March 17- 2016 Illinois & Michigan Canal

We had SUN today!!  Not an overly flashy hike, but we had the warm sun all morning.  We met in the Lodge's Lobby and drove to Utica and walked West on the towpath.  When we arrived at Split Rock, we turned around and came back.  About 5 miles walked today.  35 walkers and 2 dogs.  Did I mention we had a full walk of warm sun???

I took this photo at my house earlier in the week, thought I would share it.  Enjoy!!

I tried to get everyone to turn around for a photo.  It is very hard to corral 35 anxious hikers. They just wanted to get out there and walk.

Met this group near the Black Ball Mine area.  (Our Joe is in the orange hat reminiscing with them.  When he was teaching Geology he would bring his class the Black Ball Mine Area)  They were suiting up to go into the mine and check on the bats.  5 species of bats are known to use this mine site, one of which is the endangered Indiana bat.  They will be monitoring them for the White-Nose Syndrome.  Their numbers have been dropping over the past few years.

1/2 of the "Split" from Split Rock.  Yes that is an old railroad tunnel through the limestone.

We're almost half way.  I told everyone that had to touch Split Rock or it didn't count.  Count for what??? I have no idea, but it sounded good.

Contemplating if they want to return the way they came, I guess.

Nice sunny warm day to be out hiking.

Looking back...

2.4 miles to get back to Utica.  Time when fast today.  These markers are all along the Canal going bothe ways.

We are on our way back.  This is the bridge over the Pecumsaugan Creek that runs under the Canal.

Snake on the Tow path

Close up view of the same snake.  Garter snake

The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. It ran 96 miles (154 km) from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago Portage and helped establish Chicago as the transportation hub of the United States, before the railroad era. It was opened in 1848, its function was largely replaced by the wider and shorter Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900 and it ceased transportation operations with the completion of the Illinois Waterway in 1933.

We saw these plasic sheets along the side of the towpath.  They have numbers and letters on one end.  Thought maybe it had something to do with adding gravel to the surface.  Don't really know.

A few buds starting to come out.  Spring is only a few days away. March 20th.

Not many wildflowers to be seen on this hike.  Here is the start of some day lillies.

We were just about finished for the day!  Notice how blue the sky was!!!

This piece of art (The Glassinator) sits in front of the Lodge.  There was a mild breeze and all the parts were spinning.

I will leave you with this:  Hiking is a bit like life - The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other….again and again and again.  And if you allow yourself opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit.

Buffalo Rock State Park 02-25-2016

Today's walker's club had 29 walkers and 5 well behaved dogs.  We met in the Lobby by the front desk and carpooled to Buffalo Rock State Park.  It is the smallest of the 3 nearby state parks at 298 acres. 

There are 2 buffalo at this park.  Both looked real good today.  Sometime we come here and we can't even see them. Today they were very close. 

Buffalo 2 stayed a bit back.

It got a little interesting when the dogs when by the fence.  Bark, charge, bark, charge

After our short visit with the buffalo, it is time to walk

And we were off

I noticed a sign that said, stay on the trail.  I had not seen that sign before at that location.  So we followed it.  We came to a platform, that had a sign on the metal plate.  I have no idea what it said.  We could see the old tailing piles that was left over from the mining there from the Ottawa Silica Company.

They had really cleared out the brush since we were last here.  You can now see the Effigy Tumuli from the viewing deck.

  The Chicago based Crane Company purchased Buffalo Rock in 1912, where a sanatorium was built for employees.  On Nov. 15, 1928, the company deeded the property to the state.

The Effigy Tumuli, one of the more unique attractions in Illinois, can be found here.  This earthen art exhibit recreates sculptured earthen effigies dating back more than 3000 years.  Effigies were created by native peoples as temple platforms or burial mounds.  A result of a creative coal mining reclamation project on land donated by Ottawa Silica Company, the site contains a 2,070 - foot long snake, a 140- foot long frog and a 770 foot long catfish.  Also located along the mile and a half long bluff are a water strider and turtle.

View seen looking West on top of the snake formation

Group on top of the snake.  Wishing they could go down and explore.

On one of the overlooks on the wooded trail, overlooking the Illinois River, we saw this eagle's nest.  Yes there is an eagle in it. 

Where is the group geologists when you need him?  What's going on with the holes?  They were everywhere.

Beautiful colors on the rocks.  These are a sight to see especially if you are in a kayak (I know this from experience)

Steps leading back to the main trail from the overlook

One of the relatively new trail signs at Buffalo Rock

I will leave you with this: Take a hike or walk, because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office, mowing the grass or shoveling the snow.

Matthiessen State Park 02-19-2016

I had some friends come up from the St. Louis area for the Mega Hike on Saturday 02-20-2016.  They came up a day early so they would be ready to hike at 8:30a.m.  My friend Ron and his wife Carol and I took them hiking at Matthiessen State Park.  This is Starved Rock's sister park about 1 1/2 miles south on RT 178.  Very enjoyable day.  A little muddy, a little icy but 60 degrees.  No complaints here.

Bits of ice are still left.  Ice should be gone in a few days.

First ice fall of the day

Cement sidewalk leading to Matthiessen Lake

My friend Cathy, she walked with me through the Smokey Mountains, when I did a month on the Appalachian Trai.

On the foot bridge overlooking Matthiessen Lake and Lake Falls

Matthiessen Lake Falls, almost gone.

From Lake Falls we walked the lower trail to Cascade Falls

I love this part of the trail

They looked so colorful!  I just had to make them stop for the photo.

Stream crossings weren't so bad today.

They were probably tired of me taking photos.  Going up near Cascade Falls

Devil's Paint Box

This frozen fall was a surprise.  Once you go down the concrete steps this was on the right

Cascade Falls are almost gone

Cascade Falls

Cathy and Nancy having a heart to heart

This bonus ice fall was also melting quite rapidly

Stone steps near the bridge on the south end of the dells area

I will leave you with this: As I grow up, I realize it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones.