Three Days of Paddling The Blackstone River, Rhode Island
Our second outing on this weekend takes us up the historic Blackstone Canal. During the paddle up stream, mallards take flight and fish break the water going after bugs. Also as we paddle, several wild plants are spotted like Jewel Weed, Poison Ivy, Sycamore, and Black Locust. At the spillway near Martin Street an obstacle is encountered. A 36 inch tree has fallen across the canal. With the two guides in the water, one on each side of the tree, we get the voyageurs over the tree and back into their boats without getting wet. Even Coco the dog stayed dry. Passing Martin Street, the canal enters a canyon like area with moss cover ledge disappearing into the water and trees blocking the sun. Soon the stone retailing wall built in the 1800’s for the canal can be seen. At the Kelly House Museum, cyclists take a break relaxing at one of the picnic tables and a small line forms as people wait to take the museum tour. Just before Ashton Dam we take out and portage into the Blackstone. As the group begins their launch, picnickers watch along the shoreline. Dave launches first, to play in the whitewater near the base of the dam, while the rest of the kayakers wait in an eddy for the last to enter. The water flows fast and drops over the many rocks in the river. Passing under the bike path, walkers stop on the bridge to wave at us. Regrouping, the smell of a barbeque lingers in the air from Ashton Mills. A pair of great blue heron take flight just before Martin Street and everyone stays river right to avoid the low water to the left. After the small drop off caused by a rock out crop, we float and talk about the river and this years floods. With the water moving quick once more half the paddlers follow Dave to the left of an island and the other half stay with me in the quick water to the right. The rest of our trip was watching the pair of great blue heron fly ahead, gold finch and kingfishers calling out and an easy paddle to the portage. The third paddle of the weekend is a journey down river to Valley Falls Pond and Central Falls Landing. The morning started off bright and sunny. Several large fish broke the water in front of the store as we headed down stream and the sounds of cyclists could be heard through the woods. Rounding the oxbow, a great blue heron flies from its roost and heads down river. Entering Turtle Lagoon, we find this body of water lives up to its name with painted turtles sunning themselves. Slowly they drop off the partly submerged trees to disappear into the watery depths. At the end of the lagoon a lone mute swan swims to the land bridge and leaves for the river. Following suit we return to the river, the green of late spring is broken with the flash of color from orioles, gold finches and cardinals. Just passed John Street Bridge we run into our first of several fishermen in their boats. As we paddle down to Central Falls Landing we pass several clusters of wild Yellow Flag Iris and I stop the group at a purplish iris I hadn’t seen before along the Blackstone River. The Blackstone River is alive with activity on this the last day of the Memorial Weekend. An osprey circles overhead, more kayakers enter the river from the landing and several boats of fisherman hoping to catch the big one are seen. During our return paddle, I constipate what I’ve seen this weekend and remember when I first paddled the Blackstone River. Just a short twenty years ago the river was so different; I could paddle all day and not see another boat out here or wildlife for that mater. The water was dark and smelly with crusty foam covering the surface. Its alive now with wildlife and people, the water is clear for the most part and slowly the stigma of the river is dissolving. Leaving behind the stigma of an industrial wasteland, it has returned to a natural wonderland. Maybe we should return her Native American name to her, the Kittacuck. She’s earned it; it means the great tidal river. Live the Experience!
|
We start our Memorial Weekend off with a
group paddling the 5 hours from Woonsocket, RI to the
store. The day is cloudy and warm. There had been a lot
of wildlife activity at the store this morning with a
deer spotted in the parking lot, muskrat swimming with
greenery in their mouths and our local mallards and
Canada Geese families coming and going. Arriving at River
Island Park in Woonsocket , the kayakers launch and soon
are in the rocky quick-water and Class I-II whitewater.
Mark leading the way, he relaxes at the end of the
whitewater and floats watching his charges before
returning to the next section of quick-water. During the
trip down river great blue heron are seen, waterfowl fly
off and cyclists call out greetings from the bike path.
After the portage at Manville Dam, Evan plays in the
whitewaters before following the group running sweep. The
paddlers portage around the four dams with no problems.
During their trip they find several differences to the
river left by April’s flood. At Ashton Dam the
portage on the left is easier, a picnic table hangs from
a tree 15 feet overhead, there are small islands created
from uprooted trees and the wave under Martin Street is
gone. At days end the yakers return to the store, all
talking about the great time they had. One couple talk
about setting up their own group outing with us and one
kayaker stated he had paddled most of the rivers in Rhode
Island and this was his first paddle on the Blackstone.
It was also the best trip he’s ever been on! He will
be back!