We finally went kayaking for the first time this year and it was so beautiful and relaxing. I can't really find the right words to describe what paddling does for my spirit. It just makes me want to invite everyone I know and love (and even people I don't know!) to try it out and reap the benefits of some quiet time with Mother Nature.I've written about Dubes Pond in Hooksett a couple of times before. (You can read a short piece I wrote for paddling.net last year) If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it for a good early-season or late-season paddle. By mid-summer, this shallow pond is sure to be choked with vegetation.
Basics: As you first set out from the launch, you'll see a water skiing channel (marked by buoys and flags). Don't be put off by this or you could miss a jewel of a pond. You'll soon lose sight and sound of the small water skiing area and will be drawn instead to some open water, small islands, and many marshy channels to explore. Watch for granite boulders throughout this 94-acre pond.
Wildlife: The heron rookery we saw two years ago appears to be gone, but we did see a heron, also several geese, ducks, turtles, and a number of fresh beaver lodges.
Special Notes: The area we launched from last year near the picnic table is now posted as private property. The adjacent public launch is a little rocky, but do-able. There are no public facilities here.
Directions: From Manchester, take Routes 3/28 north and turn right onto route 27. The boat access is on the left, just a little more than 2 miles beyond the junction with Bypass 28. You can drive up to unload your boat and then park across the road.
2 comments:
We paddled here today for the first time. There was a boat that was using the center of the pond for water skiing the whole time. They seemed very friendly and we steered clear while enjoying the waves.
This pond was much smaller than I imagined it would be. It is very pretty and the flowers on the water are lovely. The milfoil, however, is terrible and makes paddling difficult. We were surprised not to see more wildlife - but did manage to see one heron flying. That's always worth it. Not sure I would recommend this place to paddle again.
Hi,
Thanks for writing. We generally only recommend Dube's Pond early in the season before it gets overgrown with vegetation. (Not sure if the post mentioned this.) Unfortunately, I've been inactive on the blog, though we are still out paddling NH as often as we can.
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