Stump Pond – August 30, 2016

I missed most of the “official” trips, but I was able to make the last “unofficial” Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip at Stump Pond.  We had a couple of swims by the bridge, including me practicing an assisted rescue – got back in the boat fine.  Nice night.

Last BVPC paddle at Stump Pond

Lincoln Woods Again – August 28, 2016

You never know who you are going to run into at Lincoln Woods. Today it was Daniel O'Shea paddling a canoe. A new convert!  I tried some self-rescues – could get the boat empty, but couldn’t get back in.

Danny in the Wildfire

RICKA Picnic at Colt State Park – August 21, 2016

Golden Keyboard Award

I headed down to Bristol for the RICKA Picnic at Colt State Park. 

Colt State Park is the former cattle farm of Rhode Island banker Samuel Colt. It is located on Poppasquash Neck, and the entire western shore looks out over Narragansett Bay. I paddled with Jim in my Spirit II. We put in at the boat ramp and paddled south along Poppasquash Neck. We didn’t make it around the point into Bristol Harbor, but we did get great views north to Warren and Providence, west to Warwick Neck, and south to Prudence Island.

After the paddle we had a cookout at one of the shelters, and did the annual RICKA Awards. I received the Golden Keyboard Award from Chuck for my work on the Paddler Newsletter.  Nice day as always.

Paddling with Jim

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North Branch of the Pawtuxet – August 15, 2016

I led the RICKA "Meeting on the Water" on the North Branch of the Pawtuxet last night - 14 boats.  I had never done this paddle this late in the summer, and was surprised how much grass was growing in the river - good thing Chuck was there to lead the way.  It was a hot night, and fog was rising off the cold water up near the dam.  It was like a natural air conditioner.

Dam at the Scituate Reservoir 

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Hope Landing - Rhode Island Blueways

Sudbury River - Wayland to Concord - August 13, 2016

Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge

We’ve done a few trips on the Assabet the last couple of years, but it has been a while since we’ve been on the Sudbury.  I got out yesterday with Bill for a RICKA trip on the Sudbury River from Wayland to Concord

The Sudbury River arises in Westborough near the Hopkinton line and flows 41-miles general to the northeast to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock to form the Concord River. The 15-mile section from the Danforth Street Bridge in Framingham to the Route 2 Bridge in Concord has been designated as a Wild and Scenic River; and the 2-mile section from the Route 2 Bridge to Egg Rock has been designated as a Recreational River.

Main Street Bridge

We put in at Sherman’s Bridge Road in Wayland and paddled down to Lowell Road in Concord  - about 8 miles. For much of the trip, the Sudbury meanders through marshland that is protected as part of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. We stopped for lunch at Brooke Island at Fairhaven Bay. 

After lunch we continued downstream into Concord.  There were a lot of paddlers in rental boats as we paddled under the stone arch bridges in Concord.  Since we had all been there before, we skipped the trip down to the Old North Bridge.

Paddling through Concord

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Sudbury River Boater's Trail

SUPing at Lincoln Woods - August 11, 2016

Joe explains SUPing

I got to do some SUPing at Lincoln Woods with RICKA and EMS.

I bumped into Joe Sherlock last month at Lincoln Woods while he was teaching a SUP class. One thing led to another, and Joe offered to run a SUP session for RICKA.  We ended up coming to an arrangement that the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club would rent the boards, EMS would provide instructors, and any RICKA member could attend.

It worked out great.  We had 18 paddlers who got some basic instruction and could try lots of different boards. I got to try a touring board, a surf board (fell off that a few times) and a general-purpose board – lots of fun.

With Michelle and Justin

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EMS Schools