Glaciers pick up rock debris as the ice flows along.
Glacial meltwaters carry sand and gravel from the glacier. Where the meltwater streams experienced rapid drops in flow rate, as when they emerged from a tunnel under the ice, or reached level ground at the ice edge, some of the load of sand and gravel was piled up to form a kame. Such asymmetrical hills tell us which side the ice was on when the kame formed, which in turn tells us the direction of ice flow. Kames are often excavated as sources of sand and gravel for construction. Local examples of kames include Chicopee, Beechwood hill, Doon Pinnacle, and the Baden Hills.