Meetup - Lake Quinsigamond

I have been waiting to see a post for paddling on the AMC website, but alas, they have been few and far between.  So, since I make contributions to the Worcester Paddler's Meetup group, I decided to see if there was any action there.  I found an activity on a body of water I have never been on before - Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury & Worcester.  I signed up, but originally I was wait-listed.  However, later in the week I checked my various email folders to find out, that I was now "on" the trip - a Friday afternoon excursion from 4-6pm.  Perfect!

We started way south on lake, south of Rt 20 as a matter of fact.  I didn't even know it extended this far south.  But at this point we're on Oak Island.  It is in the town of Shrewsbury and it is quite populated.

There's a leader and 2 other paddlers launching from this wide boat ramp.  The parking lot also had ample space.

Looking to the east there's lots of lake, power lines and puffy clouds.

Here's our first bridge, passing under Rt 20.

This is a "private" island and it's posted as such,  There is at least picnic table.  Apparently, it can be used if you know the right people.

One of the homes in this compound is owned by Lt. Governor Karen Polito.  Reportedly her mother and brother own the other homes.  The bridge on the right leads from the compound to another private island.  We took a break on a small beach on the Worcester side of the lake.

On the way back, we catch a glimpse of a bald eagle family high up in the trees.

Looping around Oak Island, the lake gets narrow, obscured with lily pads.  And we pass under a very narrow bridge.

We come around the corner and I'm all turned around.  I almost blew right past the put-in site.  But there it is.

This was a leisurely paddle.  We traveled 3.87 miles in 1:40.  What surprised me the most was how long this lake was.  From the northernmost point of our journey, we were still 0.9 miles from Rt 9 where the White City shopping district is.  Moreover, the part of the lake with which I'm most familiar up to I-290 is another 1.3 miles beyond that.  I'll be heading back sometime to do more paddling there for sure.