Rent a Kayak or Join a Tour

I was asked where someone might rent a kayak or join a tour without having to go and purchase a kayak before finding out if they like it.

There's one place right on the Nashua River called Nashoba Paddler. They rent kayaks and offer tours for groups. You can vist them here: www.nashobapaddler.com

If you really want some more advanced instruction or want to try out some new equipment, check out the tours at REI www.rei.com. If you sign up for their calendar of events newsletter, each month they'll send you info on how to sign up and what's happening. (I love REI!)

-Ed

Still River Depot - Harvard MA

When I paddle the Oxbow, I generally throw in at Still River. It's got easy access and plenty of parking. This weekend I went out on Saturday morning, wow it was hot! I paddled downstream this time, as I hadn't been downstream in a few months because of other trips and the attention I was paying to the Rt. 117 area.

I was somewhat surprised. I guess it's been since late May or early June since I'd been on that stretch. I made it about 1 mile downstream and my basket was full. I turned around, emptied my kayak, and headed back down.

I made another run, getting about 1.5 miles downstream clean. But the heat started to get to me and I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I called it quits. But I was kind of upset that I didn't even get to Rt. 2.

Sunday I had some free time, so I started out fairly early. I paddled all the way to where I had made it saturday, and started picking up. I grabbed everything from the next several logjams, and then I started to find fewer and fewer items. That was really cool - some of the places that ordinarily collect a lot of trash were empty.

I kept paddling past route 2 and down toward Hospital Rd. I stopped just short of there, but realized I hadn't seen a piece of trash for quite a long time. Hopefully further downstream is still just as clean. The construction at the bridge generally puts some trash in the water, but I'm hoping for the best.

Now that the huge trash deposits between Rt. 117 and Rte. 2 are gone, I'm optimistic that the next high water event won't cause as great a mess as they have in the past. There's still a lot upstream of 117, but that stuff should have a hard time getting downstream any time soon.

The Oxbow really is a beautiful place, now that I've got it trash-free again this year. Get out there and enjoy it folks!
-Ed

Saco River Camping and Kayaking

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy paddling! I went up to the Saco River in Conway, NH to go camping for the weekend with my daughter and her friend. The girls had a great time and didn't want to leave when it was time to go.

The guys and I hired a shuttle to take us upstream so we could paddle back to our campsite. The shuttle mormally runs about 7 miles, but they cut the route short because the water was really low.

The water was low, but it was still passable. I love the Saco River! It's so beautiful and the water is so clear. We saw some great birds too - I think they were Turkey Vultures - huge - they look like really big hawks. Does anyone know if that's what they are?

Like any river, especially a well-traveled one, there's trash in the Saco too. It's really hard to imagine how anyone could possibly look at the Saco in all it's beauty and decide to throw thier beer cans in. I'm not against having a few beers and enjoying the great outdoors, but I never let my trash in to the water.

Maybe next year I'll plan a trip and bring the laundry basket and give the Saco a day of attention. That's one long river though... maybe a week long trip down??

Who's been cleaning the Nashua River?

I went out this weekend and completed the stretch between Rt. 117 and the Still River Depot at the Oxbow. And when I say completed, I mean if I can see it, get to it, and transport it, I take it out of there. So there are no more bottles, cans, tires, propane tanks, spray paint cans, or solvents. I even removed a 5-gallon bucket of paint, and the last gallon of used motor oil. In short, no human waste except for maybe 2 very large items I cannot possibly transport on a kayak. And I intend to keep it that way.

On Sunday, I ran into a nice couple who were probably about 60 years old. They asked what I was doing, and then the man shared a nice story with me. A few years ago he used to paddle in the Oxbow area, but he was so disgusted by the trash and pollution that he stopped. When he came back a month or so ago, he was very surprised how clean it was. I shared with him how I'd been working on it for more than 2 years now, and probably have removed more than 10 tons of waste. He was very appreciative, and I believe he'll be coming back more regularly now.

The woman said "Why don't you join a group?" I told her groups might undertake some of the legal battles to protect an area from development, but when it comes right down to getting your hands dirty and cleaning up a mess, groups don't do anything.

I'm no Boy Scout

A couple of months back I saw a Boy Scout troop preparing for a day on the Nashua Rivar at the Oxbow. But then I saw what seemed to be tents and overnight gear. Although they must have gotten special permission to camp, I didn't see a lot of water.

I asked one of the men accompanying the boys if they planned on staying overnight, when he replied "yes" I mentioned that he should try to keep the boys out of the water. (February had just had the report of excessive fecal matter, and I didn't want them to be sick.) He replied that he would be sure they wouldn't swim in it, but that he brought purifying tablets so they could drink it. !!!! Drink it!!!? I strongly suggested they go buy bottled water.

Has anyone heard any reports of an entire Scout Troop being dreadfully ill?

Bolton Flats - Nashua River

Yesterday I paddled from the Oxbow at Still River up to Rt. 117. That's a challenging upstream paddle... especially with no portages. My goal was to get past the logjamb that's about 2/3 of the way between the 2 points, collect some materials and drop them at Rt. 117.

My goal was to work on this difficult middle section of the stretch between the two points. With so many logjambs and obstructions, it's a hard stretch of river to transport a full load of trash.

This stretch is really shaping up. I think with one more trip from Rt. 117, and maybe 1 or 2 from the Oxbow, that part of the river will be trash free, except for a few very large items I can't budge.

When that happens, I want to get together with a couple of guys and paddle from Rt. 117 down to the dam in Pepperell just to enjoy the clean river. I'm sure there will be a few items to collect, there always is, but the huge piles of trash, tires, propane tanks, and coolers are gone, at least from that part of the river. Upstream from Rt. 117 still has some big issues, but at least a 1-way trip is easier in that area.

Plastic Water Bottle Recycling

In the news lately there's been a lot of stories about bottled water. Not only is the water often just filtered tap water, it's an ecological nightmare. Bottled water creates an enormous amount of plastic waste, and the energy required to manufacture and recycle that material is generated by carbon-based energy sources.

Personally, I try not to drink bottled water. But when I am out kayaking on the Nashua or Squannacook Rivers I can attest to the fact that water bottles account for probably 25% of the containers I collect. There's a lot of irony in that.

First, someone buys bottled water because the water sources are polluted, and the heavy treatment of public water supplies makes the water taste badly. Then they take the water bottle out, where it becomes litter, and eventually ends up in the river where the problem compounds itself.

Filter your water at home, put it in a re-usable bottle and don't become part of the problem.