US-11573 West Hill Dam WMA
I was standing in front of my car taking a picture of the barricade when the man who built the structure walked over to say hello in a way that made me want to show him that my hands were empty.
I'm slowly learning that Apple Maps does not really show you the way to POTA happiness. On some cases it can barely show you the way to the parking lot. The picture above is what you'll be looking at when Apple Maps announces that you've "Arrived!" at West Hill Dam in her chipper little voice.
I was standing in front of my car taking that picture when the man who built the structure walked over to say hello in a way that made me want to show him that my hands were empty. He asked what I was up to, and I told him, and he explained that the state had appropriated some land along the edge of his farm to construct a road into the north side of West Hill Dam, and they even built a parking lot and recreation structures called West Hill Park on the other end. The farmer had spent years in court fighting this and, according to him, won, however the road was still there and cars continued to use it. He explained that in the summer it was hundreds of cars a day on weekends.
And so he took the matter into his own hands and filled this end, which is where most mapping apps will drop you, and the other end near the actual park, with rubble and a gate, making them impassible.
I understood his frustration as he detailed the long fight with the state. We had a nice chat – he is a beekeeper and I was curious about it – and after fifteen minutes he told me how to get to the park on the other side of the barricades, about a mile and a half around by car. You'll want to come in on the south side, off of Hartford Ave East. If you are on Quaker Road, you'd better know something about bees.
Once I'd arrived at the site, one of the first things I noticed was a bike repair station in the parking area. I've seen these at other sites that are frequented by bikers, and it's a really nice feature. I'd later learn that West Hill Dam is very popular as a trail bike spot, and I saw several folks out riding during my visit.
The paths around the dam are wide, mainly used as access roads for maintenance vehicles, and so it's a pretty easy walk in any direction. A main path runs along the dam and loops back around, and the northwest section has a large 'skills park' for bikes with moguls and bowls and the like.
West Hill Dam is popular with dog walkers, too, and I was happy to get to pet a lot of Good Dogs as I explored the paths and settled on a place to operate from. I tend to be either on water or up on the highest spot I can find when I activate, and here the little stream coming out of the dam creates a lovely pond to sit on and watch the birds come and go, attracted, I think, by the music of CW filling the air. Chickadees especially like CW.
I ended up not far from the skills park, in fact I was just a few feet off of one of the trails leading into it. I've become a little less shy about POTA activations – in the past I'd insist on not being seen or heard, but now I'm more comfortable with people stopping by and asking what I'm doing. As you can see from the photos, it wasn't the warmest day, and the bikers were few, replaced by dog-walkers for the most part.
Like a lot of Wildlife Management Areas this was once a working farm and evidence of its past is all around you, from stone foundations poking out of the ground, to antique farm implements, and of course, stonework everywhere. Everything you had was made from wood or stone, and in areas like this you'll find not only the structures, but the quarries, too, where farmers cut stone for their use.
The quarries are fascinating and range from the quite large, like the one at US-6984 Black Hut that produced the granite for Roger Williams' tombstone in Providence, RI, to small, individual boulders that have been harvested by just a few people. The technique for this was to dig a pit around one face of a small boulder, typically no more than eight feet in diameter, and then back your cart down against it in the pit. You'd chisel out slabs, and they'd fall into the cart. I've seen these pits in nearly every area I've been in New England, and they are a fascinating look into how people lived not all that long ago.
I arrived late and stayed just long enough to log 15 CW QSOs. It had taken quite a bit of time just finding the right road, and I'd also spent time chatting with Barricade Bob about his bees. I found a spot with a view of the dam, right off of the bike trail that leads to the skills area, hung the EFHW up in the pines, and parked on 14.063 to take visitors. I've done this enough now that I remember calls and names (and if I don't, PoLo reminds me) and it adds another dimension to what is already a fun activity. I even recognize a few fists, there's a ham down in LA on a bug and I'd swear he has a Cajun accent on that thing!
This site has very few activations – I was the third – almost all on CW. There's nothing wrong about the park, there are plenty of tables, facilities including a restroom, and easy trails in a lovely part of the state. I probably won't go back soon since I'm focusing more on new (to me) parks, but I'll keep this place in mind if I'm ever in the area planning a rove. It's easy to get to once You Know How and there are lots of spots to set up, either on a table or in the woods. There are parks I won't go back to, but this isn't one of them.