A River Named for a Dog?

Daybreak on this first day back in standard time found me launching into the east branch of a river in Massachusetts I'd never seen before.  The origin of this river's name is ambiguous, but one interesting explanation was found in a local area history book published in 1917.  In the book written by Lilley B. Caswell, the author mentions one long ago held tradition that the river had been named for a Native American's dog. The story went that the dog "in following a deer, drove the animal over the meadows into these waters, and while attempting to sieze his prey, was struck a stunning blow by the fore foot of the deer and held under water until poor (dog's name) was drowned." While not knowing if that is indeed how the river was named, I have to admit it's a great story!

Temperatures early this morning were in the upper 30's and yesterday's busy wind had backed off a bit.
From my launch site, I headed upriver (opening photo) planning to explore the part of the river least altered by man.
 
As I proceeded in a northerly direction, the river opened up into a pond...

 

My goal was to find the river's entry point at the pond's north end and continue further upriver towards the adjacent state in which the river rises.  Once the entry point into the pond was located, there were obstacles such as the one pictured below to overcome...

 

Thanks to recent rains, this beaver dam and 2 others like it were able to be ascended without my having to leave the cockpit. 

For a while things were looking good as I proceeded further north towards the hill and some power transmission lines in the distance...

 

 

However about a mile above the pond the channel became too narrow for my craft and I turned back.

 

A little downstream of the pond, I stopped for some brunch and enjoyed this view to the south...

 

 

Upon arriving at where I'd launched, I continued under a bridge and a little further downriver came to the river's confluence with a brook flowing in from the east...

 

The brook had just finished a dramatic drop of 200' in five falls enroute to this spot.

 

Below this point the river opens up into a man-made lake created back in the 1940's for flood-control purposes...

The river in question had crystal clear waters and there was very little trash to be found.  Of the 6 pieces of trash recovered, 3 were in the river and 3 were at the boat launch.  YTD = 6195

 

Can anyone guess the name of the Native American's dog?  The dog's master may have been from the area to the south known, then, as Pequoig.  Have I provided enough clues?

  

 

 

  









Solution for Trash at Bedford Boat Launch?

Yesterday I was contacted by fellow kayaker Lisa H. concerning a solar powered trash compactor she saw at the Concord River Boat Launch in Bedford.  Since I was planning to get in a last Daylight Savings Time paddle, I decided to check out the compactor at the same time.  The receptacle is made by BigBelly Solar and, due to compaction, will hold five times its non-compacted volume.  This boat launch receives heavy use by boaters and fishermen and there is usually a considerable amount of trash laying around on the ground as folks just can't seem to conform to the 'Carry In/Carry Out' policy.  Today the area was noted to be relatively trash free.  Kudos to the Town of Bedford for this creative attempt to resolve the problem!

Before I launched, I asked a shore-fisherman at the Bedford site if he'd had any luck.  He answered by showing me this 14-lb carp he'd just recently caught...

He got it from the middle bottom of the river.

Today's patrol was upriver to Buttricks Hill where I'd turned around last Wednesday.  The Carlisle side of the Rt. 225 bridge had a fair amount of trash that appeared to be emanating from leaking "trash pinatas" such as these...

On my way back downriver, I saw a bald eagle near Davis Hill.  By the time I'd fumbled with my camera the eagle was just a black and white speck in the photo's center...

Other wildlife seen today were these buffleheads...

and this unfortunate white-tailed deer...

Perhaps a casualty of the now underway deer hunting season?

Back at the Bedford Boat Launch my trash haul assembled hullside...

There were 41 recyclable containers (14 redeemable) and 49 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, a Thomas the Tank Engine B-day balloon, a full can of Raid, styrofoam items, and my first bowling pin.  YTD = 6187   (including 9 from the Chelmsford bike trail yesterday).


Paddling in Sandy's Wake

It's two days post Hurricane Sandy and her trailing clouds are still hanging tough (opening photo).  In addition to the storm's keeping me off the water, this paddler was also laid low by lombago.  In fact today was the first day in a week where paddling was even a possibility.
I launched at Lowell Road in Concord, Massachusetts and paddled downstream on a swift flowing, and considerably higher, Concord River.  It soon became apparent that with the river's rather quick rise, a lot of trash had been released from the banks and shrubs.
My bow-mounted crate was full before I'd reached the Old North Bridge.

At the Monument Street bridge, I saw some of Sandy's recent havoc...

Fortunately for the homeowner, the large pine fell towards the bridge and took out another tree before blocking one of the bridge's portals.
 
For the most part, storm related damage around here pales by comparison to the images I'm seeing from NY and NJ.  Hopefully those folks can get back on their feet soon.

At Sawmill Brook, water from the Punkatasset Hill area was hurrying across the top of a small dam on its way to the river...

Most of the rain received locally from Sandy came last night during some trailing bands of thunderstorms.

At Buttrick's Hill I turned around and began the trip back upriver.  A red-tailed hawk did his best immitation of a belted kingfisher and repeatedly flew ahead of me...

A little ways above the Old North Bridge, a yellow Lays Potato Chip bag drew me close to the shore where a white-tailed deer was bedded down.  By the time I got my camera, the deer had stood up and was trying to figure out what I was...

Once again had it not been for a piece of trash, a wildlife encounter wouldn't have happened.

In addition to the wildlife, only 2 other boaters were seen on the river today.  One was a powerboater taking advantage of the higher river levels, and the other was local kayaker, Jeff, in his exotic racing kayak.

Back at Lowell Road, the day's trash haul stood up to be counted...

 

 

There were 29 recyclable containers (12 redeemable) and 42 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, nip bottles, a dozen styrofoam bait tubs, and a set of matching red pillows.

Powwow Paddling

This morning, under bright and sunny skies, I paddled the stretch of the Powwow River which connects Country Pond and Powwow Pond in Kingston, New Hampshire.  I launched at the New Boston Road boat launch (photo at left) and immediately passed under the roadway and into the very shallow Powwow River.  This river combines the outflows from both Country Pond and Great Pond before reaching Powwow Pond.  The area between these three ponds is an extensive wetland/marsh and is said to contain a significant Atlantic white cedar forest.

As I was getting underway, two duckhunters were paddling back to the boat ramp and they reported one mallard successfully taken.  Glad I remembered my orange hat and gloves.

Around the first bend this osprey was encountered...

The Powwow River unfolded before me...

I believe this is one of the aforementioned Atlantic white cedar trees...

 

 

 

After heading in a southernly direction for about a mile and a half, I reached Country Pond and its more open water...

 

 

There's a large island in the middle of the pond and that is where lunch was taken.  An after lunch walk brought me by these abandoned cabins...

 

Looks like an ideal setting for one of those Halloween movies.

 

The return trip to Powwow Pond included a possible eagle sighting, but confirmation couldn't be certain as the bird soared seemingly into the clouds.

 

Back at the landing my trash haul posed briefly before jumping into my car's trunk...

There were 20 recyclable containers and 11 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish including a shotgun shell, a large plastic bag, several hot dogs, and an environmentally friendly bait tub...

 

A shoutout to the DMF Bait Company for packaging their product in biodegradable containers rather than styrofoam or plastic.  They have a great slogan and, in addition to worms and crickets, they also carry tubs of leeches.  Nice!

 

YTD = 6017

 









Assabet Awakening

Before ascending the Assabet River, I took a look down the Concord River from the confluence at Egg Rock (photo at left).  The day was just beginning.
On the Assabet things were calm and quiet.  About a quarter mile above the Leaning Hemlocks, a fox came into view as he patrolled the riverbank.  Once he saw me, he ducked behind a large tree with only his head in view.  Just as I snapped a photo he decided to head off in another direction...

 

 

As I approached Willow Island, movement was noted and this deer slowly materialized out of the low-hanging fog...

 

 

I watched as the deer successfully crossed the river without ever sensing my presence.  Two other deer would be seen further upriver.

 

Above Spencer Brook, this double blowdown required a short and easy portage...

 

The sun's illumination continued to build as I neared Rt. 2...

 

At the river's confluence with Nashoba Brook I turned around and headed back to my takeout.

 

Trash today was on the light side...

There were 12 recyclable containers (4 redeemable) and 18 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam and nip bottles.  YTD = 5986

 

For all the ducks facing another duck hunting season, here's a link to one of their daffier brethrens' adventures.





Closing a Gap on the Ipswich River

In order to connect two sections of the Ipswich River previously paddled, a new section of the river needed exploring.   So, after launching yesterday morning at the High Street (Rt. 97) access point, I headed upriver passing the Topsfield Fairgrounds before gliding under the Newburyport Turnpike (aka Rt. 1) seen at left.  The Topsfield Fair (held earlier this month) is said to be the oldest agricultural fair in America dating back to 1818.

My destination was the Rt. 95 overpass located about 2.2 miles as the crow flies, or 3.6 miles as the river winds.
Not being sure if duck hunting season has started in this region, I wore my blaze orange hat and gloves to be on the safe side.  The many wood ducks seen on the river would be wise to do the same...

The further upriver I went, the more obstacles I encountered.  Four beaver dams needed to be crested along the way.  However, if it wasn't for some good soul's chain-saw work, my trip would have terminated early due to the many blow downs such as this one...

 Speaking of trees, this one looked as though it was getting ready to walk away...

 

 

 

Just when I was beginning to doubt the Rt 95 bridge would ever be seen, it finally appeared...

 

 

Now, I've paddled and experienced the Ipswich River from Norris Brook Area (just upstream of Rt. 114 Middleton) to the Willowdale Dam in Ipswich.  Following a celebratory luncheon on a sand bar, my boat and I enjoyed an easier trip downriver which included sliding down those same 4 beaver dams.

 

Trash was fairly plentiful in the area downstream of the fairgrounds, and also at what looked to be a popular fishing/swimming hole located between Rt. 1 and Salem Rd. 

Today's haul looked like this...

 

 

There were 59 recyclable containers (24 redeemable) and 53 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam. fishing line, and a beach ball.  YTD = 5956 (which also includes this small haul Mrs.Trashpaddler and I scooped up from the bike trail in Chelmsford on Monday)...







Seasonal Flip-Flop on the Sudbury River

On Friday I paddled in the wake of a cold front that ushered in some below freezing temperatures.  Today, I paddled in the wake of a warm front that, happily, sent the mercury in the other direction.  By the time I landed it almost felt like summer had returned.

Clouds from the front still lingered as I approached the Nashawtuc Road Bridge (photo at left) on my passage up the Sudbury River enroute to Sudbury Road.  Prior to reaching the Sudbury Road Bridge (Heaths Bridge) no trash was to be found.  However the shore fishermen that frequent  this location use the rocks and shrubbery as their dumpster.  Probably one of the worst locations I see in this regard.  All of today's haul was found within 50 feet of the river on the southwest side of the bridge...

There were 10 plastic bags, 11 bait tubs (10 styrofoam) and 15 recyclable containers (5 redeemable).  YTD = 5827

On the return trip downriver the sun was out and I wasn't the only one celebrating the return of warm temperatures...

At the riverside bistro, seating was available...