19 August, 2010 Dog Town Lake

After a bug free lunch, we headed into Williams, along 4th street which then turns in County Road 73, the Perkinsville Road, past a reservoir and up into the mountains.

After a few miles, we joined a different section of FR 141 for more red dirt driving through the ponderosa pine forest and more beautiful prairie views.

We took FR 132 to Dogtown Lake and parked on the day use parking area before taking the trail around the edge of the lake.

Just as we were starting the hike there was a huge flash as a massive bird dived into the lake, scooped up a fish in its talons and flew away. It was so fast we didn’t have time to take a photograph.

The trail, surprisingly no bugs even though we were by water, runs round the edge of the lake.

After following it for a while, we came to a water filled inlet far too deep to even think of wading across.

We climbed up into the forest and followed the inlet inland as we did we startled a deer that bounded off further into the woods. At one point we came to what looked like a sheer rockface we found a way through and carried on, eventually arriving at one looked like a boggy, rocky section, which luckily was dry, so we could get across.

Once on the other side we followed the inlet back to the lake and climbed down again to walk beside the lakeside.

Further along we met a couple who had come across in their boat to do some fishing, we chatted to them for a while and they very kindly reminded us that there were bears in the woods! I was trying not to think about that!

After another slight detour round another smaller water filled section and we got to the other side of the lake and started on our way back.

The edge of the lake was filled with wildflowers and because the water was high parts of the trail were covered with water.

We arrived back at the parking area where we sat and admired the view for a while.

Luckily no bears on the way!

Have fun, we are!