Clean up & Race
Earth Day is coming and so is the annual Charles River Clean Up... Saturday, April 26, 2008. There is trash all along the river, especially after the spring flooding. The receding waters have left behind all sorts of non-biodegradeable trash (plastic bags, beer cans, bottles). There are even roofing shingles at one site. Join volunteers from all over on the morning of the 26th to clean the river. To volunteer, contact the Charles River Watershed Association, or send email to cleanup@onthecharles.com. If I can get a small group together, we will register as a group for a particular site. Otherwise, I'll join an existing group. Either way, I'll be there to clean up the Charles.
The following day, after the river is all clean, is the 26th annual Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Race. There are several different races beginning at different points along the river, but they all finish up at Herter Park in Brighton. There is a 19 mile, a 9 mile, and a 6 mile race for Kayaks or Canoes, a Canoe Relay Race, and a $5,000 Professional Flatwater Canoe Marathon to name just a few. Click here for more information.
Intro...
While driving along route 115 in Millis one day, I came across a small, dirt parking area that I had never really noticed before. The entrance was sort of hidden away, the nearby bushes all overgrown. Alongside the parking lot, there was a river. The sign said that this was a launch area for small boats and identified the river as the Charles River. The Charles River, I thought? I walked along the riverbank, just listening to the sound of the water rushing over the rocks. I remember wondering if you could actually go all the way to Boston on this river.
I didn't really give it much thought after that. That is until one day, a couple of years later, when I was walking along another small river, this one in Norfolk. Wondering where it was headed, I Checked the map and found that this was the Mill River and it flowed into the Charles River a short distance away. Suddenly, I was awestruck. I thought again of that launch area I had found in Millis a couple of years earlier. The thought of this little stream flowing into the Charles and eventually through Boston and beyond was just fascinating to me. I began to study the maps and follow the river. I found that there are actually many launch areas all along the Charles, where you can just drop a boat in and spend a couple of hours or even the entire day on the water. And yes, you can go all the way to Boston.
Throughout the following winter, I visited the river often, exploring many different launch areas. I studied maps and planned various trips. All I needed was a boat. When Spring came, I borrowed a canoe from a friend and put in at Forest Road in Millis. It was great! I went out again a couple of weeks later. The feeling of being out on the water and following the river was just incredible! The next time, when I rented a kayak, I was hooked. Before I knew it, I was buying a kayak of my own and going out every chance I got. I couldn't stay away. I still can't, the river just keeps calling to me.