Sudbury River - Sherman Bridge to Route 27

Nice late December up-and-back paddle on the Sudbury. 39F at noontime launch and no wind made for ideal conditions for this time of year.  Water levels were also good, 227 cfs and 6.32 ft on Saxonville gauge.  Started from Sherman Bridge Landing, went upriver to Rt 27 bridge, Old Sudbury Road.  Saw a family of muted swans just prior to the bridge.  They took flight as I approached  and showed me why they are called “muted” with their muffled in-flight squawking.  After eating my packed lunch at the River Road Launch, I went around the Oxbow near the Wayland Country Club.  The cool ancient looking 3-arch Old Town Bridge was passable.  Had to navigate around some thin sheets of ice on the other side to return to the main river.  The rest was smooth paddling on open water.    
 

Start/End: Sherman's Bridge, Wayland, MA

Turnaround:  Rt 27 & River Road, Wayland, MA

Trip time: 2 hours, 20 min.  

Trip distance: 5.5 miles. 

 

Grey day on the Sudbury

 

Ice in the sloughs

River Road just beyond Rt 27 bridge was my turnaround point and lunch break spot

 

Old Town Bridge

Sudbury River - Lincoln Canoe Landing to Cold Brook

Pretty up-and-back trip on the Sudbury on late fall morning.  Calm, sunny weather, 45-50F and high water (6.97 ft, 300 cfs on Saxonville gauge) made for a pleasant trip.  Lee's Bridge (Rt 117) is a beautiful stone arch.  Passed Nawshawtuc Country Club on the right.  Made it up to Pantry Brook, lifted over the small dam (1 ft high) to explore further upstream.  Passed 3 duck hunters in major camouflage.  Proceeded up Cold Brook about 200 yards before following the path through the brushy overgrowth made it more work than fun.  Returned to Pantry brook and ran the dam through a slot on the left just wide enough for a kayak.  Saw a couple blue heron and quiet beaver lodges. 

 

Start: Lincoln Canoe Landing (Rt 117), Lincoln, MA

End: Cold Brook, Sudbury, MA

Trip distance (approx):  3 miles.  

Trip time: 2 hours.

 

 

Morning sentinel

 

Entering Pantry Brook, portaged left through brush

 

Rt 117 in the distance

 

 

The sunny side of Lee's Bridge

 

Ipswich River - Mortalo Landing to Route 97

Excellent one-way paddle down the middle stretch of the Ipswich on a warm 75F fall day. Water levels were medium 2.63 ft / 58 cfs on the South Middleton gauge.  Parked at High Street (Rt 97) Canoe Launch then ubered back to start.  First section was very windy through marshland with beautiful folliage on trees set back from the wetlands.  Only negative was gunfire in the distance, possibly from Danvers Fish and Game back upriver.  Paused for brief break at the sandy beach below Thunder Bridge.  Passing under the I-95 bridges in Topsfield the river became swampier, enough water to navigate around many downed trees, but sometimes hard to pick out the path of the river.  Did eventually run into two river-wide blowdowns that required portage, one was an enormous 200-year oak tree just ahead of the Salem Rd bridge.  Saw a handful of boaters on the second part of the trip. Wildlife was quiet, a pair of cardinals, blue jays, one blue heron, possibly a cormorant.  

 

Start: Mortalo Landing (Rt 62), Middleton, MA

End: High Street (Rt 97) Canoe Launch, Topsfield, MA

Trip distance:  6.25 miles  

Trip time:  2.5 hours

 

Put in at Mortalo Landing, quickwater under Rt 62 bridge

 

Gorg foliage

 

Nice beach below the low clearance Thunder Bridge

 

Approaching the massive I-95 bridges

 

Tree brain?

 

Huge oak blowdown blocking the river

 

High Route 1 bridge

 

The takeout

 

Assabet River - Acton Canoe Launch to Lowell Road

Beautiful one-way trip down the lower Assabet on a gorgeous fall morning 60F partly sunny skies.  Water levels were great 2.91ft, 292 cfs on Maynard gauge.  Parked at end point and uber'ed back to launch. Walked about 50 yards up river, under the Rt 62 bridge, towards Powdermill dam to run the rapids underneath the bridge.  This stretch of river was amazing.  Followed a family of geese running the rapids near Damonmill.  Explored the mill race back up up and nearly under the old building before it got a little too dark, creepy.  Ran into one river-wide tree blowdown between Damonmill and Thoreau school.  Portaged right and lost both (!) my slip-on sneakers in the mud.  Below Pine Street, I took one more side trip up the Nashoba Brook to the outlet of Warner's Pond.  Even did a little "surfing" at the base of the small waterfall.  The rest of the trip was smooth and easy. Wildlife seen:  red-tailed hawk, red-headed woodpecker,  kingfisher (a first for me), turtles, and a deer.  Things got crowded the last 1/2 mile near the Concord river, 10-12 boaters were also out enjoying the rivers.   

 

Start: Acton Canoe Launch, Acton, MA

End: Lowell Road Boat Ramp, Concord, MA

Trip distance: 6.25 miles

Trip time:  2.5 hours.  

Acton Canoe Launch put in

Approaching Damonmill

 

Up the Damonmill race mill:

Blowdown near Thoreau School, portaged right and lost both slip-on's in the muck

 

Bruce Freeman rail trail bridge:

 

Commuter rail bridge

 

Side trip up Nashoba Brook:

 

Outlet of Warner's Pond:

Spot the deer

 

Nice fall colors

 

Egg Rock