Assabet River - Marlborough to Hudson

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

And upstream...

The massive Tyler Dam is about 100 yard upstream from the put-in

Turtles enjoying some sun

Tunnels under Rt 290... long!

This was the only portage of the day

Quickwater in the first clearing

Bridge Road, Berlin MA

Don't know how that highway barrel got up there!

Note the raised right leg 😤

The busy I-495 crossings

Chapin Road bridge ... note the 2 extra culverts at the right to manage floods

Yep more turtles

Interesting footbridge

Old armory in Hudson

Take-out is straight ahead, fisherman on the right