View from the lake.
Outdoor Activities
Time spent in the great outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, paddling, and shooting. Anything well away from the madding crowd.
Air dry.
July 4, 2021 16:44
Fun and frolics at the lake – The lake was warm, almost bath temperature. I didn’t bother to count how many times I took a dip. It was a lot. Slideshow: +5
July 4, 2021 16:02
Journaling – I did a lot of thinking and scribbling. Unfortunately, I came away with a lot more questions than answers. 2
July 4, 2021 11:02
Enjoying the view – between interludes of journaling and swimming. I even completed some camp chores.
July 4, 2021 10:48
Day Three – Morning coffee
July 4, 2021 9:43
Breakfast – Biscuits and gravy and a cup of coffee.
July 4, 2021 9:20
Day Two Campfire.
July 3, 2021 20:50
Day Two – Piney Creek lakeside vistas. I never tire of the play of light on the trees here. +2
July 3, 2021 13:56
It’s good to be back – Camped in Piney Creek Wilderness. I was last here on a day hike with Katie and Lanie back in April. It’s good to be back and I’m planning on staying for three nights in a repeat of my visit over Independence Day Weekend last year. One-minute read, +2
July 3, 2021 12:24
First glimpse of the lake – but not my first encounter. I checked the lake level before I left, and it was five feet above standard pool. When I was here this time last year, I think it was eleven feet above pool. Anyway, the lake was high enough to have covered the trail in places on the way in. One-minute read
July 2, 2021 20:10
Leave no trace – How NOT to camp in the Wilderness. Got your own land? Go for it, cut down trees, and make as much mess as you like. Public land? Leave no trace, Let’s not trash the wilderness. One-minute read, +3
July 2, 2021 20:04
‘Top-up Creek’ – On my trips to the lake at Piney Creek I almost always stop here to get water. So I’ve decided to name this feeder-creek ‘Top-up Creek.’
July 2, 2021 19:36
Trail journal – don’t knock my writing. It’s not easy to write neat notes while you are hiking. Note the tiny mechanical pencil I bought just for hiking. I included a normal-sized one in the picture for comparison.
June 30, 2021 16:53
Weekend cleaning – To paraphrase the immortal line from ‘Apocalypse Now,’ I love the smell of gun oil in the morning. Many years of backpacking have certainly taken their toll on the finish of my Beretta.
June 27, 2021 15:20
View to the southeast from the Pilot Trail, and the hike out.
June 6, 2021 15:11
Fire ring and campsite – I showed Ginger a little scenic overlook on a hidden trail. It looks like someone has been making themselves at home on the short trail leading to the overlook.
June 6, 2021 14:07
Journal: Gary & Ginger, a couple of nights at Hercules Glades, June 2021. Journal: 5 18
June 6, 2021 14:00
Ginger disappearing around a corner on the Pilot (Tower) Trail
June 6, 2021 13:53
Small spring and creek near ‘Ant Hill’ – The spring we found can be seen right at the bottom of the frame. The water was pouring out of a small one to one-and-a-half-inch hole in the bank. +3
June 6, 2021 10:09
Sunday Morning at ‘Ant Hill’ – We put most of our gear away after breakfast, leaving the tarp up in case it rained — it did, but only a few sprinkles. We sat around chatting and looking at the trees until noon, when we packed away the last of our gear and headed back to the trailhead. +3
June 6, 2021 7:47
Saturday evening, camped on ‘Ant Hill’ – We called this place ‘Ant Hill’ because of the huge number of carpenter ants. We couldn’t decide if the ants killed the trees or they moved in because the trees died.
June 5, 2021 18:19
Ginger’s new tent – we splurged a lot of cash on an ultralight (24oz) Dyneema tent. Now Ginger or the kids can come out with me. +1
June 5, 2021 9:00
Flowering Prickly Pear Cactus. +1