Lonsdale to Ashton - Canal/River Loop - March 22, 2020

With everything going virtual, I decided to do a virtual tour of my morning paddle from Lonsdale to Ashton on the Blackstone Canal/River Loop. Great level – 2.5 feet, 800 cfs. Several blowdowns in the canal - one I had to get out and carry around. The run down the river was fun, but my battery died half way down. 

Canal/River Loop - Lonsdale to Ashton from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Ashton - Canal/River Loop - May 5, 2019

It was a rainy morning, but I decided to go down to Ashton to paddle down the river, and back up the canal.  The river is clear, but there are a couple of bad blow-downs in the canal.


Ashton - Canal River Loop from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
My Video
River Description from BRVNHC

Canal/River Loop - Lonsdale to Ashton - May 26, 2018

It was such a nice day that I decided to skip the gym and go paddling. I did the canal/river loop from Lonsdale to Ashton. There were a lot of blow-downs in the canal, but I only had to get out of the boat for one. The river was at a nice level – 2 feet, 500 cfs on the Woonsocket gage. I took a lot of video, but unfortunately I deleted it before down loading it to the computer. Here is all I ended up with.  

Aston Dam from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Lonsdale Ashton Loop – April 22, 2017

It was gray and rainy, but the water levels were great, and we are starting to see some green on the trees.

Blackstone Canal in Ashton

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My Pictures

Canal River Loop - May 15, 2016

There were lots of people on the bike path, but as usual, I had the only boat on the water.  I put-in in Lonsdale to do the canal/river loop.  The fish were jumping and the turtles were out sunning themselves as I paddled up the Blackstone Canal.  I followed a Herron up the canal, until he finally got tired of me and flew off.  The river was at a nice level (2.5 feet, 600 cfs) - especially for the play spot below the Martin Street Bridge.    

Links:

My Pictures

Trip Description from the BRVNHC

Ashton - Blackstone River/Canal Loop - March 5, 2016

I needed to stay close to home, so I ended up down in Ashton to paddle the canal/river loop. The river was pretty high (3', 1,000 cfs in Woonsocket). There was water coming over the Ashton Dam, not just through the spillway, which doesn’t happen very often.  The canal had a few trees down, but I was able to get over or around them without getting out of the boat.

Ashton Dam with Route I-295 in the background

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My Pictures

Blackstone - River Island Park to the Pratt Dam - July 12, 2015

Bernon Mill in Woonsocket

After spending some time working in the yard yesterday, I decided to run something local today.  Michelle said that she would pick me up at the end, so I decided to run the Blackstone from River Island Park in Woonsocket to the Pratt Dam in Lonsdale.  The river was at a good level (2 feet,500 cfs) – just fluid enough to keep from bouncing off rocks.

I put in at River Island Park and headed downstream past the old Bernon Mills, which were built in 1828 and 1831.  I enjoyed the riffles and stopped to play in the waves under the Bernon, Court Street and P&W Railroad bridges.  After that it is about 4 miles of flatwater down to Manville.

Manvill Dam

Manville is one of the oldest industrial sites on the Blackstone River.  Industrial activity started there in the late 17th century when the Wilkinson family established a foundry on the site – Unity Furnace.  In 1811, the Unity Manufacturing Company was established to manufacture cotton cloth. By the 1920s, the Manville Mill was the largest textile mill in the United States with over 5,000 employees.  It was significantly damaged in 1955 during the floods resulting from Hurricane Carol, and completely destroyed in a fire a few weeks later.

I portaged around the Manville Dam on the bike path to the right.  The access to the river below the dam is steep and covered in poison ivy.  At 500 cfs the water is flowing pretty good below the dam, so I snapped a couple of pictures and continued downstream to Albion.

Albion Dam

Although you can’t see it from the river, the Albion Mill Village is one of the best preserved of the Blackstone River’s original mill villages.  The first mill was built here in the 1820s, and was expanded several times after.  The Valley Falls Company constructed the main section of the current mill in 1908.  After a couple of miles I portaged around the Albion Dam. On the bike path to the right and headed downstream to Ashton. 

The section of the Blackstone between Albion and Aston is one that I don’t paddle very often - probably because it is such a short trip. The most prominent features on this section of the river are the two huge bridges that carry traffic from Route 295 over the river. On the Cumberland side, the pike bath takes landlubbers on a pleasant trip along the river. On the Lincoln side, the banks are steep with huge rock outcroppings that plunge down into the river

Ashton Viaduct

The portage around the Ashton Dam is a two-step process.  First, portage from the river into the Blackstone Canal.  Then, portage for the Blackstone Canal back into the river.  I paddled out into the deeper water below the main spillway and headed downstream under the Ashton Viaduct and into the old Ashton Mill Village. 

The large Ashton Mill was built by the Lonsdale Company in 1847.  They also built the Berkley Mill about a mile downstream, and owned mills on the Lincoln and Cumberland side of the river in Lonsdale. 

I took out at the Pratt Dam and carried my canoe down the bike path to the parking lot in Lonsdale where I found Michelle waiting.  It’s about a 9 mile trip, and it took me 3 ½ hours.

Pratt Dam

Links.

My Pictures

Woonsocket Gage

Blackstone Canal/River Loop - Lonsdale to Ashton - May 3, 2015

I had a busy weekend, and the only time I could paddle was early Sunday morning, so I got out to run the Blackstone Canal/River Loop from Lonsdale to Ashton.  I thought that the canal would be clogged with blow-downs, but it was actually clear. 

Last week, a couple in a canoe apparently flipped trying to get under the buoys to run the tube at the Pratt Dam – not a smart idea.  What’s left of their canoe is still pinned on a log in front of the dam.  Fortunately they got to shore without incident. If you are going to do this run, the take out is to the right above the buoys.

Canal/River Loop - Lonsdale to Ashton from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Canal/River Loop - Ashton to Lonsdale - April 13, 2014

How many blow-downs does it take to ruin a trip?  I’m not sure, but I came close to finding out yesterday when I ran the canal/river loop from Lonsdale to Ashton.  There was lots of water in the river, but the canal was low, and there were lots of blow-downs.  I was able to pick through most of them, but it made for a long trip.  Nice day otherwise.

Lonsdale Marsh - September 8, 2013

I must have bad genes – or at least not "American" genes.  I tried watching the football game this afternoon, but it was too nice outside to be sitting in the house watching TV.  I decided to take my canoe out and paddle the Lonsdale Marsh.  It was a little windy but beautiful otherwise.  Why sit in the house?

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My Pictures

Blackstone Canal/River Loop - April 20, 2013

I was suppose to go up to NH to run the class II section of the Ammo with the NHAMC, but the trip got cancelled.  Instead I did an early morning loop on the Blackstone Canal/River from Lonsdale to Ashton and back.

Blackstone Canal/River Loop from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Blackstone Canal/River Loop – August 12, 2012

With the rain we had last week, the Blackstone River came up enough for a run on the Canal/River loop.  I put in at the Bike Path in Lonsdale and paddled up the Canal to Ashton.  I was surprised at the number of trees that were down in the Canal, although I was able to paddle over or around all of them.

I crossed over into the Blackstone River below the Falls in Ashton.  The river was low but fluid.  A couple of fishermen were taking advantage of the rare summer flow to cast their lines in the shallow water below the Falls.  

Lots of people on the Bike Path, but I only saw one other boat on the water – a couple with a big tandem canoe took out above the Pratt Dam just as I did.  They were taking a rest before portaging that beast over the dam to the Canal - better them than me.

Fishermen below the Ashton Dam

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My Pictures

Blackstone Canal/River Loop - Jun 9, 2009

Got up early, skipped the gym, and headed out to paddle the canal/river loop from Lonsdale to Ashton. River was little low (2 ft., 550 cfs. on the Woonsocket Gage), but not a bad level.

 
Blackstone River/Canal Loop from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Lonsdale Drive-in Part 2 – Muskrats on the Blackstone - January 14, 2012

The Muskrats - Erik, Cheryl, Frank, Jim and Kent

I was back at the Lonsdale Drive-in today to paddle with a small group from RICKA - Jim called us the Muskrats. The day was bright and sunny and the temperature was around 33°, but it seemed colder because of the wind.

When I arrived at the put-in, Cheryl, Kent, Frank and Jim were already there. I got my gear on quickly and we headed down to the river. Last week I noticed a lot of trash in the area, so today I brought a trash bag and picked it all up. Suasco Al – the Trash Paddler – has become a good influence on me.

Frank breaks the ice

Last week, I paddled upstream to the Pratt Dam. Today we decided to paddle downstream into the Valley Falls Pond. It was a pleasant trip down with the wind to our backs. I knew it would be a different story on the way back up.

We paddled across the Valley Falls Pond to explore some of the coves on the far side. Frank was our icebreaker as we entered the first cove on the Valley Falls side. The ice was about ¼ inch thick.

Cheryl, Jim and the swans

We headed back out and paddled over to a cove on the Cumberland side. Once again, Frank led the way through the ice. This time we ended up in a small ice-free pond along with two mute swans. They weren’t very happy to see us, but we left them alone, and they did the same.

We headed back out and began to paddle back to the put-in. With the wind and current against us, it was a tougher trip. We stopped about half way up for a warm drink, and then paddled on. We had talked about paddling a little further up stream, but everyone decided to call it a day while we were still warm.

Heading back - Cadillac Mill and Cumberland City Hall in the background

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Blackstone - Lonsdale Drive-in to the Pratt Dam - January 7, 2011

We almost hit a record yesterday.  The high was 61° in Providence - just 1°off the record high for the day of 62°.  I had a bunch of stuff to do, but I was able to get out for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. I did the section of the Blackstone from the Lonsdale Drive-in to the Pratt Dam. The water was really moving, but there were no signs of ice.

Blackstone Canal/River Loop - April 10, 2011

It was another busy weekend, but I did get out for a couple of hours yesterday on one of my local runs - the Blackstone Canal and River from Lonsdale to Ashton. Lots of people on the nearby bikepath, and lots of fishermen in the river with the start of fishing season.

Blackstone Canal & River Loop - Ashton from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Ashton to Lonsdale - November 23rd

I had the day off yesterday, and was able to spend a couple of hours doing the run from Ashton down to Lonsdale.  The river was low (2 ft., 500 cfs on the Woonsocket gage), but it was still fun. 


Blackstone River - Ashton to Lonsdale from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Lonsdale Marsh - July 6th

Steamy – that’s probably the best way to describe the weather yesterday, but we still had around 30 boats at a Blackstone Valley Paddle Club Trip to Valley Falls. We put in at the Valley Falls Landing and paddled up through the Lonsdale Marsh to the Pratt Dam. The water level was low, and the temperature was hot, but several boaters still made it all the way up to the dam - with only one swim along the way. We paddled back down into the marsh just as the sun began to set - another nice night.

Links:
Valley Falls from Woonsocket.org
Trip description from the BVNHC
My Pictures

An early morning paddle on the Blackstone - May 22nd

It was another busy weekend, and I knew if I was going to squeeze in any paddling, it would have to be early Saturday morning. So I skipped my usual gym session and went paddling instead. The boat was on the car by 6:00 AM, and I was on the water by 6:30.

I paddled the Blackstone Canal and River from Lonsdale up to Manville and back. The trip is around 10 miles with two dams to portage (twice).  It turned out to be a pleasant 3 hour paddle. The level was actually prety good with the Woonsocket gauge at 2 feet, 600 cfs.

There’s a good size tree down in the Canal just before the Martin Street Bridge. It requires getting out of the boat, but is easy to get around otherwise. The take out at the Lonsdale Dam is a little eroded from last month's floods, but still very serviceable.

Here’s a short video of the trip.


An Early Morning Paddle on the Blackstone from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
River Guide from the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor

Is it spring - Blackstone Canal/River Loop - March 6th

I needed to stay close to home yesterday, but it was such a nice day with temp's in the mid-50's, that I wanted to paddle somewhere. I decided on a late afternoon paddle on the Blackstone Canal and River from Lonsdale up to Ashton and back.

I headed down to the bike path in Lonsdale so I could check out the take-out at the Pratt Dam before getting on the river (always a good idea if you are going to paddle this section of river). The water was roaring through the tubes, but wasn’t flowing over the dam. If I stayed far right I could still get to the take-out.

I put-in on the canal and paddled up stream. Considering how high the river was (4ft, 1500 cfs. on the gauge in Woonsocket), the water in the canal was pretty low – in a couple of spots no more than 6 to 8 inches. Still, it was a relaxing paddle. There were lots of people on the bike path, but I think I was alone on the water. I was glad to see that the canal is still in great shape. Someone cleared out all the strainers last fall, and nothing new came down over the winter.

I took out of the canal and put in on the river just below the Ashton Dam. I tried playing in the rapids below the dam, but everything was pretty much washed out – nothing but fast moving water. It was a quick run from Ashton back down to Lonsdale. Surprisingly, I didn’t see much in the way of wildlife – a couple of Canadian Geese - that’s about it. When I saw the warning sign for the Pratt Dam, I pulled over to the right and got over to the take out with no problem. I was also glad to see that the buoys installed last fall by the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone in front of the tubes are still in place.

At this point I probably should have headed home, but the run down the river was so quick that I decided to do a little paddling below the Pratt Dam. The standing waves below the tubes were HUGE, but there were some smaller waves a little further downstream that looked promising. I carried my boat down the bike path and put in on the river below the dam. I found a couple of easy waves and played around for a while. When I looked up and saw a crowd gathering on the Pratt Dam to watch, I decided that I had pushed my luck long enough. The last thing I wanted to do was take a swim in front of a crowd. I headed back to the take out and began the long carry up the bike path back to my car.

Unfortunately, no pictures this time – I forgot to bring my camera. Today I hope to meet up with Paul to pull some stainers out of the Glendale Rapid on the Branch River.  Its hard to believe that we were paddling in the snow last weekend.