I parked in nearly in the same spot as I did some ten days ago, when I was exploring the northern side of the boating launch on that foggy morning.
Today, there is more activity and the temperature is finally starting to reflect that it is late December…
While gathering my gear, I saw several people walking, some dogs running, and once I was ready, I headed toward south-east, along the shoreline.
Swimming Hole 01
As I walk in the sand, I know, just to my right, there is a very well-worn path that I have walked countless times before, but today, it is difficult to even recognize the “beach” where I have been many times before.
Looking at Rental Complex (North-East)
It was one of my easier walks to the end of the blunted point, that almost points due south, where I was once again greeted with more wood pilings (Woodhenge) sticking out of the lake’s bed.
In the mouth of the Cove
From there, I started into the cove, and I knew from previous walks along the dirt path, off to might right, that I was entering a heavy vegetation area, but once again, walking the shoreline made it look so different, and I did not expect it to drop off so quickly.
Deep in the Cove Looking East
Finally, I reached the end of the cove, or at least as I was far as I was willing to go.
I have never been to the Milford Road side of Marsh Creek before, so this is going to be very interesting.
As I entered the circle at the end of Milford Road, I saw a man standing at the trail-head dressed in orange and a gun on his shoulder.
I parked and as I got out the car, I asked the man if he had seen a lot of other people in the area, to which he said no, and then we started to chitchat.
After some time we introduced ourselves to one another, and as I read his card, I noticed that Joe Isaacs, was a drumming instructor, to which I said to him, that I had just posted earlier a video of some taiko drummers!
The two of us chatted for a little bit more than said our goodbyes, and I headed down the path to the rest of Milford Road.
Woodhenge/Pilings – South West
Crossing over a pile of rocks, I started to walk along the new shoreline, which was sandy at first, then turned darker the closer I got to the water.
One could definitely see several levels at which the water had receded.
My tripod and camera were still hanging from my neck as I walked along the beach, and slowly moved into a slightly muddier area looking at a potential shot.
In fine tuning my position, I took a half a step back and was soon sinking in mud!
Within a fraction of a second, I was thigh deep in mud, and stuck.
This was not good.
Office and Rental Complex w/pilings
I twisted myself so that I was facing where I had just come from, and I threw my tripod about 10 feet.
Somehow I had managed to keep my camera clean so far, as I tried to figure out a way to get back to safer ‘ground’.
Leaning forward, and on to my elbows, I started to slither back along my footsteps.
When I felt confident enough, I tried to stand up, which was easy enough to do, thankfully.
As I was standing there, re-assessing my situation, my cell phone began to ring.
I do not know why I answered the phone, but I did.
It was a customer wanting to schedule a meeting to drop off some photography that I had done for her.
Office and Rental Complex of point
I explained to her that I was not in front of my computer, but I could give her a call back at another time which she easily agreed to.
Wonder if my heavy breathing had something to do with her reaction.
Then it began to hit me.
The unique scent of fresh swamp mud…
Was I going to continue the day…
Looking into the shallows
I was definitely having second thoughts, but decided to trudge along for as far as I could.
If there still were any bugs that were thinking of me as a snack, I definitely had the ultimate repellent for the day, and each time I tried to find some place to wash off, I still feared sinking in again.
I walked along the various shallow inlets, and as I got further along the western coast line, it became dramatically steeper, and eventually came to a place where a newly fallen tree prevented me from going any further, so I turned around and headed back.
Returning to where I had started, I decided to continue on, heading east an into the small cove.
Looking back out
As I approached this end of the lake, on the other side I could see more pillars sticking out of the mud, along with several big rocks that dotted the mud flats in front of me.
Finally in the corner of the cove, coming out of the woods, was a small stream of clear water, which I happily stepped in to trying to clean my legs and shoes, but there was just not enough.
Looking at my watch, it is time to head back home and greet the kids, as they got off the bus and start the rest of the afternoon activities, including some good cleaning!
Earlier in the morning, after getting the kids off to school, and checking in with the digital world, I looked out the window to see if I should make the trip back to the dam at Marsh Creek Lake.
I was not too convinced that it be a good day, but I did eventually made it up to the dam, where I had only been two days before, but this time with my tripod.
My goal was to start at the spillway gate, and head north along the shoreline as far as I could go, and maybe even get onto the concrete of the main emergency spillway.
Spillway Gate
Walking across the rugged rocks, I wondered to myself several times, if I should not head straight up the hill to the vehicle road, but decided against it, and was greeted with this view when I looked back at the spillway gate.
When I got there, surprised to see that what looked like a dock or morning from a distance, seem to be pilings randomly placed poles into the shoreline.
Lonely Cat o’nine tails
I walked around the point, and onto a dry area which would have normally been covered in several feet of water, and continued looking for a way, to further explore down in the spillway.
In the Marsh
It was difficult walking in the dried swamp grass and cat o’nine tails, but I could see animal tracks heading the direction I wanted to go.
Tt was very apparent that the creatures knew how to maneuver the terrain better than I could.
Eventually time was getting the best of me, and I had to head back to my car before my kids got home from school.
