Paddling & More Paddling

PHOTO: Charlie on Powder Mill Pond right off of Route 202 in Hancock. Charlie and I bought two used kayaks this spring and we been having fun paddling all over. New Hampshire Fish and Game owns and maintains 142 boat access sites around the state.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

We have been spending a lot of time in our kayaks and discovering new-to-us bodies of water has been fun. We’ve used the New Hampshire Fish & Game’s website maps (nhfg.maps.arcgis.com) to find boat ramps for access to our State’s ponds, lakes and rivers.
Becca and I met at Danbury’s Waukeena Lake, it’s a small body of water just 56 acres, but what attracted us to visit were the several small islands and that a majority of the western shore is conservation land. We learned all that from the website’s map along with the facts that the average depth was 4 feet with a maximum depth of 20 feet and that no motor boats are permitted.
It was a hot Wednesday afternoon and we were the only cars parked at the gravel boat ramp. We helped one another unload our boats into the water. Paddling is cool especially when it is hot. There is no swimming at boat ramps but after paddling away from the ramp the water is right there under our boats and we knew we’d find a place to take a dip.
We paddled around the small islands and found a nice ledge outcropping that the two of us could land our boats. One side of the rock was full of Lily pads and the other side was deeper and looked like a fine place to jump in. So we did. The water was cool and refreshing.

Becca claimed that the wind knocked my boat off the rock and she almost jumped into the thick Lily pads to try to retrieve it. Funny how the boat seemed to leave at the same time she climbed out of the water and she was so eager to save it for me. My kayak was quickly getting further away. On second thought it was agreed it was a better idea for her to get back into her boat to catch up with the escaping kayak. She paddled out to it and against the gentle breeze she easily pushed my boat with her paddle back. We thought this was ridiculously funny.

We paddled around the lake and we saw many turtles of all sizes. Seriously lots and lots of turtles sunning themselves on rocks and on logs. Turtles may have a reputation for being slow but when we got near they zipped into the water faster than I could grab my camera.

On the north end of the lake is the outlet and the water was only a few inches deep and along with the downed trees it was impossible to go any distance down it. I got my boat stuck and had a challenge wiggling it free.
On our return of our second lap around the lake we noticed two Loons right in front of us. Our presence didn’t seem to bother them. We sat still and watched them a long time. The Loons were talking to one another and splashing about giving us a grand show. We were surprised how close they got to us. We ended up paddling way away from them and then way around them to get back to our cars.
A trip to Danbury isn’t complete until you stop at the Danbury Country Store. They have the best snacks. Their cookies and whoopie pies are yummy.

Becca and I also visited Giles Pond in Sutton. I have driven by this pond many times. There is a pull-off along Gile Pond Road just south of the driveway for the high school. We dragged our kayaks into the water between a few logs that we didn’t think very much about at the time.
As we paddled we saw these gray rocks sticking out in the water. Wasn’t it odd that all those rocks look alike? As we paddled up to the first one we discovered that it wasn’t a rock but a submerged log. And then we realized there were dozens and dozens of logs. Some with just part of their ends sticking out of the water and more under water. The logs had square cut ends.
We surmised that these must be logs that were salvaged and stored here from the Hurricane of 1938. The logs have been in the pond for 82 years. (I was able to confirm that we did guess correctly and this is true).
I took my paddle and pushed on the log and it surprised me how it bobbed up and down and I could spin it around too. Now that we were looking for logs we just kept seeing them.
On the far end of the pond we paddled by a couple fishing from a canoe. We also discovered that there is a gravel cartop/canoe ramp on Gile Road. I would have learned that if I had pulled up the map right.
If you don’t own a boat or a kayak go rent one! There are boat rentals available all over New Hampshire.
Have fun.