Walden-area Tuesdays

[Dan Foster]

Since some of you have been asking about plans for Walden Pond practice sessions in 2019, here's an update. While our Walden sessions have historically been on Wednesdays, we're moving them to Tuesdays this year so as not to overlap with all of the fun daytime paddles @Joseph Berkovitz and @rylevine have planned for their Wednesday lunch paddle series. Also, as some of you already know, both @billvoss and I are both dealing with back issues and aren't quite ready to start rolling yet. (plus, the water's still cold!). So, I've put together a tentative schedule of alternating pond and river sessions for the months of May and June, and after that, the plan is to go back to a weekly Walden schedule for the remainder of the summer.

Here's the plan that Bill and I have discussed. If you're a Walden-area paddler and think you might join us this year, please weigh in with your thoughts on start times and the like, either on the forums, by private message to @Dan Foster, or at our pre-season opener and super-casual pasta dinner at Comella's italian restaurant in Concord, MA on May 7th.

If you a newer paddler in the club or haven't been to a Walden session before - please join us. These sessions are a great way to make some connections within the club and everyone in attendance is happy to share knowledge, to help you advance your skills, or to just hang out in boats and socialize.

 

Proposed May-June Walden-area Tuesday paddles - these will be refined based on group feedback and posted to the NSPN calendar in early May, along with detailed parking and route descriptions for the river trips and restaurant options.

May 7 - "the pre-season opener" - Walden at 5 (people can always welcome to arrive earlier and start paddling), casual pasta dinner at Comella's  in Concord at 7:30 to socialize and to discuss and refine plans for our summer of Walden-area paddles.

May 14 - Concord River paddle at Lowell Rd/Egg Rock. 5-7:30, picnic dinner at Old North Bridge, possibility for moonlight paddle if it is a clear night.

May 21 - Walden at 5. Gates close at 7:30

May 28 - Assabet River paddle from Ice House Landing in Maynard, MA, 5PM launch. Beers and BBQ at nearby Battle Road Brewing Co at 7:30

June 4 - Walden at 5. Gates close at 7:30 (Dan unlikely to be there)

June 11 - Sudbury River paddle to Fairhaven Bay. 5-7:30. Picnic dinner at Scout Island in Fairhaven Bay. Exact launch location TBD.

June 18 - Walden at 5. Gates close at 7:30 (Dan unlikely to be there)

June 25 - Walden at 5. Gates close at 7:30

July - August: Walden at 5 until closing.

When Bill returns: Walden at 5. Comella's at 7:30 for "the gang's all here" celebration.

 

All sessions are open to any NSPN member in any watercraft. New members are especially welcome. PFDs and signed NSPN waivers are required. If you want to get on the water before the group launch at 5PM, let us know, bring a signed waiver, and leave it on your windshield for the rest of the group to sign when arriving. For Walden, we'll meet you at our usual spot at 5. For river trips, paddle back at the launch spot so we can all launch together at 5. If you are arriving late, you can arrange to meet us on the river at a mutually-agreeable time and place. You can skip the paddle and just join us for dinner, too! May-June trips will likely be cancelled if the weather is lousy or if less than three people RSVP.

 

If you're planning to join us this summer, do these start times work for you? OK with a mix of river and pond stuff to start the season? Anything else you'd like to suggest?

[Jim Snyder]

I would be happy to host a Merrimack River paddle in NH if there's interest. Once the river goes down, it's a nice paddle up here with rope swings, gorges, and beaches.

[JaneC]

Dan,

This looks good. I was reluctant to give up  rolling but the sociableness you've put into every session makes it look like lots of fun.  I will plan to be there as much as possible - can't make May 7 and 14 

[JaneC]

One more thought pursuant to your earlier post.  How will we know what is on for each week without having to dig through the site.  That has always been an issue for me when it comes to Walden and to know who is coming on a week to week basis

[JanetL]

I'm interested in coming to some of these, but I can pretty much never make 5pm. 5:30 potentially.

It seemed like in the past most folks would show up really early and things would probably be wrapping up by the time I'd get on the water, but if you think I'd have company on the later end I'd like to join.

 

[Dan Foster]

Jane, these May/June sessions will be listed on the calendar in early May, and I'll enable RSVPs so people can indicate if they are going or not. In keeping with Bill's method from last year, which seemed to work well, I can start a new discussion on the trips forum for "May 28th - Assabet River paddle, 5PM" about 5 days before the event, so you'll know the upcoming weather and your plans, and we can discuss things like late arrivals or whether we have enough people going or weather concerns for that particular trip. Does that work?

Janet, there's no problem with a late arrival at any of the Walden sessions (assuming you can get in - overcrowding is one reason people go early) - just paddle to the far side of the pond and you'll see us practicing. We just need to be out of there before the gate closes (currently at 7:30PM, may be later in mid-summer). For the Concord and Sudbury proposed river paddles, we can do a quick loop in one direction and pick up any late-arrivals at the launch before heading the other way on the river. For the Assabet, it's upstream only to start, but we can come up with a plan that works for everyone in the days before the paddle. And if you've got a paddling spot that's closer to work, we can plan around that. (The Concord/Old North Bridge paddle could be a downstream run from Lowell Rd in Concord to the Bedford boat launch on Rt 225 at the Carlisle/Bedford border, and you could meet us there closer to 5:30 for the second half of the car shuttle, for example)

[JaneC]

Looks good

[Nancy Hill]

This sounds like a great idea, Dan. See you on May 7th! Thank you for your planning.

 

[Joyce Carpenter]

This is terrific. I’m happy about the switch to Tuesday’s and it sounds fun to add some non-Walden events. I’ll try to make the 7th, but I have a very late flight on the 6th so can’t guarantee that I’ll make it. 

Thanks very much for all the organizing work!

[Ken]

The Walden area is not that far out of my way home going home from work so I'd really like to make a few of these sessions.

With the water temperature in May, I would assume some sort of cold protection, drysuit or wetsuit, is still appropriate?

 

-Ken

 

 

[Dan Foster]

Glad you'll be joining us, Ken! Those doing rolling practice at Walden often wear drysuits well into the summer, just for comfort (and to avoid soggy car seats afterwards). If we're doing a river paddle and you're not expecting to fall out of your boat, you can dress less conservatively, and just carry a change of clothes in a drybag. Keep in mind that the temps may drop significantly when the sun dips below the trees - I wore neoprene for a recent flatwater paddle and was fine in the boat and freezing by the time I had the boat on the car, due to wind on wet fingers and clothing.

But yes, for May and probably most of June, you'll see us sea kayakers practicing at Walden in wetsuits or drysuits or Greenland-style tuliks, wearing nose plugs, goggles, and sometimes even helmets, while everyone else dabbles around in shorts or bikinis.

 

[prudenceb]

Thanks for organizing - and switching to Tues.  I'm still healing from my broken wrist, so don't know when I'll be able to join the group.  May try to make the pppo in Concord the first day.  Itching to be on the water

[kate]

This is great! I so miss the old rolling days with Turner and Will and Dan. I can make Tuesdays and hope to get there for the first one, weather permitting. 

[PeterB]

Tuesdays will be  fine 

Peter 

[prudenceb]

On 4/27/2019 at 12:13 PM, kate said:

This is great! I so miss the old rolling days with Turner and Will and Dan. I can make Tuesdays and hope to get there for the first one, weather permitting. 

Ain't retirement great, Kate!

[Rmrand]

Dan,

Hi.  Thanks for organizing so that I may actually achieve my goal of practicing my roll enough that I can get it grid ironed.  As discussed, I would also enjoy swimming with you at Walden.  

So I am a little bummed.  I was hoping for Wed. nights which are free for me.  I have a conflict on Tue. with my bike club, but I will figure it all out over time.

Soon,

Romaine