Sudbury River 2019
Where: Sudbury River
When: August 2, 2019
With: Solo
No problems getting to the launch site today. I parked the car, carried the kayak under the road bridge and along the riverbank until I found a good launch spot. I noticed one tree a bit upstream, but decided I'd be able to get under it so no need to put in any further along. In no time I was on the water and gliding along at a smooth, even pace. It was just about 10AM.
It was easy going at first, following the meandering river upstream, my views obscured by the tall summer vegetation along both banks. The Sudbury "river" is really just a stream at this point in its course. Barely 5 feet wide (sometimes much less), and only a 2-3 feet deep (and sometimes much less!). I made it under, around, or over a few trees that had fallen across the water, generally without any trouble. The exception was one whose top was blocking the way. After pushing my way through the branches, I stopped for a while and used a small folding hand saw to clear a route.
That work done, I continued on to the first big landmark, the tunnels under the Pike and 495. As I paddled toward them along the artificial channel that relocated the river when those roads were built, it occured to me that I might not be able to do this trip again. There are plans to reconfigure the intersection of the two highways, and the designs call for ramps through the area I was travelling. At the very least, the construction will disrupt the area for many years to come.
I passed through the first tunnel, marvelling once again at the optical illusion created by the reflection of the tunnel ceiling on the calm water. It made it appear I was floating in mid-air, midway between the ceiling and its mirror image below. I exited into the short stretch of open water between the tunnels (the section I could see from my car on the Pike), then headed into the right channel of the double 495 tunnel.
Coming out the other end, I was now at the beginning of the second part of the trip, through the Cedar Swamp meadows up to the pond. Lots of pleasant, easy paddling to begin, with a relatively wide (6-8 feet) waterway that allowed strong strokes of the double-bladed kayak paddle. The frequent meanders meant frequent corners, with new things to see around each one. I noted a lot of turtles, who threw themselves into the water as I approached. I told them I was no threat, but to no avail. I also kept disturbing a Great Blue Heron which heaved itself into the air and took flight, heading upstream to a spot where the encounter repeated itself. Also saw lots of dragonflies and butterflies.
With the noise of the highways fading away behind, I began to get closer to the pond, and the going got tougher. The waterway closed to the width of my kayak, and sometimes disappeared entirely in plants and branches. A few times there were a number of different possible routes, and I had to watch the water carefully to see which route to take. "Follow the flow" became a mantra. At some point I put on the kayak's spray skirt - not for any water that might come in, but to control the debris (including spiders!) that was dropping in from the vegetation. In places I had to rest the paddle on the boat and haul myself along by grabbing the plants on either side.
The going got progressively worse the further upstream I pushed, and it became increasingly difficult to figure out where to go. I followed one channel and found myself in a dead-end. Oddly, I could hear water gurgling through the underbrush. Running water usually isn't heard in a flat water area. I backtracked a bit, found the true channel, and soon discovered the reason for the gurgling sound. A beaver dam.
Now, I'd encountered a beaver dam twice before, and the last time I'd been here (2003), the dam was about 8 inches high. This time it was at least 3 feet high, and the beavers had extended it across the entire river plain. The entire area from the dam to the pond was now a drowned meadow.
I pulled the kayak out to the side and hauled it up and around the dam, putting it in to the flooded area above. I figured I could continue along the channel to the pond from there, but it was not to be. With the meadow area flooded, and no strong flow to keep the vegetation at bay, the main channel had filled in with plants. I paddled back and forth, exploring a number of possible routes, pushing through walls of plants and over fallen branches, but none of them panned out.
At one point I found myself within sight of dry land, so I managed to get the kayak to shore and got out. I walked up the small hill to a site I'd visited previously, with the remains of a campfire ring in a wooded clearing. I hoped to get a view of the river and the pond, but the trees blocked any views.
Back at the boat, I decided I'd had it and was going to head home. Shortly after getting underway though I thought I saw yet another possible channel. I began up it, again pushing through branches and weeds, then I stopped. "I don't want to be doing this anymore," I thought, and I backed up and headed back toward the dam. Yes, I hadn't gotten to the pond, but I'd had a good adventure and was ready to go home. So I hauled the kayak back down around the dam, through all of the tough parts of the upper part of the river, and back to where the water was wide, smooth, and flowing in the same direction I was going. It made for easy, relaxing going.
A bit after getting into this section I passed though a small pool with a stream coming in from the side and realized I was at the outlet of Whitehall Brook. This was always a milestone on this trip, and I don't know how I missed it on the way up. In fact, I thought I hadn't gotten to it yet. It brightened my spirits to know I'd made it past it after all.
I stopped a bit, took some pictures, then continued a short way to another pool at a corner. I noticed some fish striking at the surface as I passed and was about to keep going but stopped myself. I had fishing gear (intended for the pond), and no place I had to be. Why not do some fishing? So I rigged up the gear (fly pole & reel), paddled back up to the Whitehall Brook pool, then fished my way back down to the second pool. Didn't have a single strike, but it was good to be able to add that to the day's experience.
After that, it was just a relaxed, steady paddle back down the river. I took pictures of the plants and flowers along the way, and recorded a few minutes of videos with the camera on the front of the boat. One video documented the passage back through the highway tunnels. Again, I don't know if I'll be able to make this trip again, so it was important to get this stuff while I could.
I followed the wrong channel at one point and wound up in a dead end. I got out of the kayak and saw the river had curved around and was just a few feet ahead of me, so I pulled the boat through the tall meadow grass and put back in on the other side. At another point, I noticed a) an arrow stuck in the river bank and b) a deer stand in a tree. So I pulled the kayak into a small side channel and got out. I climbed most of the way to the deer stand, then checked out a couple of other nearby trees before returning to the water.
The final passage from the highways to the take out spot was uneventful. There always seem to be a few more meanders to the river than I think, but eventually the final channel and road bridge were in front of me and the journey was at an end. It was about 3PM, so 5 hours on the water.
More pictures
When: August 2, 2019
With: Solo
My last recorded paddle up the Sudbury River was in 2003. Since then, I've looked over the side of the Mass Pike many times as I've driven over the river, and thought about when I'd get back on the water. Today, everything came together...good weather, good water level, no other plans. So I loaded up the boat and headed to the river.
No problems getting to the launch site today. I parked the car, carried the kayak under the road bridge and along the riverbank until I found a good launch spot. I noticed one tree a bit upstream, but decided I'd be able to get under it so no need to put in any further along. In no time I was on the water and gliding along at a smooth, even pace. It was just about 10AM.
It was easy going at first, following the meandering river upstream, my views obscured by the tall summer vegetation along both banks. The Sudbury "river" is really just a stream at this point in its course. Barely 5 feet wide (sometimes much less), and only a 2-3 feet deep (and sometimes much less!). I made it under, around, or over a few trees that had fallen across the water, generally without any trouble. The exception was one whose top was blocking the way. After pushing my way through the branches, I stopped for a while and used a small folding hand saw to clear a route.
That work done, I continued on to the first big landmark, the tunnels under the Pike and 495. As I paddled toward them along the artificial channel that relocated the river when those roads were built, it occured to me that I might not be able to do this trip again. There are plans to reconfigure the intersection of the two highways, and the designs call for ramps through the area I was travelling. At the very least, the construction will disrupt the area for many years to come.
I passed through the first tunnel, marvelling once again at the optical illusion created by the reflection of the tunnel ceiling on the calm water. It made it appear I was floating in mid-air, midway between the ceiling and its mirror image below. I exited into the short stretch of open water between the tunnels (the section I could see from my car on the Pike), then headed into the right channel of the double 495 tunnel.
Coming out the other end, I was now at the beginning of the second part of the trip, through the Cedar Swamp meadows up to the pond. Lots of pleasant, easy paddling to begin, with a relatively wide (6-8 feet) waterway that allowed strong strokes of the double-bladed kayak paddle. The frequent meanders meant frequent corners, with new things to see around each one. I noted a lot of turtles, who threw themselves into the water as I approached. I told them I was no threat, but to no avail. I also kept disturbing a Great Blue Heron which heaved itself into the air and took flight, heading upstream to a spot where the encounter repeated itself. Also saw lots of dragonflies and butterflies.
With the noise of the highways fading away behind, I began to get closer to the pond, and the going got tougher. The waterway closed to the width of my kayak, and sometimes disappeared entirely in plants and branches. A few times there were a number of different possible routes, and I had to watch the water carefully to see which route to take. "Follow the flow" became a mantra. At some point I put on the kayak's spray skirt - not for any water that might come in, but to control the debris (including spiders!) that was dropping in from the vegetation. In places I had to rest the paddle on the boat and haul myself along by grabbing the plants on either side.
The going got progressively worse the further upstream I pushed, and it became increasingly difficult to figure out where to go. I followed one channel and found myself in a dead-end. Oddly, I could hear water gurgling through the underbrush. Running water usually isn't heard in a flat water area. I backtracked a bit, found the true channel, and soon discovered the reason for the gurgling sound. A beaver dam.
Now, I'd encountered a beaver dam twice before, and the last time I'd been here (2003), the dam was about 8 inches high. This time it was at least 3 feet high, and the beavers had extended it across the entire river plain. The entire area from the dam to the pond was now a drowned meadow.
I pulled the kayak out to the side and hauled it up and around the dam, putting it in to the flooded area above. I figured I could continue along the channel to the pond from there, but it was not to be. With the meadow area flooded, and no strong flow to keep the vegetation at bay, the main channel had filled in with plants. I paddled back and forth, exploring a number of possible routes, pushing through walls of plants and over fallen branches, but none of them panned out.
At one point I found myself within sight of dry land, so I managed to get the kayak to shore and got out. I walked up the small hill to a site I'd visited previously, with the remains of a campfire ring in a wooded clearing. I hoped to get a view of the river and the pond, but the trees blocked any views.
Back at the boat, I decided I'd had it and was going to head home. Shortly after getting underway though I thought I saw yet another possible channel. I began up it, again pushing through branches and weeds, then I stopped. "I don't want to be doing this anymore," I thought, and I backed up and headed back toward the dam. Yes, I hadn't gotten to the pond, but I'd had a good adventure and was ready to go home. So I hauled the kayak back down around the dam, through all of the tough parts of the upper part of the river, and back to where the water was wide, smooth, and flowing in the same direction I was going. It made for easy, relaxing going.
A bit after getting into this section I passed though a small pool with a stream coming in from the side and realized I was at the outlet of Whitehall Brook. This was always a milestone on this trip, and I don't know how I missed it on the way up. In fact, I thought I hadn't gotten to it yet. It brightened my spirits to know I'd made it past it after all.
I stopped a bit, took some pictures, then continued a short way to another pool at a corner. I noticed some fish striking at the surface as I passed and was about to keep going but stopped myself. I had fishing gear (intended for the pond), and no place I had to be. Why not do some fishing? So I rigged up the gear (fly pole & reel), paddled back up to the Whitehall Brook pool, then fished my way back down to the second pool. Didn't have a single strike, but it was good to be able to add that to the day's experience.
After that, it was just a relaxed, steady paddle back down the river. I took pictures of the plants and flowers along the way, and recorded a few minutes of videos with the camera on the front of the boat. One video documented the passage back through the highway tunnels. Again, I don't know if I'll be able to make this trip again, so it was important to get this stuff while I could.
I followed the wrong channel at one point and wound up in a dead end. I got out of the kayak and saw the river had curved around and was just a few feet ahead of me, so I pulled the boat through the tall meadow grass and put back in on the other side. At another point, I noticed a) an arrow stuck in the river bank and b) a deer stand in a tree. So I pulled the kayak into a small side channel and got out. I climbed most of the way to the deer stand, then checked out a couple of other nearby trees before returning to the water.
The final passage from the highways to the take out spot was uneventful. There always seem to be a few more meanders to the river than I think, but eventually the final channel and road bridge were in front of me and the journey was at an end. It was about 3PM, so 5 hours on the water.
More pictures
