Sunday, February 21, 2010

Campground – Dam Loop: Revisited (February 20th, 2010)

It’s been a marvelous weekend with high temperatures in the low to mid 60s F. Time to get out and enjoy the warmth. I wanted to walk the Campground – Dam loop that we first walked at Fort Yargo State Park at the end of January. The lake level had been lowered six feet at that time; it was planned to lower the depth by eight feet to allow for construction near the Nature Center. Time to see what had changed.

It looks like a buck has sharpened his antlers on a tree in the campground area just to the right as we headed down to the trail.

The dock by the campground (segment 8) is still a magnetic feature for me. Some folk are fishing from the shore in the foreground; they are on the ‘yurt’ side of the campground (segment 7). It’s not possible to see the inlet from this angle.

The Nature Center at the far end of the lake (segment 10). The line of rocks extending into the lake in the middle of the photo extends from the point at the Fishing Area (segment 12-13). Someone is fishing from those rocks too.

The lake level has now been lowered just over eight feet. (Compare with the photo in this post).

Another photogenic tree stump – this time on segment 3 – exposed at low water. (Sadly, the stump I photographed previously has disappeared). The ring-billed gulls were still on the lake – off to the right of this point - but they were far from shore.

One tree ‘hosting’ another tree. I’m not sure what the ‘host’ tree is since it’s deciduous. It looks like this tree suffered some trauma that stopped the growth of a single trunk. The tree developed two branches that have become the tree. The original trunk is now a hollow bowl. A pine seed – probably a Loblolly Pine – germinated and is growing happily in the bowl.

A kayaker is enjoying a paddle. There were several kayakers on the lake.

A cluster of parchment fungi survive on a fallen tree trunk.
Click on an image to view a larger image


Related posts:
- Marburg Creek Reservoir: Fort Yargo State Park
- Campground - Dam Loop: To The Dam
- Campground - Dam Loop: Dam To The Half-way Point
- Campground - Dam Loop: Half-way Point Back To The Dam

- Campground - Dam Loop: Back to the Campground

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha. Heather and I were there that same day. It was beautiful outside, nice to be tromping around. I posted about it just a couple days back actually.

Small world. :)

JSK said...

Sure is a small world!
Wondered if we had passed each other but you were on the other side of the lake. You covered quite a lot of ground including some that I haven't covered yet.
I'm normally rowing but that's a little difficult at the moment with the lake level lowered. So wandering trails at the moment.

JSK said...

BTW, the reason some of the park has been 'cleared' resulted from a tornado associated with hurricane Katrina that destroyed about 900 trees.

Joy K. said...

I love the "photogenic tree root." It looks like some weird insect, searching for prey.

Jacqueline said...

I remember Yargo Park from last months FoTT's. It's a phenomenally beautiful place. No wonder you spend time there. I love your photos. You have real skill as a photographer. As for the log, I would have liked to have hauled it back home to sit somewhere in the garden, but these things aren't done in national parks.

JSK said...

I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. My favorite stump is one I posted on January 26th this year. Unfortunately it looks like someone did take it; it was missing a week after I photographed it.