St. Louis, Aurora, Sac Kickapoo Canyons 09-15-2014

The Walker's Club today drove down to the Visitor Center parking lot and started from there.  The trail from the Lodge is closed to St.Louis Canyon.  A few weeks ago a truck hit the walk bridge over the entrance road and now it is waiting for someone from IDOT to come and look at the damage.  So for now, we access that trail from the Visitor Center's parking lot.

29 hikers and 2 dogs came on the hike today

First time we have been on this trail since the storm on June 30th.  Many trees are down along the way.

First we will head into Aurora Canyon and then on to the Bluff trail to St. Louis Canyon

This plant is plentiful in the park.  This is a great plant to play with and to impress your friends.  Notice the little seed pod?  You can squeeze it and it will pop and spread seeds everywhere.  I like to show people these and then watch them jump when seed pod explodes.  The plant is called jewel weed / touch me nots.

Going into Aurora Canyon, I just love these stairs!

No water in this canyon, but Aurora is still my favorite.

We all didn't fit, so we had to take turns going in.  Only about 10-15 can fit at a time.

I just looked up and took this photo.  What a great blue sky we had today!

This isn't really a flower, It is leftover from a seed pod I think?  But I love the color.

Once we got up the stairway to the bluff, this is what we saw that was blocking the bridge over the road to the Lodge.

On our way to Sac, Kickapoo and eventually St. Louis.

Top of Sac Canyon.  There is actually a waterfall

Blue Cohosh  named after the berries that arrive at this time of the year.

 We found this little Nut Hatch.  He wasn't moving.

View from the St. Louis trail

View from the St. Louis Trail

This is an Indian Pipe, it is also called the ghost plant or corpse plant.  The only wildflower without  chlorophyll.  I haven't seen one of these in the park for a few years.

Lots of iron in the sandstone at this point

Big sitting rock on the way to St. Louis Canyon

I used my new book, I just can't figure this one out.

Trail fix on the way to St Louis Canyon

Trail fix

St Louis Canyon

Yes, we have a nice waterfall in September in St. Louis Canyon!

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Muskrat in the Canyon.  He wasn't moving either.

White Snake Root

Stairway coming out of the West end, over the road and to through the picnic area.

We've arrived at the picnic area coming over the bridge.

Taking the road to our cars.  Group of hikers.......

Group of Geese.... Canadian that is!

What a great day for a hike!  Actually any day is great for a hike!

I will leave you with this: Wherever you may hike or walk, just put one foot in front of the other.  It's all about the experience not the destination.