North Nashua River

Nice long run on the North Nashua River on beautiful 75F sunny day.  Water levels medium and falling, 2.58 ft, 122 cfs on the Leominster gauge.  During the first half of trip there were 3-4 gravel bars to push through and many strainers to scoot around.  The second half of trip, below the Pellecchia canoe launch, was smooth sailing, just one river-wide trunk to glide over.  Such a beautiful, sandy river though notes of industrial past (many car tires, couple oil drums) and litter are present.  Made a brief side trip up the South Nashua River.  It's current was strong 3.25 ft, 289 cfs (and water warm 71F!) on the Clinton gauge.  Would like to explore further up this branch on a different day.   Note: the put-in at the end of Lancaster St is VERY STEEP, had to slide down the hill to the river, holding onto trees on the way down. The take-out is easy, though muddy, parking for 3-4 cars.     

Start: 1081 Lancaster St, Leominster, MA

End:  Canoe Launch/Rte 117,  7 Bridge Road,  Lancaster, MA

Trip Time:  3 hours 25 minutes

Trip Distance:  10 miles

The very steep launch at the end of Lancaster St in Leominster

Into the North Nashua!

First gravel bar to push through

1st of two old oil drums along the river

Solid drop right under the power lines, followed by 3 sets of easy rapids, a bit of rock scraping

A small rocky channel to the left of the old dam gets you by without portaging

Approaching the Pellecchia canoe launch under bridge

Stopped for lunch here.   Also good starting point for a shorter (5 mile) trip

2nd oil drum of the day

Beautiful sandy river bottom in Lancaster

Car tires prevalent here too:  

Ran into a family of wood ducks....

This guy did his best to keep up, flying/running along the water!

Leaning pine

Inspiration of the day

The entrance to the South Nashua, was able to push through the right side then up about 200 yards

Cows on the hill

I caught the attention of this one

Blue heron in flight.  Check out the spindly legs trailing

Muddy take-out

Take-out sign along Rt 117

North Nashua River

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