Beautiful one-way paddle down the North Nashua River in Lancaster, MA on a warm sunny June morning. Due the loop nature of the river, the bike shuttle was only 2 miles. Water levels were medium-low, 100 cfs and 2.24 ft on the Leominster gauge. I would not attempt this at a lower level. Scratched bottom several times in the first 1/2 mile through several riffles and maybe one Class 1 rapid, but did not have to get out here. Around mile 1-2 there were two portages around downed trees: the first was a drag around a very brushy downed tree, the second was a drag over a thick river-wide tree trunk. The rest was very smooth paddling over sandy river bottom and high river banks. Many car tires were visible through the clear water on the bottom of the river and some refuse (soccer ball and an old cassette tape) on the banks, otherwise this stretch reminded me of the Saco in NH, minus the mountains. Just before the Center Bridge Road, the South Nashua River enters from the right. I made it up about 20 yards in before numerous blowdowns discouraged further exploration. Several fish were seen as well as a great blue heron which always seemed to be 100 yards ahead of me on this trip.
Start: Pellecchia Conservation Land & Canoe Launch, Lunenburg Rd (Rt 70), Lancaster, MA
End: Canoe Launch/Rte 117, 7 Bridge Road, Lancaster, MA
Trip distance: 5 miles
Trip time: 1 hour 50 minutes.
Easy parking at the put-in
Old phone near the old racemill from the old dam a fifty yards upriver
Some things are too darn hard to move... old oil drum?
First Rt 117 crossing
First portage was an easy drag around to the left
Second portage was a dismount, drag over, remount exercise:
Main St bridge followed by train bridge
Beautiful sandy river
Entrance to the South Nashua branch, made it beyond this blockage but not much further up
The takeout on river left, looking back upstream to Rt 117 bridge
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