My own private resevoir.

After a year of relative inactivity, I am once again moving my body around. It's not exercise because the purpose is to remove myself from everyday life and think, feel the weather, see the trees and the lake, overhear snippets of conversation, and move through space. The eastern half of Lake Johnson, here in Raleigh, is perfect for this. The 3 mile loop is paved, leaving me to pay attention to the surroundings instead of my feet.

The western half of the lake is suitably unpaved and ill-maintained for the illusion of remoteness. The trail isn't marked well so it is possible, as I found out this week, to lose it (twice) and take alternate trails. If this is what you're looking for, remember to stay as close the water's edge as possible and wear boots to slog through the mudholes.

In the evenings and on weekends the two main parking lots overflow, so visiting in the morning is a good idea.