Backpacking

Everything backpacking: our gear, trip write-ups, and individual pictures.

Four days by Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness, July 2023. It’s time I took a short break, watched the lake for a while, did some navel-gazing, and maybe some journaling. Trip write-up: five-minute read, +15

Photograph of Gary Allman at the Pineview Trailhead, Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri, USA. July 2023.

Trip over — Three nights and four days by the lake. I left a day early as I didn’t fancy hiking out in the 90°F+ temps forecast for Monday. +1

Just sitting and watching — That’s pretty much how I spent four days. The cup of tea was optional. +2

Photograph of Gary Allman sitting in a camp chair with a pot of food. Camped in Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri, USA. July 2023.

Noodles for lunch.

Photograph of Gary Allman sitting at a campfire, Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri, USA. July 2023.

Campfire — It is very rare for me to have a campfire nowadays. But I’d collected the wood, so I might as well use it and keep the fire ring clean.

Sunset at Piney Creek Wilderness. My neighbors are fishing the small bluff opposite their camp.

Camped near Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness. The forecast was for two to three days of rain, so I carried in a second tarp to have a dry area to sit and prepare meals. It sprinkled once for about half an hour. +1

Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness — I never tire of this view or taking pictures of it. Look closely; you can see that I had neighbors on this visit. Two fishermen camped at the entrance to Piney Creek. +2

On the lake trail at Piney Creek Wilderness. It doesn’t look it, but that’s a 60-80 ft. climb.

Ready for the trail. Or, judging by the reflection in my sunglasses: “Car, dunny (a.k.a. vault toilet), arm and camera.” I’m planning on spending four nights and five days at my favorite camping spot by Table Rock Lake.

R&R by the lake — It’s time I took a short break, watched the lake for a while, did some navel-gazing, and maybe some journaling. The trouble is the weather has been beastly hot. It may be my imagination, but it certainly seems to be my experience that exercise combined with high temps triggers my AFIB. So, thoughts of taking a few days by the lake have been put on the back burner.

Journal: Three days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, May 2023. I plan on spending three days on a slow hike of the 16-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness. Unlike previous trips, it is forecast to rain on the first day, not the last. Trip write-up: Ten-minute read, +43

New Parking Lot for the Big Piney Trail at Roby Lake. Big surprise, our car is the only one parked here. +1

Hike over, back at the new registration point. There’s a new parking lot, and they’ve moved the trailhead so it is on the parking lot. 18 miles hiked and 1500 ft of elevation climbed.

Black Snake by the Big Piney Trail — It got fed up with the attention it was getting from me and slithered off.

A quarter mile of sticky muddy mess. This is back near the point where the North Loop and South Loop join together.

Another drop-off.

Leaves, leaves, and more leaves. Gary takes a picture and then leaves too.

Up on the ridge.

Crossing Point — Little Paddy Creek.

Crossing Little Paddy Creek — I stopped for a brief lunch before making the final crossing.
+1

Well to the left and stock pond right in front. What an overgrown mess. This will be my last time on this trail until the winter. +1

Can’t see the bluff for the trees. The bluff’s some 50-60 ft. high. There might be a decent winter camping spot here too. +2

Tangled mess — view of a small hollow off the Big Piney Trail.

Day Three — Rocky Outcrop by the Big Piney Trail — South Loop.

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