Three Great Ponds, the 13th annual guided walk

Hurricane Dorian’s leftovers caused a one-day postponement, but other than that the Wellfleet Conservation Trust (WCT)’s annual guided walk, entitled “Three Great Ponds”, was one of the best ever.

It was held on Sunday, September 8th, 2019 at 9:00 am starting at the Wellfleet Senior Center at 715 Old Kings Highway. Despite the postponement, 87 people participated. The weather was perfect, sunny, with the lightest tinge of fall.

The WCT Annual Guided Walk is a tradition that began in 2007. It offers the public an opportunity to experience the beauty of Wellfleet’s open space and conservation lands while being guided by naturalists and other local experts who share their knowledge of the history, geology, and ecology of the areas being explored.

Topics this year included the Council on Aging, the Community Garden, the Municipal Water System’s well pumping station, the old Boy Scout Camp, a discontinued firing range, the dog park, early 20th century Governor Eugene Foss’s Wellfleet connection, a visit to two early 1900s camps, and views of three of Wellfleet’s great ponds: Duck, Great, and Dyer.

The camps were a special treat. They’re private, so one normally cannot see inside, but because of this special event we were able to view them and to hear great stories from current owners. One was  the Garrison family, for a camp established by Frank Garrison’s grandfather, MA Governor Eugene Foss and his brother. The other was the Lay family.

It looked as though nothing had been changed in these beautiful spots for over a 100 years. In one camp we saw the propane toilet in the outhouse, the pump in the kitchen, the propane fridge, kerosene lanterns. There was a list of birds killed by each hunting party long ago.

The walk was a bit over 2.5 miles in length and took three hours, allowing ample time for wandering about and hearing presentations. The terrain was a combination of sandy roads, narrow paths and a few paved roads, most of it shaded. There were a couple of steep bits.

The annual walks are free of charge. They’re held shortly after Labor Day.

All are welcome to participate, and no reservation is required. There are cars posted at various spots for anyone who can’t easily make it the full three miles.  The difficulty level is easy to moderate.

[Photos by Susie Quigley and Susan Bruce]