Pike Creek is surrounded by nature on all its sides. This page goes into more detail about the most important parts of the surroundings of Pike Creek. This includes the Lighthouse, Wolfe Quarry and getting in and out of the town.
Hemlock Lake
Section titled “Hemlock Lake”Hemlock Lake is the most prominent feature of Pike Creek. It’s both a source of food and work, but at times also an adversary, especially during the colder winters. Hemlock is not the actual name of the lake, it is simply what the locals call it and have done since Pike Creek’s founding.
The lake itself is deep and expansive, and sprawls out into rivers, both large and small. Almost in the middle of the lake is a small island with an old lighthouse.
Hemlock Lake is large enough for floatplanes to take off and land safely as long as the weather permits, and also large enough to make fishing one of the most prominent jobs in Pike Creek, as well as seafood being one of the most common foods.
The Forest
Section titled “The Forest”The Forest goes by many names, but no official one. Most people simply refer to it as “the forest”, or “the woods”. It surrounds the town and the lake and gets really dense the deeper you go into it. It stretches on for a long while, and no one is really sure where the border of Pike Creek ends and begins.
Plenty of businesses survive and thrive off of the forest. While not forest-related, the Wolfe Quarry lies in the middle of it, close to the rocky uplands, and serves as the main supplier of stone, gravel, and other rock-related materials. They also extract small amounts of coal from older seams uncovered during excavation, though far less than they once did. This is partly due to von Brandt–backed clean energy initiatives reducing demand, and partly because the quarry was never a dedicated coal mine.
Plenty of businesses make a living off of selling lumber and wood, both to Pike Creek itself and other small towns nearby. While Pike Creek doesn’t suffer much from a lack of heat these days, almost every house and pub has a fireplace, with newer apartments being the exception.
There are also plenty of farms that specialize in agriculture or cattle, selling their produce to Pike Creek and helping make it a largely self-sustaining town. These farms usually go back a few generations and some of them have owned the land since before Pike Creek was officially founded.
You can find all sorts of things in the forest surrounding Pike Creek. Cabins, old tunnels that are now flooded, caves, treehouses, and in some cases even small burial grounds. Everyone knows the forest hides plenty of secrets, and most kids are taught to avoid going too deep into it.
Ins & outs
Section titled “Ins & outs”There is only one road in and out of Pike Creek, and it is its main road that goes through the entire town, and terminates at Harbor Row. People and goods can come in by floatplane, but this is only if the weather permits it. There is no official ferry-service in Pike Creek, but there are boatmen who would be happy to take you in or out depending on how much you pay them.
Cars and trucks are the way people and goods make their way into Pike Creek the easiest. Buses do go from Market Central to other parts of Minnesota — primarily St. Paul. While there was an attempt to build a train track, the plans were never completed.
Outside of the town, right by the main road, you can find the Creek Junction Fuel & Mart, as well as the Creekside Motor Inn. A gas station and truck stop, along with a small motel.