About thirty Starved Rock Walkers drove to Matthiessen State Park and walked (counterclockwise) around the Lake. A cold winter's day with occasional spills of sunshine.

 Down the stairs to the canyon rim.

 A trail view across the canyon to the stairs into the upper dells. Summer vegetation does not allow such views.

 Nearly everyone attached their traction for this walk.

 There are a few places where the rim trail is sliding into the canyon.

 FYI - This nylon rope will not slow your 85-foot bounce to the canyon floor.

 Walkers trudging and talking along the rim trail.

 A trail view up a tributary creek. No ice falls here!

A view along the half-mile accessible sidewalk to the Lake bridge. 

 Across the bridge is the accessible ramp up to the Lake Shelter parking lot.

 A trail view across the frozen Lake to Lake Shelter, the lower level of which was a boat house when the Lake was eight feet higher.

 In the summer this trail is closed in and under the green canopy tunnel. You can see much further in the winter.

 There were no large splashes at our hardest stream crossing.

 Unlike SRSP, the Matthiessen Lake trail is for multiple users. We saw none of these.

 None of these either!

 It was apparent that three large "dogs" broke trail for us this morning.

 Now we know where we were and where we are going.

 The trail skirts the Deer Park Golf Course. This is not a missing cart!

 A tral view up into the Lake Shelter.

 Walkers climbing from the Lake Trail up to the bridge.

 Nobody doesn't like the Lake Matthiessen Bridge!

 The required acraphobic view over the bridge rail on the water falling 45-feet down the lake dam.

 A down canyon view from the Lake Bridge NOT screened by summer vegetation.

SR Walkers to the left. Choosing the path less-travelled has made a difference!

There is a movie wherein Morpheus says,

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

Twenty Starved Rock Walkers (0 dogs) stepped into a Winter Wonderland by taking the West Bluff Trail out to St. Louis Canyon.

 The Stargazer sculpture next to the Lodge needed no sunscreen today.

 Leaving the Lodge you wonder, it's 23F, the wind is blowing, what am I doing!

 Then you look up and the trail sucks you into the woods!

 A trail bridge view of the Park road that steeply climbs the South Bluff, freshly salted and open to traffic.

A view down the trail stairs to the Aurora Creek bridge.

 A trail view of the Sac Creek bridge.

 A trail bridge view down the Sac Canyon waterfall to the canyon floor.

 This deer walked the entire West Bluff Trail a few hours before we did.

 The SR Walkers, all properly tractioned, on the West Bluff Trail boardwalk.

 The boardwalk sits on the rim of the South Bluff.

 A trail staircase descending...

 … next to the "watchtower" outcrop.

 The trail is now sucking us into St. Louis Canyon.

 Last night's winter storm left just under two inches of snow in the Park.

 The 83-foot St. Louis Canyon waterfall if the tallest fall in the Park.

 Most walkers have many pics of the waterfall....

 … but the ice beards next to the falls are seldom seen.

 A down canyon view of the east wall.

 Meltwater icicles on the east wall.

 Crossing the creek on these planks is always easier the second time.

 A trail bridge of sand ripples travelling down the bottom of St. Louis Creek.

 Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

 Walkers climbing out of the canyon on the Bluff Trail.

Various traction microspike prints on the bluff boardwalk. The reason why SR Walkers seldom fall!

Today's walk calls to mind a favorite quote from Sir Ranulph Fiennes,

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing."

Nearly thirty Starved Rock Walkers trekked through the fresh and falling snow to see Council Overhang, and Ottawa, Kaskaskia, and Illinois Canyons. A nice winter walk in the Park.

 All of this can be seen in a less than two mile walk at the east side of the Park.

 25F and snowing as we gathered in the Council Overhang parking lot.

 "The boot" on the wall near the overhang is a snow boot today!

 Walkers heading up into the overhang.

 Stand against the back wall and Council Overhang will frame your picture for you.

 This was always a bad place to tell students that the St. Peter Sandstone is 98.5% WHITE silica sand. Organic derived iron stains the surface of the rock everywhere in the Park.

 A view from the overhang down to the confluence of Ottawa and Kaskaskia Creeks.

 You have to cross Ottawa Creek four times to get into the back of the canyon.

 Ice climbers will not like this view of the headwall of Ottawa Canyon. No ice column here!

 This new rockfall from the headwall shows that the sandstones is indeed white!

 The fresh rockfall scar on the Ottawa Canyon headwall.

 A behind the waterfall view of the Walkers Club giving size scale to the west wall of Ottawa Canyon.

 Leaving Ottawa Canyon and headed towards Kaskaskia Canyon.

 Back across Ottawa Creek.

 Icicles on the west wall of Kaskaskia Canyon.

 The Kaskaskia Canyon waterfall.

 Yes, I attached my traction spikes to my swamp walker boots. The perfect combination for today's walk!

 A view down Kaskaskia Creek through the mouth of the canyon.

 Ice on the east wall of Kaskaskia Canyon.

 A trail view up Kaskaskia Creek.

 Walkers on their way to Illinois Canyon.

Kaskaskia Creek is one of the few canyon creeks you can walk next to instead of along its bottom.

Still snowing as we approach the parking lot.

Let's end this winter walk with a quote from Takayuki Ikkaku;

"When there is snow on the ground, I like to pretend I am walking on clouds."