I’ve had a couple of great paddling experiences on the Herring River. There is a boat launch right off Route 28 in West Harwich, and it’s an easy in and out. Being close to where we stay in Dennis Port it’s great for a quick morning trip before the Mrs. wakes up!!!
Launching from Route 28 and heading inland the river winds through a very large salt marsh. It winds so much you’ll soon realize you’re not going to get anywhere fast, but who’s in a hurry when your on vacation? Heading into a tidal marsh you’ll want to pay attention to the tide and launch when the tide can carry you in and back out so you don’t have to work too hard, especially if the sun is out. More then once I’ve had to paddle against the current and it’s not easy. It kinda takes the fun of the day away.
Megan, Matt and my brother-in-law Don Croteau were with me on my first trip inland in 2002. We enjoyed watching all the hermit crabs popping in and out of their little holes in the freshly exposed mud banks. We also saw several Canada Geese as well, but the real memory of the trip was the winding this way and that into the marsh. There were many off shoots and it seemed that it was way too easy to get lost in the maze. I guess we were pretty lucky to find our way in and back out without getting stranded inland during low tide! Now that would be a bad day! Lucky for us that never happened.
We’ve never made it all the way to the head waters of the river, which is at the herring ladder on the West Reservoir (be sure to read my blog) but we did make it to the Bells Neck bridge where we got out and walked up the trail a bit. If your into hiking this is a nice place to explore. The trail goes through the marsh and in-between the East and West Reservoir. Looking around the East Reservoir I could never find a good put in, but looking at one of my kayak books it seems that one of the offshoots of the Herring River goes there… Perhaps I’ll try to get into it one of these years!
On another trips we’ve paddled south, downriver into the Nantucket Sound. The wind will determine just how this trip will be. Windy weather will mean one way of the trip will be tougher then the other and when you hit the Sound you’ll be faced with either smooth paddling or waves that could easily swamp your kayak. On one trip with Andrea in 2003, in our two man Old Town kayak, the waves were about two feet high. We paddled through many a wave with water splashing into the kayak and Andrea loving every rise and fall. I do have to admit I enjoyed the trip as well, but for my daughter Andrea, who loves roller coasters this was her kind of kayaking. Now I ask myself, would I do it again? The answer, NOT A CHANCE! Here’s why, a few years after this trip my brother Ray gave me a kayaking video which described just how impossible it is to get back into a kayak without the proper equipment. If your thinking of doing an Eskimo roll that can only be done if your hips are form fitted tightly into your seat and you have a kayak skirt that is capable of holding out the water. As all my kayaking to date has been in an open kayak that is out of the question. Next, if you do tip over your kayak, the only way you’ll be able to get back in is if you have a paddle float. I’ve yet to have purchased one. So thinking back on how far we were out there, if we had been swamped by a wave, I shudder to think of the outcome. I’ve been back a few times in this direction but never out to open water. It is a nice trip even if your not going to do the ocean kayaking. Just looking at the waterfront properties and the boats moored is a nice morning. Maybe someday I’ll hit the Powerball!
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