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Ashmere Lake in Hinsdale, MA

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:35:00 -0500

We were recently on vacation in western Massachusetts, and I took the kayak along. The cottage we rented was only one street away from Ashmere Lake, so I was able to go out and explore the lake a few times. Lake Ashmere is mostly lined with houses, two summer camps, and a few motorboats. It’s not an ideal paddling destination, but it was worth checking out.

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Upper Bolton Lake in Bolton, CT

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:20:00 -0500

What a gem! Upper Bolton Lake’s launch is simply on the opposite side of the road of Middle Bolton Lake’s launch, but it’s an area that feels completely different. Upper Bolton Lake is quiet, the shore is lined with trees, and it’s shallow paddling. While there I saw a red-tailed hawk, a great blue heron, red-winged blackbirds, geese, ducks (and a variety of other little birds I can’t identify) as well as turtles, jumping fish, and an old beaver lodge.

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Middle Bolton Lake in Bolton, CT

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:00:00 -0500

Middle Bolton Lake is a little further from us than Lower Bolton Lake (about 15 minutes). Being further away from route 44 it was much quieter. Middle Bolton Lake also took about an hour to paddle around, though the shape of it means it catches some wind, so either going out or back you’ll have to work a little harder. Houses line the shore. When I was there the lake was pretty quiet, though all of the boats there make me think it sees a lot more use in warmer weather.

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Bolton Notch Pond in Bolton, CT

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:46:50 -0500

I’ll remember Bolton Notch Pond for a while, not because of the location but because I fell into the water twice trying to get into my kayak here! Despite being so close to home, it’s really not a good place to go: it’s right next to the routes 6/44/384 merge (it’s loud), trash is everywhere, the water has a terrible odor, and it’s quite small. On the upside, there are turtles everywhere!

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Lower Bolton Lake in Bolton, CT

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:45:00 -0500

Lower Bolton Lake is a good place for me to go kayaking primarily because of its proximity to us: about 10 minutes away. The area isn’t too big, and is about an hour of leisurely paddling to cover the circumference of the lake. The side of the lake at the boat launch can be a little loud because it’s right next to route 44. The far side of the lake is a bit quieter. Houses line the entire lake.

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