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
July 9, 2023
Piney Creek Wilderness
July 9, 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
July 9, 2023
Just sitting and watching — That’s pretty much how I spent four days. The cup of tea was optional. +2
July 9, 2023
Noodles for lunch.
July 8, 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.
July 8, 2023
Sunset at Piney Creek Wilderness. My neighbors are fishing the small bluff opposite their camp.
July 7, 2023
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
July 7, 2023
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
July 6, 2023
On the lake trail at Piney Creek Wilderness. It doesn’t look it, but that’s a 60-80 ft. climb.
July 6, 2023
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.
July 5, 2023
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.
September 13, 2022
Another end-of-trip selfie – Time to drive home and return to “civilization.” It has been a good trip. Four days of lakeside solitude. Two-minute read, +3
September 13, 2022
It’s always good to see the car where I left it.
September 13, 2022
Black Eyed Susan and backpack – Before heading up the ‘Farm Track Trail’ and into ‘Shelob’s Lair’ I stopped to fill up with cool creek water and a dunk in Piney Creek. It was cold but very refreshing.
September 13, 2022
Looking back the way I’ve come, east towards the lake.
September 13, 2022
Hiking westwards along Piney Creek. Much nicer than trying to cross ‘Cat Briar Meadow.’
September 13, 2022
Please don’t do this. If you can pack it in, you can pack it out.
September 13, 2022
Packed up and ready to leave – Day four and it is time to go.
September 13, 2022
Noodles for lunch – I cooked breakfast on the wood stove. I decided to use the Fancee Feest alcohol stove to heat water for my lunch.
September 13, 2022
Clear-up after breakfast – I’ve used this stove a lot on this trip, and its final outing was heating water for my breakfast – biscuits and Gravy, and my morning cup of mocha. +2
September 13, 2022
Day Four – Bluffs and hill by Piney Creek.
September 12, 2022
Dinner, campfire, a visitor, and dreams. I don’t have a campfire very often nowadays. But it seemed like a good way to celebrate my last evening, and what use is a fire ring if you don’t use it every now and then? +1
September 12, 2022
Twilight at PIney Creek Wilderness.
September 12, 2022
Day Three – Enjoying the last of the sun – With the sun already set on the other side of the lake, the foreground really pops in this picture. +1
September 12, 2022
Visitor – midland water snake. It appeared like a periscope sticking eight inches vertically out of the water, making a point of studying me and tasting the air with its flickering tongue. I must have passed the test because it swam past where I was sitting and proceeded to hide in a hole in the nearby rocks. +1