My Life : Solo Day Trip: Inks Lake : by Wil C. Fry

Solo Day Trip: Inks Lake

2018.11.15

Day Trip, Hiking

Inks Lake

As seen from up a rocky hill, Inks Lake is fuller than usual due to all our recent rains. Click the photo to see it larger.

Laughing At Myself

Here, I was laughing and out of breath, because it was the third time to attempt my self-portrait using the 10-second timer on my camera (I didn’t bring the remote). With the 50mm lens attached, getting far enough away to fit in frame required a burst of speed. Click the photo to see it larger.

Ever since school started on Aug. 27, I’ve been looking forward to a solo day trip. Wife at work. Kids at school... All I needed was for the temperatures to drop into comfortable range and for the rain to abate for a few days. Though we saw our first freezes a few days ago, today we were expected to hit mid-60s, and the rain was holding off, so today was my day.

(Also, my wife wanted me to run the oven’s self-cleaning cycle, and no one’s supposed to be in the house while that happens, so...)

Yesterday, I did chores for two days, and today I set out.

I took the Dodge Neon because it seemed silly to take a minivan for just one person, though I’m aware that the Neon is on its last legs. (The cruise control quit working during today’s trip, for example. Also, the onboard sensors think one of my doors is open, so the dome light stays on; I pulled that fuse to save the battery, but now the radio doesn’t work and the dash keeps warning me that a fuse is missing.)

I made it to Burnet (pronounced “Burn it”) in under an hour, picked up a fast-food lunch and ate it during the 15-minute drive from there to Inks Lake.

The park ranger who gave me a day pass for $6 was the last person I saw for more than two hours. No exaggeration; the park was deserted and I didn’t see a single other person on the trails — even when I reached the top of a large outcropping and scanned the horizon. It was gorgeously quiet except for trickles of water I could hear in the distance and the occasional sound of a faraway vehicle. My only companions were butterflies, birds, beetles, lizards, and a long train of large red ants (in the absence of other people, the ants were using the human trail quite successfully).

I made a few worthwhile photos, worked up a little sweat, and generally had a great time.

I was home by a little after 2:30 p.m., and thus had time to mow and edge the front lawn before RnB got home from school — though I should have saved that for Saturday; I’m feeling it right now.

Fluff

Seen during my hike. Click the photo to see it larger.

Barricade

Briefly, I wondered if this barricade was why I was alone on the trail. Maybe others thought the trail was closed? But no, it was sitting beside the trail, and there was no sign. Also, there were no people before that barricade either. Click the photo to see it larger.

Burnt

There was quite a bit of evidence of recent wildfires in the park. In several places, I saw wide swaths had been taken out. Click the photo to see it larger.

Autumn

Autumn took us by surprise this year, and I think the trees were as startled as I was. After two months of mild temperatures and lots of rain, we suddenly had two freezing mornings (31°F and 26°F on Tuesday and Wednesday morning). The few yellowish trees in this photo were the only “fall colors” I saw on this trip. Click the photo to see it larger.

Hello!

It is the 21st Century, after all, so I made this self-portrait with my phone not long after arriving. Click the photo to see it larger.

Shrooms

Some colorful fungi I found in the shade of a tree. Click the photo to see it larger.

Above

The skies were gorgeous throughout the day. I think the tree in this photo was a victim of a recent fire (rather than losing its leaves to autumn). Click the photo to see it larger.

Springtime?

I don’t know when cacti grow these red bulb-ish things, but I’d always assumed they did it in the spring. Quite a few plants were blooming today, despite freezing temps very recently. It sure felt like spring as I walked the trails. Click the photo to see it larger.

Stack

The obligatory cairn photo. Click the photo to see it larger.

Yellow

Sweet little flowers were everywhere, as if springtime just arrived. Click the photo to see it larger.

Comments From Original URL

Anderson Connors, 2018.12.01 at 16:15

“It was gorgeously quiet except for trickles of water I could hear in the distance…”

As a wise man once said: If you can’t hear woofers thumping or motorcycles revving, you know you’re not in Killeen anymore. ;-)

“I made this self-portrait with my phone…”

Alex, I’ll take “Ways To Tell You’re Getting Old” for 400. By refusing to use the word “selfie”, we have designated ourselves as obsolete.

“The obligatory cairn photo.”

That looks improbably precarious. Gravity works in mysterious ways…

I’m glad you had a good day trip. I need to do something like this soon. Very soon.

Wil C. Fry, 2018.12.01 at 17:56

“If you can’t hear woofers thumping or motorcycles revving, you know you’re not in Killeen anymore…”

Ha. Exactly!

danacoh3n, 2018.12.26 at 11:18

How to know you’re a true introvert. Walking alone for two hours is heavenly. Count me among those who love walking and not seeing or hearing anyone else.

Wil C. Fry, 2018.12.26 at 12:42

I really would like to somehow work into my schedule something like this once a month or more, but of course the summers are too hot. Which means I need to do it more often in winter…