Paddling between the rain drops - Assbet River from Acton to Concord - June 24, 2023

At the picnic site below Damondale

Bill and I were scheduled to run a RICKA trip on the Sudbury River through Great Meadows today. Unfortunately, the forecast was for rain and possible thunderstorms and there is no shelter in that wide open marshland, so the Sudbury trip got cancelled. Instead, we decided to run the Assabet River from Acton down to Concord.

The Assabet River arises in Westborough and flows approximately 34 miles west to its convergence with the Sudbury River to form the Concord River. I’ve done a couple of sections of the Assabet including the flatwater section from Gleasondale to the Ben Smith Dam and the whitewater section through Maynard.

Al and Bill navigate the blow-downs

Al had checked the forecast and advised that we should have a window of storm-free weather from 11:00 to 4:00. I met Bill at 9:30 for the drive up to Acton, and it rained the entire time. We ran the shuttle at 10:30, and the rain had stopped by the time we got on the water at around 11:00 – Al was right. I was paddling tandem with Jonathan in my Mohawk - first trip for Jonathan after his hip surgery. Bill was paddling tandem with Al in his Wenonah – first trip for Al in a canoe in years.

The river was low - 1.8 feet, 60 cfs - so finding the deep channels and avoiding rocks and strainers was the order of the day. We ran through the site of the old Damondale Dam, and took a break for lunch at the new picnic site just downstream.

Erik and Jonathan at Egg Rock

From there we entered a section with numerous blow-downs. A couple were tricky, but we were able to paddle over or around them all without getting out of the boat. We stopped again at the boat ramp in West Concord and walked over to D&D for a coffee - it was an leasurly trip. (There is also a new picnic site downstream of the bridge in West Concord). From there it is an easy paddle down to Leaning Hemlocks with its memorial to paddler and poet George Bartlett with the words from his poem Floating Hearts. We continued down to Egg Rock at the convergence of the Assabet and Sudbury Rivers.

As is tradition, we continued down the Concord River to the Old North Bridge and the Minute Man National Historic Park. It was approaching 4:00, and sure enough the rain started up again. It was a brief shower and we took refuge under the Old North Bridge until it passed. It did rain for much of the ride home. Our timing was good.

Jonathan and Erik at the Old North Bridge

Links:
My Pictures
Maynard Gage
Floating Hearts – Poem by George Bartlett

Sudbury and Concord - Lincoln to Bedford - August 21, 2021

Heading out from the Lincoln Canoe Launch

Bill and I (mostly Bill) were planning a trip on the Sudbury River for RICKA. We usually run the section from Sherman’s Bridge Road in Wayland to Lowell Road in Concord with a break for lunch at Fairhaven Bay. Bill wanted to do something different, and decided to start a little further downstream at Lincoln Canoe Launch (Route 117) in Lincoln and take out at the Bedford Boat Launch (Route 225) in Bedford with a break for lunch at the Minuteman National Historical Park – about 9.5 miles. It worked out great.

The Sudbury is a National Wild and Scenic River that arises in Westborough and flows generally northeast for 41-miles to its convergence with the Assabet at Egg Rock in Concord. From there the river continues as the Concord, which flows generally north for about 16-miles until its convergence with the Merrimack River in Lowell.

The crew at the Old North Bridge

We arrived at 9:30 to run the shuttle down to Bedford. It was 10:30 before we finally got on the river. We had 8 boats (3 canoes and 5 kayaks) as we headed downstream into Fairhaven Bay. Above Fairhaven Bay are the huge wetlands in Sudbury and Wayland that are part of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Below Fairhaven Bay the river is lined with trees and houses as it runs through Concord down to Egg Rock.

From there, it is a short paddle up to the Old North Bridge and the Minute Man National Historic Park. We posed for a picture below the bridge before heading ashore for lunch. We checked out the historic sites including the Minute Man Statue, the 1832 Monument to British Solders and the Old Manse. Below the Old North Bridge the Concord River flows through the Concord Impounds of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. After that, the river opens up for the long straight stretch between Bedford and Carlisle up the Bedford Boat Launch at Route 225.

Two kayaks and one canoe on Paul's car - one trip back t the put-in

Links:

My Pictures

Sudbury River Boaters Trail

Concord River – June 7, 2020

At the put-in

I met the crew today at the Lowell Street Bridge in Concord. Usually we take out at the Lowell Street Bridge after shuttle trips down the Sudbury or Assabet Rivers, but today we would be putting in there for a round trip on the Concord.

The Concord River arises at Egg Rock at the convergence of the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers just upstream of the Lowell Street Bridge. The river flows generally north for about 16-miles until its convergence with the Merrimack River in Lowell. For most of its course the river meanders through swamps and wetlands, but the last mile in Lowell is a class III (IV) rapid.

Old North Bridge

We put in at around 8:00 for an early morning trip with 3 canoes (Jonathan, Erik and Julie) and 3 kayaks (Al, Joe and Conrad). Just a little ways downstream we paddled through the Minuteman National Historic Park and under the Old North Bridge made famous in the Battle of Concord during the Revolutionary War. We continued another 3-miles downstream into the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge before turning around just shy of Route 225.

On the way back, Jonathan decided to pull out his small 1-hp "putt-putt" engine for test run, so I caught a ride. Not bad - beats paddling!

Putt-Puttting along on the Concord River from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:

My Pictures

My Video
Al's post at Trashpaddler.com

Minuteman National Historic Park

Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge

Assabet - Acton to Concord - May 17, 2015

Taking a break for lunch

On Saturday I paddled the Pemi in Bristol.  On Sunday I led a RICKA flatwater trip with Sharon on the Assabet River from Acton (Acton Canoe Launch, 63 Powder Mill Road) to Concord (Old Calf Pasture, 250 Lowell Road). It was a good weekend.

The Assabet was a little on the low side for this trip - 2 feet on the Maynard Gage.  We we made it through fine, but I wouldn’t want to run it much lower.  It did make the run through the Damondale Dam easier. Below Damondale, the Assabet slows and we encountered a number of blow-downs.  We stopped for lunch in West Concord, and then continued downstream.

Running the Damondale Dam

There was a lot of erosion along the banks of the Leaning Hemlocks section, but it looked like someone had propped up the stone with the memorial to George Bartlett.  Egg Rock was high and dry where the Assabet converges with the Sudbury to form the Concord.  From there, it is just a short paddle up into the Old North Bridge and the Minute Man National Historic Park. Good day. 

At the Old North Bridge

Links: 

My Pictures

Maynard Gage

Assabet/Concord - Acton to Concord – May 31, 2014

Green tunnels

Last Sunday I paddled though Powder Hollow on the Scantic River – site of the Hazard Powder Company.  Yesterday, we put-in below the Powder Mill Dam on the Assabet River in Acton. Fortunately, the gun powder mills on both of these rivers are gone, and there were no explosions on either day.

Yesterday, I led a RICKA trip in the Assabet River from Acton (Acton Canoe Launch, 63 Powder Mill Road) to Concord (Old Calf Pasture, 299 Lowell Road).  We had twenty boats including two special guests – SuAsCo Al and Tommy T. 

Running the broken dam

We met at the Acton Canoe Launch at 9:30 to unload boats and run the shuttle.  The shuttle was actually the toughest part of the trip, but we got back to the put-in at around 10:45, and began launching the boats.  The river was at a nice level – 2.5 feet on the Maynard gage.  About halfway through the process, I looked up and saw Tommy T. paddling upstream.  He had put-in at the Route 225 Bridge on the Concord River, and paddled upstream about 10 miles to meet us. 

We finally got all the boats in the water around 11:00 and began our decent down through the quickwater below the Powder Mill Dam.  About a mile downstream from the Powder Mill Dam is the broken dam at Damondale.  This dam is breached on river right, and we queued up to run the shoot through the breach before continuing downstream. 

Egg Rock

Below Damondale, the Assabet slows and large trees shade the river forming “green tunnels” along several sections of the river.  It seemed too early for lunch, so we passed the usual lunch spot in West Concord and continued downstream.

Folks were starting to get hungry as we paddled through the Leaning Hemlocks section.  We found the memorial plaque to George Bartlett, checked out the plaque at Egg Rock where the Assabet converges with the Sudbury to form the Concord, and stopped for lunch at the Old Calf Pasture. 

Minute Man Statue

From there, it is just a short paddle up into the Old North Bridge and the Minute Man National Historic Park.  We posed for a picture below the bridge before heading ashore to check out the historic sites including the Minute Man Statue, the 1832 Monument and the Old Manse. 

Tourist gathered on the Old North Bridge as we posed for a picture

Links

My Pictures

Maynard Gage

Al’s blog

Minute Man National Historic Park

Old Manse

RICKA Trip on the Assabet - June 3, 2012

The rain held off, and we had a nice group on the Assabet River – 18 boats – 3 canoes, 15 kayaks.  With the rains on Saturday, the river had come up nicely – 3 feet on the Maynard gage.  We ran the section from the Acton Canoe Launch to Lowell Street in Concord. Everyone made it through the broken dam.  Trip ended at Minuteman National Park.  Great day

The Red Coats are coming - Erik, Tom and Jim
at Minuteman National Park

Links:

Al’s blog
Cheryl's pictures
Susan's pictures

Maynard gage

A soggy run on the Sudbury – June 11, 2011

The rain started early, and at times was a torrential downpour, but 10 hearty RICKA paddlers (4 canoes, 6 kayaks) still completed a soggy run on the Sudbury River from Wayland to Concord.

A light drizzle was falling as we put in at Sherman’s Road Bridge in Wayland and headed out into the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. That light drizzle turned into heavy rain by the time we reached Lee’s Bridge on the Concord line. The downpour continued as we stopped for a cold, wet lunch on Brooke Island in Fairhaven Bay.

Fortunately, the rain let up shortly after lunch leaving a pretty mist hanging over the river as we paddled under the stone arch bridges in Concord. We posed for a couple of pictures at Minute Man National Historical Park before taking out at the Old Calf Pasture on Lowell Road.

It was nice to have Suasco Al along, and I wish I could have stayed longer to paddle up the Assabet with him.  Hopefully another time.

RICKA crew at the Old North Bridge

Links:
My Video

SuAsCo River Paddling – June 3, 2011

Suasco Al - the Trash Paddler

I took the day off last Friday and headed up to Wayland, MA to paddle the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers with Suasco Al – the Trash Paddler. I’ll be leading a RICKA trip there next Saturday, and Al was nice enough to help me scout the trip.

We put in on the Sudbury River at Sherman’s Bridge Road in Wayland (N 42 degrees 23.803', W 071 degrees 21.867'), and paddled down to the Old Calf Pasture on Lowell Road in Concord at Egg Rock (N 42 degrees 27.893',  W 071 degrees 21.496') where the Sudbury converges with the Assabet to form the Concord. For much of the trip, the Sudbury meanders through marshland that is protected as part of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge – there were birds everywhere. We stopped for lunch at an island at Fairhaven Bay.


Four bloggers - Al, Jackie, Sue and Erik

After lunch we continued downstream into a strong headwind which kicked up small waves and made the river look like it was flowing upstream. I was glad to get into Concord, MA where the river is more protected from the wind. At Egg Rock we met up with fellow bloggers Sue (Water-lily) and Jackie (Saratoga Woods and Waterways), had a nice chat, and posed for a quick picture. Once back on the river, we paddled a couple of hundred yards up the Assabet River just so I could say that I did. Then we paddled down the Concord River to the Old North Bridge in the Minute Man National Historical Park.

Minute Man statue

Being a history buff, it was cool to see the restored Old North Bridge from the water. There were a lot more people at the park than I would have thought. We pulled our boats ashore and checked out the 1837 Monument and the famous Minute Man statue before walking up to the Visitor Center. We snapped a couple of pictures of the Old North Bridge from the water before heading back to the take-out at Egg Rock.

Sure beats working – great day. Thanks Al.

In front of the restored Old North Bridge

Links:
Al’s blog – the Trash Paddler
Lisa's blog - Waterlily

Spring Planning - RICKA Flatwater trips for 2011

A couple of weeks ago, I sent an email to Cheryl with some trip suggestions for the RICKA Flatwater group for 2011.

In June, I’m planning to lead a trip on the Sudbury, Assebet and Concord Rivers. At the suggestion of Al the Trash Paddler, we will put-in on the Sudbury River at Sherman's Bridge Road in Wayland. Just downstream at Weir Hill is the headquarters of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge where there is a museum with a nice exhibit on local wildlife. After paddling another couple miles downstream, we will stop for lunch at a small island in Fairhaven Bay where Ospreys are often seen. We will continue downstream to Egg Rock where the Sudbury River converges with the Assebet River to form the Concord River. We will paddle up this short section of the Assebet River which Nathaniel Hawthorn described as:

A more lovely stream than this, for a mile above its junction with the Concord, has never flowed on earth.

From there, we will continue down the Concord River to the take-out at the "Calf Pasture" at Lowell Road in Concord. Those who are interested can paddle another half mile down the Concord River to the Old North Bridge in the Minute Man National Historical Park.

In August, I’ll lead a trip on the Deerfield River below the Zoar Gap. Its a 9-mile run from the Zoar Picnic Area to the take out across from the Charlemont Academy. The trip has a little bit of everything – flatwater, quickwater and class I-II rapids. It was a good time last year.

Concord and Sudbury Rivers

I've been saving this description of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers from Tommy T. 

The Concord and Sudbury Rivers have very slow current from Framingham to North Billerica. It's pretty easy to paddle both upstream and down. They tend to be open with lots of Buttonbush marsh.

Fairhaven Bay is a pretty pond in the Sudbury with wooded shores and the section just down stream of the Old North Bridge in Concord is wooded and more protected.

I've put on the Sudbury where it crosses Rt 20 in Wayland, at the Lincoln Canoe Launch on Rt 117 just above Fairhaven Bay and in on Lowell Road in Concord where the Sudbury and Assabet meet to form the Concord. If you put in there and head downstream on the Concord you will soon come to the Old North Bridge and then the wooded section I mentioned.

Further down the Concord there is a boat launch on Rt 225 in Bedford and a somewhat rougher launch at a small park on Rt 3A in Billerica. You may find fishermen in powerboats anywhere in there though I've never seen more than a few.

My favorite parts are between Rt 225 and Lowell Road on the Concord and Fairhaven Bay.

You might also consider the Assabet between Pine Street in West Concord and Lowell Road. That is more wooded and the trees would give you some protection from the rain. There are other nice paddles on the Assabet with somewhat trickier conditions or access. Give a yell if you want to hear about them.

~Tommy

One of these days, I'm going to get up there and do some paddling. I thought I'd be able to do it this month, but it hasn't worked out that way.