Today's experience was exactly what I was trying to avoid this past week. For my 100th post though, I really wanted a big haul and I got that with more. Cold, rain and wind made the day rough, it was still worth it. Six full bags and a hull full.
Made a stop on the way to where I left off the last time I was at this site. I must have overlooked this section before. The trash line here was higher up than most of the sections and there was no easy access from the water. I made some risky moves getting out and back into my kayak here, but I got the bank cleared without incident.
This short stop yielded one needle. I wonder for every one needle I find how many more are out there that I can't see.
Down river a just a short distance I made it to where I left off. I came in from a different landing as last time. I thought my first step was solid, instead I was on sticks, which broke and I went in the mud up to my knee. Once making it to solid ground I came to find the trash piles just continued on and on. Last time I really thought I was getting to the end of the recyclables here.
Quickly I filled the remainder of the first bag, a second and this pile started to fill the third.
Always more and more and more.
This Redback Salamander was underneath a detergent bottle. The salamander in this photo is not the reason I took it. If you take notice to all of the small items that look like pebbles, they are not. They are tiny plastic beads and they are everywhere. There is absolutely no feasible way of removing them. They are there and there to stay. We as a society have to stop the addition of more of these items.
When I got to this point I had to go back and get my boat and move it down to an easier location to get the bags out. When I took this photo I thought I would take care of most of these items today, but I filled my bags before I could even put a dent in this.
Most of the plastics in this photo I was able to remove today. Found another needle here and several caps.
When I took this the rain was steady and light, but I knew the paddle back was going to be bad.
An unused Osprey platform. It looked newer and was surprising when I found it.
It's him, Mario.
Anyone need a saw?
Another race duck. No number on this one.
Has probably sat alone on the riverbank for years, yet his smile never faded.
As soon as I had all of the bags tied off and was on the water, the rain and wind both picked up. I was cold, soaked and with the wind not in my favor the trip back was took what seemed like forever. This is what I was trying to avoid earlier this week. I can't go out on days like this anymore, it is just too late in the year and too cold for this kind of trip. So, from this point forward it is hiking and smaller amounts of trash on rainy days. I did want to get this trip in though. Not only for the 100th post, I really wanted to finish the recyclables at this site and now I don't know if it is going to happen this year. There is still so much, it is just unbelievable.
I did run into a couple that was taking their boat off of the water when I was putting on today. They told me that there used to be clean-ups held at this site regularly, but it doesn't happen anymore. More awareness of this problem needs to happen upriver. Whenever something is thrown in, it doesn't just disappear and someone else has to deal with it. This like all of the rivers is ours and we all need to start taking care of it.
If you enjoy this blog and like the fact that I am taking trash out of our waterways and natural areas, you can help by contributing at: gofundme.com/takingoutthetrash
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