Thursday, February 11, 2016

Starved Rock, French Canyon, Lover's Leap, Beehive Overlook, Wildcat Canyon 02-11-2016

The temperature was about 10 degrees, but the sun was shining the whole day!  No wind to speak of.  I brought a hat with me just in case.  Didn't have to use it. (I was going to a lunch function and didn't want hat hair).  Today we had 22 hardy hikers and no dogs.



Kathy Casstevens, our Marketing Director wanted to get a group photo of the hikes we offer at the Lodge.  Thanks everyone for the photo!
After the photo we went down the 150 steps by the Back Door Lounge headed for Starved Rock

Lover's Leap from Starved Rock

Plum Island- There is an eagle or was that two?

Plum Island and the Lock and Dam from the top of Starved Rock
 
Flag at the top of Starved Rock
View of Starved Rock Lodge from the top of Starved Rock


Bonus Ice fall as you enter French Canyon

It looks treacherous, but it was really more snow than ice.

Ice fall formation at the beginning of French Canyon

Little bit of ice going into French.  Yak-trax recommended
French Canyon

 
French Canyon's ice fall

Coming out of French Canyon was a bit sketchy

Devil's Nose

View of the tip of Plum Island.  See the eagle?  Oh yeah!
View of Leopold Island, Yes there is an eagle here also!

Starved Rock from Lover's Leap
 
Heading up to Eagle's Cliff

"Best view in the park"  Looking East from Eagle's Cliff.  That is ice on the shore line.  But just pretend for a moment or two that it is waves on a beach.  Just saying....think tropical island.....

Looking North from Eagle's Cliff to the Lock and Dam




Not the best view from Beehive Overlook.  But it is a better view than from my desk.

View from the river trail.  This tree has been laying out in the river for quite some time.  It is clearly still alive.

Wildcat Canyon from a distance

Wildcat Canyon

The base of the ice fall in Wildcat Canyon

Going up
Everyone coming up the 150

Wildcat Canyon from the East Overlook

Wildcat Canyon from the East overlook

Top of Wildcat Canyon

We were just about back to the Lodge when these three deer crossed our path.

Third deer to walk across the trail

I will leave you with this: What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Sorry for the delay in answering. We always leave at 9:00a.m. from the Lobby and get back to the Lodge between 11:00-11:30am. Some of us walk leisurely and take a lot of photos. We are not power hikers. Depending on who is hiking with us, we will do the legend of Starved Rock and Lover's Leap and other tales along the way.

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