Great Day for a Paddle

There have been a lot of great paddling days this summer. I've spent a lot of time kayaking this summer - on the Charles, Sudbury, Concord and Mohawk rivers; on Lake Cochituate; on Rainbow Lake in the Adirondacks; and in the ocean off Cape Cod. Today I explored the Nashua River in Harvard. This section of the river runs between the Ox Bow National Wildlife Refuge and what used to be Fort Devens.

The launch site has a nice parking area, with a ramp to the water (although quite steep). The water was quite cold, but with the air temperature in the mid 70s it was quite pleasant.

This section of the river is winding with lots of overhanging trees. I didn't see much wildlife, probably because I was out midday. I did see a fair amount of evidence of beaver activity, though. For the first mile or so I had company - other kayakers, and a couple of canoes. For the next couple of miles I had the river to myself.

I don't know how many more kayaking days are left this year - we've gotten close to overnight frost, and have had quite a few chilly days. I hope to get a few more trips in, but it all depends on the weather. I'm off to Albany next week - may try to take the kayak for another trip on the Mohawk but that'll depend on when I head that direction and the weather.