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Plum Island Sound, March 29, 2014


Jonathan Z

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It has been quite a long time since my last paddling five month ago. This year the winter lasts too long, reluctant to give way to spring. As the low temperature just above freezing, I can’t wait to plan for a new adventure, using the knowledge I got from the CAM Workshop on trip planning.

Kurt is an ardent outdoor organizer and a friend of mine for a couple of years. We decided to paddle the Plumb Island Sound on Saturday, March 29. This is the first time we would explore the Northern part of the sound through the Plum Island River. The river is a tidal river flowing over a huge salt water marsh and can only be fully accessed at high tides. The original plan was to paddle through the river from the Sawyer’s Island to the Basin at the Newburyport.

It took a much longer time to get everything ready before jumping into water. We put in our kayaks at 10:30 AM, an hour later than our plan. The high tide time was 10:58 AM at the Merrimack River Entrance and 11: 00 AM at the Plum Island South. The water was pouring into the sound from both entrances and water level was still rising.

Nothing can compare the feeling of being back to the sea again. The wind speed was minimum, the water temperature 30s and air temperature 40s. As we paddled through the mud river mouth, the plum island sound opened in front of us. While the high tide covers most of the contours I could remember form previous trips, the two osprey nests still stood on the right bank of the river.

We were late from our schedule, and always distracted by the animals we encountered. At the mouth of the Parker River, 4-5 harbor seals promptly jumped into the water from a sand bar on a flooded island. Seals are timid but curious animals. They kept floating to the surface and watching us with a great wariness. The salt water marshes are full of nutrients to attract a large variety of water fowls. Black-backed gulls, Canada geese, GBHs, snowy herons, etc… were perching and foraging on the grassland. We spotted a snowy owl three times, perching on different posts near the water. At the mouth of the Mud River, four long-tailed ducks took a flight together with their distinctive long tails.

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Confused by a labyrinth of passages and creeks, we could not locate us well from the chart and GPS. Finally we arrived the bridge at 12:30 PM, the river just moved at a fast speed beneath the bridge, draining out of a huge mass of water from the marshes to the rest part of river through this narrow passage. Considering the current will reach its highest speed at 13:59 PM at the entrance of the Merrimack River, where the two rivers converge, we might have a hard time to paddle back against the current. We decided to turn back.

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The whole paddling lasted 4 hours and we drove back as the late-afternoon wind and rain picked up. I was glad to use the knowledge form the workshop, and made a right decision to turn back without insisting our previous plan. Luckily we had not made the rain on the sea, and come back dry with a great joyfulness of the first paddling adventure of this year.

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Jonathan,

Great trip report! I'm glad you got a chance to do the paddle you planned in class and that you made the hard decision in the name of safety.

It truly is a great feeling to be back on the water!

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Jonathon,

Thanks for sharing your adventure. It was fun reading and has motivated me to do that same trip someday soon.

Keep up the good paddling, and the entertaining trip reporting!

Blaine

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Jonathan,

Great trip report! I'm glad you got a chance to do the paddle you planned in class and that you made the hard decision in the name of safety.

It truly is a great feeling to be back on the water!

Thanks Cathy! Partially follow the trip plan we worked together at the class, I really enjoyed the learning process in the wild and had lots of fun!

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Jonathon,

Thanks for sharing your adventure. It was fun reading and has motivated me to do that same trip someday soon.

Keep up the good paddling, and the entertaining trip reporting!

Blaine

Glad you like it, Blaine! Will keep reporting following trips!

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Jonathan,

Great trip report. I really like to read about other paddlers who get out on the water in the off season. Seems to me the wildlife is more interesting to watch and of course fewer boats to dodge.

I hope you will consider paddling off the coast of Maine and visit MITA islands. Better yet, consider kayak camping! All of which are a passion of mine.

I hope our paths will cross.

Warren

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Jonathan,

Great trip report. I really like to read about other paddlers who get out on the water in the off season. Seems to me the wildlife is more interesting to watch and of course fewer boats to dodge.

I hope you will consider paddling off the coast of Maine and visit MITA islands. Better yet, consider kayak camping! All of which are a passion of mine.

I hope our paths will cross.

Warren

Warren,

So glad you like it. I would love to visit MITA islands and try kayak camping! My limited Maine experience includes a solo trip from the Deer Isle to the Isle Au Haut and back, and a paddling from Thomas Bay along Sebascodegan island to the Basin and back with a few friends. Never did island camping in Maine. Can’t wait to learn more and have trips with NSPN!

Jonathan

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