that appeared to be scoping out the course of next weekend's race as well.
The small beach at Riverside made a great spot for a group photo of the day's haul...
 

Today's breakdown: 55 recyclable containers (10 redeemable) and 89 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam, plastic bags, fishing gear, and nip bottles. My YTD total stands at 1785.
This coming Saturday (4/24) the Charles River Watershed Association will hold their 11th Annual Charles River Cleanup. More than 3,000 volunteers will conduct a major offensive covering all 80 miles of the river's shores.  Anyone interested in signing up should visit their web site: http://www.charlesriver.org/