The National Weather Service warned that the Sudbury River was flooding through Thursday from the big rain Tuesday (on top of an already high spring water table).
It was time to get out in it with a kayak. Overcast, cool temperatures, and low winds made for perfect conditions. A judicious use of technology allowed me to get in the maximum amount of analog time and experience profound nature in the midst of raucous civilization. First, I used a combination of Google Earth and Google Maps to zero in on where to start upstream. But once I selected the place, I put away the maps and just drove there. This is, after all, my neighborhood.
At the put-in just north of the Saxonville Dam, the river is narrow, and the water was rushing by. Upstream, I could hear rapids below the dam. Downstream would be all about dodging an obstacle course of fallen trees, but here it was smooth enough to embark.
Once through the narrows, the river opened up and showed itself for what it is this time of year: a floodplain.
