Shawsheen River - Billerica to Tewksbury

Nice, relaxed one-way paddle down the Shawsheen River on a warm 85F calm Labor Day weekend.  Water levels were medium-low (68 cfs, 3.07 ft on the Wilmington gauge).  This river section was about 80% marsh, 20% woodland with some houses visible along the way.  2 river-wide tree blowdowns required portage, several others were glide-overs or limbos.  Highlight was definitely passing through/under the old Middlesex Canal Aqueduct.  An impressive stone structure built in the 1800s still towers over the river.  Wildlife seen: heron, red-tailed hawk, wood ducks, Canadian geese, and many painted turtles.    

Start: Akeson Playground (Route 3A), Billerica MA

End: Knights of Columbus (Rt 38),  Tewksbury, MA

Trip time: 2.5 hours

Trip distance:  6 miles

Put-in at near Akeson Playground, new kiosk with river map

Calm mirror-like section

Turtle!

Out-of-place concrete dock in the middle of the marsh with an ominous sticker on it

Heron and hawk sharing this perch high above the river:

First portage was just above this section

Batter up!

Approaching Rt 129 bridge in Wilmington, Middlesex Canal Aqueduct is just beyond it

Middlesex Canal Aqueduct remnants

Looking back upstream at aqueduct towers after passing through

MBTA commuter rail bridge

One more tree limbo

Second portage of the day.  Climbed onto the downed tree log and dragged the kayak over to the other side.

One final challenge, squeaked through on the left in about 2 inches of water.. ramming speed!

Shawsheen River up to Bedford

Patriots Day paddle.  Very nice up-and-back trip on the Shawsheen River. Temps high 50s sunny.  Water level was somewhat high (4.15 ft; 148 cfs on the Wilmington Gauge) due to mid April snow and rain.  Toughest part of trip was two minutes into it, getting under the Route 3A bridge.  Looked tight but navigable but in the very middle of bridge was a beam 6 inches lower than the rest, had to slide far down in my kayak, grip the beam and pull myself under and through.  Took on a little water in that maneuver.  The segments to the Middlesex Turnpike bridge (went over the yellow weed catcher) and massive Route 3 bridges were very marshy, very windy (twisty), and scenic -- Shawsheeen definitely means Serpentine.  Many canadian geese, red-winged black birds, and turtles (small ones) everywhere.  The section above Route 3 in Bedford got very narrow and woody, saw two pair of deer in this section before a shore-to-shore log became my turnaround spot about halfway above Route 3 and before 62 in Bedford. Note: shooting at the gun range near Middlesex Turnpike bridge is a little disconcerting, made me paddle a little more quickly through that section!      Starting point: Akeson Playground (Route 3A), Billerica MA  Turnaround point: Sherwood Drive, Bedford MA Trip time: approx 3 hours (2 up, 1 back)

Low clearance on the Route 3A bridge

A fellow paddler

The goose squadron

Middlesex Turnpike bridge construction - and a stashed kayak

The river sign was a casualty of the bridge work

Massive Route 3 crossings

Getting brushy in Bedford

This guy was not used to visitors