Nice spring paddle on a 70F day down the upper Assabet River. After cable-locking my kayak to a tree at the put-in, I parked in the lot behind the Hudson Fire Department and uber'ed back to the start. Medium-high water levels, 3.22 ft and 374 cfs on the Maynard Gauge, made for very smooth trip, just one required portage due to a river-wide tree just beyond the Rt 290 tunnels. Several other slide overs and tree limbos but very manageable. A couple Class I drops in the first open field section beyond Solomon Pond Mall (not visible from river) where North Brook joins were fun. The second half of the trip was very marshy, windy leading into Hudson. Turtles, turtles everywhere. Also lots of red-winged blackbirds and several pairs of mallards. 3-4 other boaters out in Hudson.
Start: Hillside School Wildlife Sanctuary, Marlborough, MA
End: Hudson Fire Station, Hudson, MA
Trip Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Trip Distance: 5.5 miles
Downstream from the put-in
