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Dune Lake Process before your eyes

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mikecat adjuster

Beach Fanatic
It's raining, HARD! You decide to walk the Eastern Lake trail or through Cassine Gardens to where the picnic table sits at the edge of Eastern Lake in the woods. When you come from Cassine gardens you will pass over two little bridges. I'm not giving directions here, but should someone want them I'd be happy to provide you with that, or heck, take you myself. Anyway...

During times of heavy rains you will see the area under the bridges inundated with briskly moving water. Foam and suds will accumulate and bubbles will spin and circle and flow down and away. Paths previously not paths at all will be joined into the little creek and fallen leaves will applaud and enjoy the journey as well.

Two such little wooded bridges are elevated over the creeks and will be passed by you on the trail before you arrive at the north end and back of Eastern Lake. Here, if the rains have been robust and long-standing, you will see a full lake. Contrarily, at times of low water the rear portion of this lake is be represented by a meandering snake-like creek, which is made up of the two creeks you passed in the woods.

A day or so ago while at the edge of teh lake there, I noticed that the water level was at the height of several pilings that are in the water. These pilings appear to have once served to support a bridge crossing from one side to the others. I've seen some nice cotton-mouth around the lake back there incidentally.

The point I made about the water levels being at the top of the piling is because when the water achieves this height, the lake is soon to pass over the beach on the Gulf side and a breach will occur, spilling its fresh water into the Gulf and the Gulf having an exchange as well.

I actually video taped this process and may put it up here. I used vocals to explain the processes and carelessly found that rather than using my 'professional' voice, I'd utilized my 'sexy' voice instead. For some of our more scholarly readers here, that contrast may not allow for a full assimilation of the information. It might confuse them.

Anyway, Eastern lake did break through, as did Deer lake and I'm sure a few others. What is up with Camp Creek? I didn't paddle to see but I've seen it breached before and it didn't seem to pull much from it. The water is sky high in Camp creek. A little statute of a kid fishing from a dock, who was once fully visible is now totally breathing with the fish.

Btw, while fishing in one of the dune lakes the other day I had a man, his son and girl with him. She was 9, he was 7. The son inquired into my kayak and I espoused its great usefullness. He was excited about it but at the mention of me letting him paddle it he became withdrawn and fearful. His father tried first, then the girl before I was finally able to convince him, the boy. It is a treasure in life to help someone to break down their self-emposed barriers, (defense mechanisms) and see the glow and glory in their eyes when they accomplish their feared feat. He did.

And he did succeed. He went forward, backward, spun around and was a successful young man with a memory of that for who knows how many years. And I will live in his mind for those years. For him, his time visiting sowal where he walked to the edge of a dune lake from the beach and met this man who offered the use of a kayak. How profound? And what serendipidy will one day fall upon me as a result of the things I do? I can only hope!

If anyone wants to do something fun, let me know. If someone wants to go looking for snakes, paddle a dune lake, meet and greet, discuss monetary policies of the world banks, the possibility of either China or an Arabian country cornering gold and forcing the US dollar to dissolve further and faster. You know, fun topics ike that. I'm all in ;)

But seriously, I'd love to go walking in the woods or do something with someone who has something interesting to say, has special knowledge of the woods and its assetts, or who is a downright, drop dead gorgeous Ms. Thing.

And remember, I started this out about tracing the processes of Eastern Lake. It's raining right now.
 
Bridges

I love those charming little bridges hidden back behind Cassine Gardens. When there's been a good rainfall, it is really magical to see the water gushing through. It's like a little piece of North Carolina right here in SoWal. By the way, the pilings up in the north part of Eastern Lake are from a bridge that use to be used by Pt. Washington residents to get down to the beach way back when. The Wesley Family had a beach house on Eastern Lake. I have a 1936 map that shows the old trail and bridge. In the early 60's there were enough old beams left where you almost walk across it.
 
I would like to see the video too.
Thanks for a very interesting post!

(I've seen some of those cottonmouths around there :eek: )
 
I would like to see the video.

Ditto...would like to see if I get "confused" so I'll know if I'm one of the "more scholarly readers." It's quite possibly true...since I'm a bit confused by the statement that the presentation of video might confuse scholarly readers...which might mean that those who aren't confused by the video presentation are not scholarly...or maybe are scholarly, but don't know how to read?...or might be Dan Quayle. :blink:

..oh, just post the video.

.
 
Okay, here is the video

Just checking back and seeing someone wanted to see the video. I hope it is entertaining enough to actually watch. I stayed up late last night fitting it all together. I don't really have a "video" camera. It's just a regular digital 'still' camera with low rate video capability. But it suffices for some applications. Hopefully this is one of them.

I cover two dune lakes here. Eastern Lake and Deer Lake.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_0Vz69w3IU"]YouTube - Dune Lakes[/ame]
 
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