Feb. 15, 2018 Aurora, Sac, Kickapoo, St. Louis Canyons

Today was a little drizzly.  I did put on my poncho for a bit.  I really don't like to get wet when hiking.  There were 38 hikers today.  Saw some great icefalls. Today we met in the Lobby and headed to St. Louis Canyon.  For those that wanted to extend their hiking today, some joined me to Aurora Canyon.

Update on the Adopt a Trail. To date we have collected $2554.00.  Our goal is $4972.00.  We are taking donations for an Interpretive Sign program on a stretch of trail near the Lodge.  There will be 11 signs total, all with historical information.  This trail is fairly flat and are hoping in the future it will be handicap accessible. If interested, call my office at 815-220-7386.  Thank you for your help.

38 hikers take off  from the Lodge toward St. Louis Canyon.

These holes are on the footbridge over the road to the Lodge

Top of Aurora

Wood chips, now how do you suppose they got there?  Next photo.....

A pileated wood pecker has been working on this tree. 

Follow the tracks and you should be ok today.  

Love the fog photos

Going up these steps on the way back is always a tough one.

Nobody has taken a break on the natural bench since the snow fall

St. Louis Canyon waterfall didn't disappoint today.

More fog pictures.  

This was behind the waterfall.  It's hard to see, but the black area is a hole and the water is going in.  Some went over the hole to the other side, but not me, I was ok just taking a photo.

I formation from the side.

Another ice formation in St. Louis Canyon

Photo looking out from behind the Waterfall.

Group of walker's in front of the waterfall 

I think raccoon tracks

Some went into Aurora Canyon with me.  As you can see in the photo, just a deer was recently here. Not many people adventure into Aurora.

Sandstone steps going into Aurora.  Yes they are snow covered and intimidating. 

Absolutely worth it!  Aurora Canyon

Last part of the trail into or out of Aurora

Stargazer at the Lodge.

I will leave you with this: Savor the grays.  The moments in between the black and white are the ties that hold it all together.  The minutes, the days, the years, the decades.  Together they weave a canvas of time that creates our own story, each one building on the last. 

French, Lover's Leap, Eagle's Cliff, Wildcat 02-22-2018

French Canyon

Today the Starved Rock Walker's Club had to adjust a little bit on where we were suppose to hike.  Many of the trails are flooded as you will see in the photos to follow. 

Update on the Adopt a Trail. To date we have collected $3478.00  Our goal is $4972.00.  We are taking donations for an Interpretive Sign program on a stretch of trail near the Lodge.  There will be 11 signs total, all with historical information.  This trail is fairly flat and are hoping in the future it will be handicap accessible. If interested, call my office at 815-220-7386.  Thank you for your help.

Top of French Canyon, looking from one bluff trail to the other. 

It was quite icy to get here.  I personally did not go in, but my friend Ron did and snapped this great photo.  Thanks Ron!  Thanks for decorating the canyon with icicle garland!

We were on our way to the bridge that crosses the French Canyon creek to Lover's Leap and then Eagle's Cliff.  Not today.  We will take another route. 

We came back up the way we came and are taking the bluff trail to Lover's Leap and Eagle's Cliff

Love this photo with the green moss and ferns. Top of French Canyon

We had a flyover from an Eagle while we were on Lover's Leap

Illinois Waterway Visitor's Center.  They are currently closed.  No way to get there. Dee Bennett road is closed.  They are isolated. 

2nd flyover.  What a treat today. 

Leopold Island

Starved Rock, view from Lover's Leap

View of the Dam from the Walkway to Eagle's Cliff.  All the dam gates are open. 

Bridge over Pontiac Canyon creek.  About 6-8 inches to the bottom of the bridge

River is up to the trail

Even with tall knee high boots this was not an option today to go into Wildcat Canyon.  You can see the waterfall on the left side of the photo

Not going into Wildcat today

View of Wildcat Canyon waterfall through the trees

Wildcat Canyon Bridge. Coming out of Wildcat Canyon.  

Wildcat waterfall from the East Overlook

View looking North into the Wildcat Canyon stream

Stairway into Wildcat Canyon, seen from the East canyon overlook

Top of Wildcat Canyon

Not too often does Pontiac Canyon have a waterfall. Today we were lucky.

This is the Cafe's quote for the week.

I will leave you with this: A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.  Always believe in yourself!

Kaskaskia, Ottawa and Illinois Canyons 02-01-2018

Today's hike left the Lobby at 9:00a.m. and we carpooled to Ottawa / Kaskaskia parking area and went into both canyons and then took the connecting trail to Illinois Canyon.  There was about 44 hikers on a Sunny 21 degree windy day.  Great weather to be hiking IN the canyons away from the wind. Many frozen waterfalls and frozen creeks and frozen mud to walk in.

One of the regular hikers who picks up trash regularly got a bonus today!  He is going to check it for a balance, he will let us know next week.  

On our way to the canyons.  This is the "Boot" area by Council Overhang

Looking up into Council Overhang from the bottom

Once your in Council Overhang you can get a great photo of the opening if you stand by the back wall.  Winter is one of my favorite seasons if I had to pick.  I love seeing the canyon walls that are behind the summer leaves. I always tell hikers that in the winter the canyons are naked and you can see way more than in the summer. 

Coming down from Council Overhang on the other side. 

Frozen stream crossing

Going into Kaskaskia Canyon

Most of the time coming into this canyon we were walking on the ice.  Yak trax or other traction would have been ok, but it was still doable with just hiking boots. 

Kaskaskia Canyon

I was trying out a new lens on my phone camera.

Icicles up close

More up close icicles

Everyone loved seeing the frozen waterfalls today. Many of us went behind the waterfall.  Some years it just doesn't freeze enough to go behind.  This year we were lucky. 

Ottawa Canyon

View from behind Ottawa Waterfall

The blue or the defraction in the ice is better seen from the East side of the icefall. Still Ottawa Canyon

I talked many of the hikers into going to see the blue ice on the East side of the icefall. Ottawa Canyon

Looking out of Ottawa Canyon

At the intersection of Ottawa and Kaskaskia this plant, (Horsetail or Snakegrass) is one of the only places that I know of in the park that this plant is plentiful and visitors can view it.  It stays green all year. 

We took the Swamp Trail to Illinois Canyon.  It was frozen today, so it wasn't a problem. 

1 of the Bonus waterfalls in Illinois Canyon

In Illinois Canyon you have to cross the same stream 3 times before you get to the waterfall.  Today the water was still running in spots and you could see it, however there was still great places to cross. Crossing #1

Crossing #2

Crossing # 3

Bonus waterfall in Illinois Canyon

Another bonus waterfall in Illinois Canyon

With all the ice near the waterfall I was real close today.  It was amazing. 

We walked on the ice to get back into Illinois canyon a bit.

I will leave you with this: "I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see." John Burroughs