Icefalls and Eagles: Winter Hike at Starved Rock

Icefall in French Canyon. Yes, I had to walk up the iced over stream into the canyon to take this picture.

This past Saturday I made my third hike in the past year at Starved Rock State Park near Utica, IL. Each hike has been in a different season. The first was last Spring, just as the plants were starting to come out of a long winter slumber. The second and longest hike, which took me from the Visitors Center to LaSalle Canyon and back, was in early fall. This most recent hike took place on a thawing winter day, after a long streak of cold and snowy weather.

Essential Hikes of the Midwest: River Ridge Backpack Trail

Sunset along the River Ridge Backpack Trail

Compared to the legendary trails through the mountains, deserts, and forests to our east and west, the Midwest gets a short shrift in the minds of many hikers. Despite a reputation for being flat, the north central region of our country has a wide variety of hiking opportunities that are quite scenic, and can be as challenging as much of what you see on the Appalachian or Pacific Crest trails (even if the challenge isn't quite as long or as quite as life threatening). This feature will be open ended and erratic as given to the standard you've come to expect from our blog. In essence, it's purpose is to share the hikes we've walked that would be tops on our list when someone asks "I'm in the area for a day/weekend/week/month/year. What should I hike?"

Hike: River Ridge Backpack Trail
Location: Forest Glen County Preserve
State: Illinois
Distance: 11 miles
Type: Long Day / Overnight
Elevation: Flat to Small Roller Coaster (50-100 foot ascents/descents are common)
Footing: Good to Poor (depending upon conditions and time of year)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Fees: $10 per group up to ten, than $1/person after that to hike with or without camping. Entrance to the park is free.


Were you to only walk the first mile and the last mile of the River Ridge Backpack Trail, you would wonder what the fuss is about. After all, it's only a mostly flat walk around a large pond and a mostly flat walk on the edge of a prairie. How exactly is this a backpack trail, and why do so many people like to hike it?

AT's AT Hiking Training Plan, Week Twenty-Six

Weeks: September 22 - September 28 (7 Days)
Miles Hiked (Total Period): 5.00
Miles Hiked (September): 17.69
Miked Hiked (September Goal): 30

Miles Hiked (Yearly Total): 154.44

Pounds Gained: 2.2
Percentage to Next Milestone: 36.00%
Pounds Lost (Total):  17.8
Weekly Goal Met: No
Nights Camped (Weeks): 0
Nights Camped (Total): 5
Nights Camped (Backpacking): 0

So this past week broke a string going back a ways of logged periods where I made weight progress. There was one major reason for this, which was that I worked long hours several days, and had to work an extra day on the weekend. The result was less hiking, more stress (and more stress eating), and just a lack of attention to the plan. I knew it was probably going to happen, and am not surprised that it did. In fact, I'm a little surprised it turned out as well as it did. The only thing I can do is do better. Things have returned to a certain level of normalcy at work, so I don't have an excuse this week.

AT's AT Hiking Training Plan, Week Twenty-Five

Weeks: September 16 - September 21 (6 Days)
Miles Hiked (Total Period): 4.13
Miles Hiked (September): 12.69
Miked Hiked (September Goal): 30

Miles Hiked (Yearly Total): 149.44

Pounds Lost: 2.4
Percentage to Next Milestone: 47.00%
Pounds Lost (Total):  20.0
Weekly Goal Met: No
Nights Camped (Weeks): 0
Nights Camped (Total): 5
Nights Camped (Backpacking): 0

Another week, another steady move in the right direction. I got one good hike in, this time amid the pines and oaks of White Pines Forest State Park near Oregon, Illinois. Best of all, it included three evenings where I pushed past the dinner problem I frequently have. This was despite several days being long work days, and thus more challenging.

Nature in All its Forms at Allerton Park

On a recent weekend, I hiked at Allerton Park near Monticello, Illinois. Once the property of a wealthy family, Allerton Park was donated to the University of Illinois in 1946. The university runs the mansion as a retreat center, and the gardens, woods, and prairies around it as a park and nature preserve. Despite living about an hour or less from it at various times in my life, this was the first time I actually visited the place. It won't be the last time I visit.

Daily Journal: June 28, 2014

Location: Madison, WI
Miles Hiked Today: 8.5
Weather: Variable Cloudiness, Warm

So it is unlikely that I am going to reach my June hiking goal. Sure, it's possible that I could pull off 14.5 miles tomorrow, or even pull off a last second hike on Monday to accomplish it. However, the prospects are pretty slim. Because I had two weeks with poor hiking totals, it forced an unrealistic expectation for this weekend. Thus, my highest total for a day this year (8.5) comes up looking like a failure.

Daily Journal: June 12, 2014

Location: Schaumburg, IL
Miles Hiked Today: 0
Weather: Partly Cloudy

There is no doubt that I live in the middle of the developed maze that is Chicagoland. From the parking lot of my large apartment complex you can see several concrete, steel, and glass office buildings that can be found in northeast Schaumburg. Just down the road from where I live (and where I work, which is also visible from my parking lot) is Woodfield Mall, the Northwest Suburbs closest thing to a tourist attraction (besides Medieval Times, which is just down I-90 on the opposite side of town). At night the sky is alight with the glow of the buildings and streetlights. Off to the east you can hear the engines of the jets taking off from or landing at O'Hare.

Hiking the Lists: The Forest Glen 3 in 1

Hike: #12
Title: The Forest Glen 3 in 1
Location: Forest Glen County Preserve, Vermilion County, Illinois
Hike List: Illinois
Difficulty: Mostly easy, although a couple climbs and descents are momentarily steep and it could be quite muddy at certain times of the year.
Duration of Hike: 1-2 hours

OK, so the "Forest Glen 3 in 1" is not an official title for this hike. However, it's a lot easier than calling it the "Willow Creek, Deer Meadow, and most of the Old Barn trails combined into one Hike"*. Although not the longest hike in the park (that's the River Ridge Backpack Trail)**, or most spectacular showcase of Forest Glen's natural beauty (Big Woods), this hike is a good sampler.

Hiking the Lists: Snake Road

Photo by Erin

Hike: #11
Title: Snake Road 
Location: LaRue-Pine Bluffs Natural Research Area, Shawnee National Forest
Hike List: Illinois
Difficulty: Mostly easy, although during spring and fall venomous snakes abound so be careful.
Duration of Hike: No more than a couple hours, depending on how many pictures you take.

Most of the geology of Illinois is dominated by glaciers. The expansive flatness of central Illinois is due to the work of ancient glaciers, as are the occasional ridges which are the remnants of terminal moraines from the glaciers. From Marengo Ridge and Volo Bog in the north, to the ridge that gave my hometown its name (Ridge Farm), the evidence is all around us.

AT's AT 2015 Hiking Training Plan, Week Two

Week: April 8 - April 14 (6 Days)
Miles Hiked (Week): 7.7
Miles Hiked (April): 9.2
Miles Hiked, (April Goal): 30
Miles Hiked (Yearly Total): 16.7
Pounds Lost (Week): N/A
Percentage to Next Milestone: 5.67%
Pounds Lost (Total):  0.6
Weekly Goal Met: N/A
Nights Camped (Week): 1
Nights Camped (Total): 2
Nights Camped (Backpacking): 0

This week doesn't have a weight update, because I have yet to weigh in properly. I overslept Monday morning at my parents house on the way back from my weekend camping and hiking trip with Erin (more on that later). And as for today, I chose to come back in the morning instead of last night, so I wouldn't have to deal with the April snowfall. Because this is supposed to be a regular feature, I figured I would just do one without the weigh-in this week, and save it for next week's post.

Back on the Trail at Forest Glen

Ever since I started my road back from pneumonia in January, March 15 was a major date on my calendar. Early on I decided this would be the date that I would finally get back on a trail after a hiatus that spanned almost four months. As day after day went by, and the snow kept falling and the temperatures kept struggling to get above freezing, I hoped I wouldn't get snowed out. Only deep snow, ice, or thunderstorms would keep from hiking. Fortunately, the weather turned out to be pretty great for hiking. The sun was shining, and the air was crisp, while not being too cold. If I didn't complete the hike, it wouldn't be the weather that was the factor.

Hiking Training Plan: Week #15 Recap

Week: September 24 - 29 (6 Days)
Miles Hiked (Week): 6.49
Miles Hiked (September): 30.49
Miles Hiked, (September Goal): 20
Miles Hiked (Yearly Total): 70.93
Pounds Lost (Week): 5.8
Pounds Lost (Total):  22.0
Nights Camped (Week): 3
Nights Camped (Total): 7
Nights Camped (Backpacking): 0

After two weeks that weren't so great (at least as far as the weight loss portion of the plan goes), this past week effectively cancelled them out, as I am back to where I was on September 9. Now that I have negated those two weeks, I think I can move on and start a winning streak.

The biggest reason this was a successful week was almost certainly that 6.49 miles of hiking. That hike, which I did with my brother, my cousin, and five friends from high school, wasn't necessarily hard, but it was by far the fastest pace I've hiked, with only one real break. Those 6.49 miles is the farthest I've hiked in one session since I did the Lake Mingo trail last year. It was a beautiful day for a hike, part of what was mostly a great camping weekend. At least until the rain came Saturday evening*.

Beyond that, I'm a little surprised at how well I did. I did mostly OK during the week before the camping trip, and I suppose I didn't overdo it on food and beverages outside of a few meals. Also, I crashed pretty early on Sunday evening, thus skipping out on dinner and only having one real meal. In addition, I'm pretty convinced that my weight last Tuesday was an anomaly.

This week begins a new month, and a new commitment. In addition to keeping up my monthly hiking goals (which jumps to a ambitious 30 miles this month), I'm also going to add weight goals. These won't always be the same amount, as I will adjust up or down depending for circumstances. For example, if it is a week where I plan on hiking both Saturday and Sunday, I might adjust it up to 4 pounds. On the other hand, for Thanksgiving week, I might be content breaking even. Most weeks it will be about 2 pounds.

*Stay tuned for a subsequent post about the camping trip, as well as a "Hiking the Lists" entry for part of the hike we did on Saturday.

Hiking the Lists #4: Garden of the Gods Observation Trail

Hike: #4

Title: Observation Trail

Location: Garden of the Gods Recreation Area

Hike list: Illinois

Difficulty: Mostly Easy (a few uphills and downhills, and some awkward rock steps)

Duration of Hike: A short walk amongst interesting rock formations

Between the 320 million year old rock formations, and the panoramic views of sizable hills, Garden of the Gods feels hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from the flat prairies and fields that cover most of the state. Although short, the quarter mile loop is a good workout with plenty of odd looking rocks and scenic vistas.

Because much of the path is stone, it can get slippery when wet. The most recent time I visited here* parts of the walk way were slippery, but nothing too hard to deal with. After a short uphill climb (or a longer one, if you go clockwise from the parking lot), you come to the rock formations. These sit high above the valley below, so mind your step. Plenty of the boulders and rocks can be accessed without equipment, so if you are looking for a chance to do some boulder hopping, this is a good place to do that. 

Many of the rock formations have names, which I did not write down at the time I walked it. I recommend that if you are looking for a weekend trip from St. Louis or Chicago, or are traveling through Shawnee National Forest and are looking for something to do, to make time for Garden of the Gods. There's a campground nearby, and many other trails in the area if you are looking for a longer, more challenging hike. 

*The only time I've visited as an adult.

Further Thoughts on Hawk Hill at Forest Glen

It's not the longest incline I've ever walked. It's not the steepest, and certainly isn't the worst footing, or most dangerous incline. Heck, it isn't even the highest or steepest climb at Forest Glen. All of that given, why does Hawk Hill (a.k.a. the path to the Vermilion River and the tower), give me such fits?

I've written about this little trail before, and how it humbled me after a few hikes which had given me confidence in my abilities. With even more distance, I continue to take a positive outlook, and have accepted that what's more important is getting to the top of that hill, even if it takes one (or more) stops to get there.

Hiking the Lists #3: Volo Bog Nature Boardwalk

Hike: #3

Title: Volo Bog Nature Trail and Boardwalk

Location: Volo Bog State Natural Area

Hike list: Illinois

Difficulty: Easy

Duration of Hike: Half hour walk

Before I begin, I have to declare something, in the interest of full disclosure. Volo Bog is not a bog, at least not in terms of how a bog is defined. To be a bog, a wetland must get its moisture solely from precipitation, which is why bogs are so nutrient poor. However, there is at least one inlet into Volo Bog, and at least two outlets, which means water flows through here. Thus, it is actually a "fen" and not a bog.

Sure could have fooled me. It definitely looked like a bog, with the sphagnum moss, tamaracks, poison sumac, and various other water loving plant species to be found. Like bogs, this is a place where carnivorous plants live. I'm pretty certain I saw a few pitcher plants hidden beneath the tamaracks.

Hiking the Mingo Lake Trail

ONE MILE? ONE FREAKING MILE? AFTER ALL OF THAT WALKING UP AND DOWN AND ALL AROUND ONE DAMN MILE?

These were the thoughts going through my mind as I reached the 2 mile marker on the Lake Mingo trail. I could have sworn that I was at least three or four miles through it. After all, I had gone down to and back up from several bridges, so I had to be about halfway, right? I mean, I had walked through a field as a storm brewed, so that HAD to count for something. Or, I guess not. Here, as I realized there were five more miles I started to wonder if I had made the right decision.

Oh sure, it wasn't like the trail was all that hard. After all, it was a trail smack in the middle of Vermilion County. The ups and downs were fairly short, and large sections of the trail were flat, including most of the last mile and a half. The temperature was not as rough as the previous week (only up to 90 instead of around 100), and being in the shade for most of the walk it would be even nicer. Were I in normal walking shape it wouldn't have been much of a thing.

However I was far from normal walking condition. This was my first major walk since I had fallen a few weeks earlier. Although the ups and downs were short, they were fairly steep. I wasn't certain how my knee would take the trail even on the flat parts, let alone the downhill. I had my trekking poles, however, and I vowed to take the ups and downs as slow as I needed to so I could finish the trail. Nevertheless, I was worried every time I took a step down, as the trail had no waterbars or stairs.

On top of that I was not feeling the best. In fact, that morning I had considered not hiking at all. However as I got closer to Kennekuk, I began to feel better. Maybe the greasy fast food breakfast had helped (saving its wrath for when I'd be on the trail), or maybe I just started to wake up. Of course, that couldn't be it, because I hadn't gone to sleep yet.

For whatever reason I thought it would be a hoot to go out and hike my first hike greater than five miles in over a year just three weeks after I had fallen and hurt my knee. While I was sick. And without having slept the previous night. Yep, this had success written all over it.

Still, as I packed my day pack, I felt encouraged. I had plenty of water, and several snacks. I had a map of the trail and I had my phone with exercise tracking app, so I was all set for the walk. At the start sign, I extended my trekking poles and got started.

At about 0.7 miles I checked my phone. Sure, my pace was going ok, and finding out I had only walked that far was a bit discouraging. However, what was of more importance was that my battery was going dead. Prudence told me to turn my phone off, in case I needed that battery power for an emergency. So there went my progress meter. But at least I had the map, eh?

Close to mile marker one was when I realized that I had left the map folded up in the front seat of my car. Sure, the map wasn't the most detailed, but it definitely would have given me an idea of my progress. Fortunately, save for a couple places, the trail was easy to follow. It wasn't like I would be without he ability to find my way around the trail, I just wouldn't know my progress outside of the mile markers on the trail.

Amazingly, it rained several times while I was walking on the trail.* It also thundered a few times, so I was a bit worried about lightning as I had to walk through the edge of a prairie before heading back into the woods. Once back into the woods I stopped for a break to let the rain pass. Eventually, though, I started out, muttering the old saw about "You can't get to Maine if you don't walk in the rain." Of course, I wasn't going to Maine, just back around to my car in the parking lot.

I have to admit that most of the first two miles were pretty nice. My energy was at its apex, I was enjoying the walking, and there were benches to stop and rest every so often. I had assumed that benches would be placed all around the trail. Miles 3-6 would disabuse me of this notion.

The middle miles (3-5) were by far the toughest for me. My energy was waning, even with the snacks I ate. The only actual seating I found was a picnic table at the edge of the lake. It was a nice break, but it was out in the sun. At a couple points I had to just sit down on the trail. This had been a nervous proposition for me, as I wasn't quite certain what my knee was going to do. Fortunately it made it through both sitting down and standing up. I didn't really want to take so many breaks, but the lack of sleep, lingering sickness, and just plain being out of shape kind of forced me into it.

Probably the most miserable part of the trail was around an area called Lookout Point. I took a short spur trail out to the point. I did so hoping there would be a bench, considering it was a place that was notable enough to have a spur trail. Of course there was no bench, so I had wasted that energy. Sure, it let you lookout on the lake, but mainly to show me how much I still had left to go around. It was a bit discouraging.

It was around here that I vowed to make it back around, no matter how much effort it would take. I counted steps, taking breaks at regular intervals. It was taking plenty of time (about an hour a mile), but I was getting there. Between miles five and six, I took a marked shortcut, rationalizing that it made up for Lookout Point. Shortly after that I went up an incline, and hit an intersection with another trail. As I made the turn left, I could see the trail was wider. I guessed (correctly) that I had reached the easy part of the trail.

Still, I had a mile and a half to go, including a part where I had to walk over the dam that makes Lake Mingo a lake. It was a flat walk on gravel, but it was in the sun. I was tentative because I had just come the closest to falling down right before that. Fortunately my trekking poles had done their job, and I was no worse for the wear. Despite the glaring sun I put one foot in front of the other and made it across. A short walk up from the dam, and I spotted it. It was a bench, so glorious in its existence.

It was here on this bench where it all became worth it. Right there on that bench overlooking the lake the breeze picked up, to the point where it was almost chilly. I occasionally dozed off, only for a few seconds at a time. Still, it was peaceful and it was enjoyable. I was all alone**, so I had nature to myself. Sure, it wasn't as wild and scenic as say Yellowstone or Yosemite. But for that moment, I had walked into nature, and I was enjoying it.

I still had about a mile or so left to go, but that last break by the lake was the real climax of the hike. The rest was just road walking and a walk along a grass pathway through Bunkertown, the little collection of historical buildings at Kennekuk. As I passed mile marker seven, I could almost see my car. No, not in a figurative sense, I could actually literally see it. The last segment of the trail walked on the edge of a large grassy area, the other side of which was the parking lot where my car was. I thought about cutting across to it, but instead I stuck it out, walking back to the start sign. I had made it.

Sure, it had taken me over seven hours to walk the 7.3 mile trail, about twice as long as a typical hiker should take it. But given the conditions and my circumstances, I'm just glad I persevered. That trail was the longest I had hiked since I had tackled the eleven mile Cade's Cove Loop Road in November 2010. It had shown me that I can still hike (relatively) long distances, and that I can accomplish things. All in all, it was miserable, it was sweaty, it was tiring, and it was absolutely a blast. I can't wait for the next trail.

*For those reading this far in the future, the summer of 2012 was an incredibly bad drought for central Illinois. Hopefully you are getting more rain in the future, and this has not become a new normal for the area. If so, I hope you are enjoying the Great Illinois Desert.

**Other than a family fishing by the lake near the dam and a few cars as I walked back along the road towards the final part of the trail, I didn't meet anybody on the trail.

On the Trail: Big Woods Trail

On the Trail is an irregular series describing my various impressions of trails I have walked. Some will be short trails, some long, some magnificent, while others just a pleasant walk in the woods. Every one of them deserve some recognition. We start with a short walk through the western edge of the great eastern deciduous forest.

Big Woods Trail
Forest Glen Nature Preserve
Vermilion County, Illinois

I know I've talked about Forest Glen many times before, but I have to state again that it is a true treasure of Vermilion County. Nestled in the border zone between the great prairies of the Midwest and the deciduous forests of the East, it is a great place to commune with nature. There are many trails in the park, from the short paved Beech Grove Handicapped Trail to the 11 mile long River Ridge Backpack Trail. For Illinois, there is a surprising amount of ups and downs throughout the park.

The Big Woods Trail tends to the shorter, being less than a mile one way. However, in its short run in descends down to the streams at the bottom of ravines and ascends back up twice. It's a great workout, and the one trail in the park that best resembles ridge walking on the AT.

I would guess it is because of the large tulip, red oak, and beech trees that can be found along the trail. Most of the trees that grow here cannot be found farther west in Illinois, while they make up the bulk of the trees in the climax forests of the eastern United States. Thus you spend the majority of the trail walking below a high canopy, giving you a closer feel to the lower areas of the Smokies or the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. At several points along the trail the ground slopes down on both sides to streams below, really giving you a feel that you are walking atop a ridge. Even though you no more than 100 feet above the low points, and you never even get above 800 feet in elevation, it is the closest you can come to feeling like you are in mountains in central Illinois. Heck, in a couple places there are even rocks, a real rarity on a non stream-bed or moraine ridge trail in central Illinois.

The high canopy shields the trail from the harshness of the summer sun, and even on warm days the shade keeps you relatively cool. My most recent hike I didn't see many birds, but I could certainly hear them, from the little chickadees to the woodpeckers looking for food. It is highly unlikely you can walk this trail without seeing a deer or two, and often more. Otherwise, look for squirrels, chipmunks, and other mammals. There are a couple places where you get close to small streams (even crossing one over rocks at one point), so there are places where amphibians and reptiles roam as well.

There aren't too many dangers along the trail, as it is fairly easy trail (even an out of shape guy like me didn't have too many troubles). Watch your step going up and down, as there are some stairs that aren't too stable. Other than that, just the usual precautions such as watching for ticks and being careful when it is wet, muddy, or icy apply.

Unlike many trails in the park this one is one way, ending near the observation tower that stands overlooking the Vermilion River valley. It's a pretty impressive view atop the tower, although those with aversions to height or numerous steps might choose to skip it. A short, yet surprisingly steep, walk down the gravel path near the tower will take you to the Vermilion River. When you are ready to head back, you can walk back the way you came, or walk roads back to the parking lot. For my last hike I walked back part way along the road, then cut through on a small trail to the Backpack trail and walked it back to the Big Woods trail head. Another option would be walking roads back to the Beech Grove trail head, which has a connector trail between the paved trail and the Big Woods trail. Keep in mind that while the Big Woods trail is nice and shady, most of that road walk is in direct sunlight, which can be rather unpleasant during the summer. There is a seasonal water fountain at the Pine Knoll Picnic shelter, which will be along the road walk from the tower area.