C172 PLT WHILE FLYING VFR BELOW 500 FT ENCOUNTERS PWR LINES AND FLIES BELOW THE LINES.

Narrative

I DEPARTED FROM 5R3 WITH A FRIEND ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT OVER LAKE TRAVIS TO FIND A FRIEND ON HIS NEW BOAT FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY. I ATTEMPTED TO STAY AT 500 FT ABOVE THE WATER AND OBSTACLES. WHILE WE WERE BOTH WATCHING THE WATER I GOT OFF ALT; ROUNDED A BEND IN THE LAKE AND SAW WIRES XING THE LAKE FROM A HIGH HILL TO MY R. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO DUCK; SO I FLEW UNDER THE WIRES THINKING I COULD DIVE UNDER SAFER THAN I COULD TRY TO OUT-CLB THEM. AFTER PASSING UNDER THEM I THEN CLBED BACK TO MY 500 FT AND CONTINUED UP THE LAKE AND ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR 3R9 WHICH IS 300 FT ABOVE THE WATER LEVEL. THEN I LEFT THE LAKEWAY PATTERN AND FOLLOWED THE LAKE BACK TO 5R3; AND LANDED. I HAD BORROWED THE PLANE WITHOUT ASKING BUT I DID HAVE THIS ARRANGEMENT WITH THE OWNER. HE LATER TOLD ME I WAS CALLED IN FOR BEING TOO LOW. I HAD FLOWN THE LAKE IN THE PAST BUT THIS TIME I WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE. THERE WERE FAR MORE BOATS OUT THAN I WAS USED TO SEEING. I FEEL LIKE I MADE THE SAFEST CHOICE WHEN I SAW THE WIRES AHEAD. I PLAN TO STAY AWAY FROM THE LAKE DURING BUSY TIMES AND WATCH MY ALT MUCH MORE CLOSELY IN THE FUTURE.