Kayaking: Charles River from Norfolk Street Launch | Millis and Medway, MA | 5/28/07

We took a quick paddle a few miles downstream on the Charles River from the boat launch at the Millis/Norfolk line on Norfolk Street (Route 115) on Monday afternoon.

Besides there being a million mosquitoes at the launch, the trip was a good one. The only real detracting from paddling downstream from this point is that the Millis Rod and Gun Club has their shooting range right near the river and you can almost constantly hear gun shots as you are paddling along. Luckily we started later in the afternoon so after about 20 minutes or so of gun shots, I guess the range closed down as the rest of the late afternoon was quiet.

The river was still fairly high from all the rains this spring so there was a fairly decent current the entire way. The water level also helped to cover the few small sets of rapids that are in this section. Of course, when we turned around that current also made for some stiffer paddling back upstream.

We did get to see a few turtles along the way, though nothing like you see later in the season when almost every branch or rock sticking out the water has one on it.

All in all, it was a good couple of hours on the river.