CHEROKEE LAKE -- A PUBLIC NUISANCE??

The wind picked up strength around 4PM this afternoon and the surface was covered with large rollers (waves) and  I was really taking a beating from the shock of the boat slamming into those waves.  I just happened to look ahead of the boat and saw a rock pile (mountain top) barely breaking through the surface.  It was unmarked (no buoy) and was new to me as I don't remember seeing that thing last year.  It's location is right alongside the main river channel, which normally runs 85 feet deep. The lake is being lowered for the winter and these hidden rock piles lurk just inches below the surface in some places.  This was a very close miss today.  Check out the video below.  The win swept waves are breaking on the rocks.

Needless to say this is not one of my favorite lakes.  I won't even take my own personal boat out on it.  It's an enormous rock quarry full of water except that now, in October, the level has been lowered.
Even the Fall leaves that grace the ugly, morbid shoreline can not improve the looks of the place.

I had to beach the boat and get my feet on dry land because my lower back and legs were starting to ache.  The constantly slamming of the boat on the rolling waves was getting ridiculous.  It's like running a car sixty miles per hour over a road that has pot holes every one foot for the entire length of it.  

No, that little island won't do.  The boat will wash away.

I picked a boulder shoreline that had spaces between the boulders covered with shale.  I can't imagine anyone wanting to build a million buck house on this lake.  It's desolation personified!

The waves were getting higher out here in the middle of the water and I decided to pack it in after only fifteen minutes on this island.

 Shade knows where the treats are.  Then, she gives me that "can I have one" look.

We were skirting an island in the center of the lake when I noticed the deer standing fully exposed on the defoliated shoreline.  I don't know how I pulled off the pictures as the boat is like a roller coaster out there.

The white tails looked out of place on that baron shoreline.  A shame such a noble animal has to live out it's life in a stone quarry.

Look at the rich, thick, lush, green grass they can languish on.  

If I could get em on this boat, I'd take em off this moon stone and shuttle them over to Panther Creek State Park.

Yep - lots of deer pictures.  They are the only two living beings I saw out here in six hours.  I kind of went nuts taking pictures of them.

Aside from the deer - the prettiest sights came when I was nearing the boat ramp to get off the water.

 I even took too many sky pictures.  It is pretty though.

 I'm glad I'll be off this bucket of water in January.  It's back on the beautiful river in the morning.  I can't wait.