I went Kayaking today with a friend of mine. We didn’t have a ton of time, so we decided on someplace close to both of us – The Powow River. I’ve lived in Amesbury for a few years, and lived in the area (Newburyport) for something like 25 years. When Justin (friend I went with) said we should try the Powow, and put in near the center of downtown Amesbury, I was a little less than excited. I know that the Powow runs through downtown Amesbury, and ends up in the Merrimack River, but I honestly thought the section from downtown Amesbury, to the Merrimack was little more than a dirty, short, urban slog until it spills into the Merrimack.
So, I was excited to get out, but not at all expecting anything grand from the Powow. At least not this section of it. I’ve done some of the Powow upstream from downtown Amesbury and it’s pretty decent. But, like I said, I didn’t think the “lower” part of the river could possibly be any good. It’s surrounded by highways, shopping centers, apartments, old mill buildings and all the other dirty characteristics that define a blue-collar historic New England town.
Ok, all that said…
I was absolutely taken aback by how far, open, scenic, and awesome it was. The river ran for a long stretches through areas of thick vegetation that look more like a wilderness refuge than a city.
