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Hike of Quabbin Reservoir WatershedHardwick & Ware, MASunday October 23rd, 2005 |
Our hike down to the Quabbin Reservoir began at gate 45 in Hardwick. Tucked away
at the end of a long dirt road, gate 45 is one of the reservoir's more secluded gates.
On this overcast and breezy day, we were alone on the trails.
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A mile or two down the trail, we passed a beaver pond which drained into
a small stream. Our route paralleled the stream for a while. The heavy
rainfall overnight had swelled the stream.
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In an instant, the stream passed from flat ground over the crest of a hill
and began its tumble down to the reservoir; leveling off a bit on the final
leg of its journey.
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Our first glimpse of the reservoir was through a stand of trees.
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We managed to make our way onto some rocks at the water's edge.
The wind coming across the reservoir from the west made it's surface rather choppy.
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After completing our hike we proceeded to Quabbin Park at the reservoir's southern tip.
We didn't have enough time to do a second hike as we had originally contemplated, but we
did walk a short distance down to the water's edge near Hank's Picnic Area.
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We then passed by Enfield Lookout and climbed the observation tower on top of Quabbin Hill.
Looking west from the tower's base, this view includes Mt. Tom and the Holyoke Range.
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The Windsor Dam was our final stop. It's 2,640 foot length and 170 foot height serves to contain
the reservoir's 412 billion gallons of water.
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This brain teaser is a view directly down into the Windsor Dam's spillway.
Amidst the rocks, a reflection of sky can be seen on the water's surface.
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The spillway emerges from the underpass and continues downstream.
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A view from the Windsor Dam looking northeast toward Quabbin Hill.
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