Blackstone Gorge – May 30, 2020

Millville Rapid

Jonathan is up in Maine, I hadn’t heard from Bill, and I needed to go run some errands for my parents, so I decided to stay local and paddle at the Blackstone Gorge. Its a nice up-and-back trip for these COVID-19 times. 

The parking lot was empty when I arrived at around 8:30, but full when I got back at around 11:00. The river was 3.5 on the Northbridge gage, 7 ft., 275 cfs on the Rt. 122 gage – plenty of water for the paddle up to the Millville Lock. I had to walk my boat though the shallow water below the Millville Rapid, but the rapid itself was fine. I tried to carry my boat up to the top of the rapid, but the path under the bridge was completely overgrown, so I gave up half way up.

Millville Rapid from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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BRNHC Trip Guide

Northbridge Gage

Rt. 122 Gage

Back to the Nashua - May 23, 2020

Through the strainers

I went back to paddle the Nashua River in Lancaster with Jonathan and Conrad. This time we put-in at Ponakin Bridge/Pellechia Conservation Area (off Rt. 70) on the North Branch (which flows generally south), and took out on Route 117 on the South Branch (which flows generally north). We paddled downstream about 5-miles, but the way the river loops around we only had to walk 2-miles back to the cars. Pretty section of river, and enough going on to keep us occupied. Level was 130 cfs on the Leominster gage - low but fluid.

Looking back I realized that I did the section of the North Branch above this back in November 2011, putting in at Searstown Mall on Rt. 2 in Leominster and taking out at Ponakin Bridge on Rt. 70 in Lancaster. Level that day was 380 cfs  on the Leominster gage. An old broken dam was the highlight of that section. 

Masks and social distancing at the take out

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Leominster Gage

Oxbow Wildlife Refuge - Nashua River - May 16, 2020

Heading out

If this was a normal year we would be getting ready for our spring camping trip, but it is not a normal year. I was glad to get out yesterday for a trip with the crew at the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge. Located in Harvard, MA along 7-miles of the South Branch of the Nashua River, the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge is one of a series of eight refuges (including the Great Meadow Wildlife Refuge on the Sudbury River) operated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that make up the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Oxbow was established in 1974 from land that was previously part of Fort Devens.

The South Branch of the Nashua River arises at the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton, MA and flows generally northward for 56 miles through north-central MA and southern NH before emptying into the Merrimack River in Nashua, NH. The only other section of the South Branch that I had paddled is the section from Groton to Peppered. I have also paddled the section of the North Branch from Leominster to Lancaster. The North Branch arises west of Fitchburg and flows generally southward for 30 miles until it joins the South Branch near Lancaster.

Checking out the Bald Eagle

There are two boat launches in the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge. The northern boat launch is located at the Bill Ashe Visitor Facility at 80 Hospital Road in Devens, MA. We used the southern boat launch located off Still River Depot Road in Harvard, MA.

From the put-in we paddled upstream about a mile before blow-downs turned us around. We took a quick break at the chapel by the river that is part of the St. Benedict Abbey. From there, we paddled back downstream, past the put-in and down to another mile-and-a-half to the nesting area where we could see a Bald Eagle. Trip was a little over 5-miles.


Nashua River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
My Pictures
My Video
Al's post at Trashpaddler.com
Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge

Model for the Foreseeable Future – Big River – May 2, 2020

Social distancing

It’s been raining like crazy and all the whitewater rivers are up, but with COVID-19, very few people are paddling. That is good. For me the problem is the shuttle. So yesterday’s trip on the Big River is probably the model for the foreseeable future – easy trip, small group, no shuttle. 

We put in at Zeke's Bridge (Harkney Hill Road, Coventry) and paddled upstream through Reynolds Pond, under Route 95 and Route 3, and up to the lunch spot. The river was up (unfortunately, the gage is offline) and the current made paddling the twists and turns a little more interesting. We had a strong headwind paddling back up Reynolds Pond to the take out. Good time, but I would have rather been paddling Lower Otter Brook, which was the original plan for this weekend.

Pretty section of the Big River

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My Pictures 

Paddling in a World of COVID-19

(From the Paddler Newsletter - May 2020)

It has been a month since I last sat down to update the Paddler newsletter, and what a long, strange month it has been. For me as RICKA’s newsletter editor, May should be a busy month – editing trip reports and updating trip listings. Like everyone else, with a quick look at the Paddler I usually begin deciding on upcoming trips - but not this year!

This year, like everyone else, I have settled into a strange routine. The window to my new home office looks out on a bird feeder, so I can watch the birds and squirrels outside even if I don’t spend a lot of time there myself. I have been able to get my canoe out for a couple of solo runs on the Blackstone, so things could be worse.

As the warm weather approaches, though, we are entering a critical new phase in the fight against coronavirus and COVID-19. In Rhode Island, Governor Raimondo has indicated that she hopes to lift the stay-at-home order later this month, and begin a phased reopening of economy. For our community, the big question is how will this effect paddling.

One thing is certain; the fight against COVID-19 is far from over. As we move forward, physical distancing will still be required, limitations on group gatherings will still be in place, and we will still be encouraged to stay close to home. The large group trips that we know and love will not be an option.  Still, if this pandemic has shown us anything it is the importance of outdoor recreation to our physical and mental health. 

So assuming the stay-at-home order is lifted, how do we move forward in a way that is socially responsible, and that protects our health and the health of others? Like everything else, the answer is slowly and carefully. As a community that means that we must:

• Stay local– if you need to stop for gas or a bathroom break you are probably travelling too far.
• Keep the trip well within your skill level – our health care system is busy enough without having to deal with accidental injuries.
• If you paddle in a group, keep the group small– while size limits on groups may also be increased, at least for the moment we should still be paddling in small groups.
• Avoid group shuttles– if you can’t arrange to shuttle with a family member, skip the trip. (This is the tough one for me.)
• Avoid congregating at the put in– get on the water, do your trip, and be on your way. Social gatherings can return once the pandemic has passed.
• Be responsible for your own gear– coronavirus can spread on surfaces, and it is more difficult to maintain social distancing while helping someone with their boat or other gear.
• And of course,maintain social distancing at all times– at the put in, on the water, and at the take out. 

This is a critical time in the fight against coronavirus, so we encourage everyone to be patient, stay safe and stay distant. We are making progress, and we look forward to getting everyone back together again - eventually…