Day One

Three nights, four days relaxing by the lake in Piney Creek Wilderness. Except, someone has stolen the lake, it is very low. I’ve not visited this wilderness in over a year and the lake is around thirty feet lower today.

My plan for this trip is simple. Do nothing. I just want to sit and enjoy the view for a few days. We’ll see how that plan pans out.

I didn’t leave home until one pm. I’d booked the car in for a service this morning, and that threw everything out. It wasn’t until two-thirty that I got on the trail, and I didn’t arrive at my campsite until four-thirty. When I got to Piney Creek I decided to hike along the creek bed rather than hack my way across the briar and (in my imagination) snake-filled ‘Cat Briar Meadows.’

When I arrived at Table Rock Lake, it was a lot lower than I expected.

I may have to hike a bit to get water as the lake water here is very scummy and full of silt. Fortunately the creek was running, and that is a good nearby(-ish) backup water source.