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| Best view in the park |
I am combining 2 hikes on this post. Yesterday I was one of the leaders for the first ever Mid-Week Mega Hike. However my camera doesn't take photos in the rain and since we had some rain in the middle of hike, a portion of the hike is missing. So enjoy the beginning and the end.
Hike #1
For the Mega Hike, the trolley takes the group to Illinois Canyon
parking lot and you walk back to the Lodge going into every accessible
canyon. Lunch is between 1-1:30p.m. After lunch hikers then head out to the west side of the park, finishing up around 4:30p.m.
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| Illinois Canyon has a stream which you have to cross 3 times going in and 3 times coming out. Photo is the 2nd crossing. |
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| Here we have 2 "water-falls" Get it? |
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| What a great group photo Illinois Canyon |
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| Paw Paw trees are vividly yellow |
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| Stopping at the boot, for a very short break |
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| Council Overhang from the back wall |
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| Going into Kaskaskia Canyon |
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| Kaskaskia Canyon waterfall |
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| Looking out of Kaskaskia from the waterfall |
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| A little tricky getting out of the canyon. Lots of roots |
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| Going into Ottawa Canyon |
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| Ottawa Canyon Waterfall |
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| Coming out of Ottawa Canyon from the waterfall |
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| Horsetails, located at the intersection of Ottawa / Kaskaskia Canyons |
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| Crossing Rt. 71 just to arrive at another stairway |
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| Great color on the trail |
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| Today my favorite color is yellow |
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| Can you see the trail through the leaves? |
Ok, so this is when it started to rain and my camera stopped working.Missing is photos from Hennepin, Owl, LaSalle and Tonti Canyons.
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| Wildcat Canyon Waterfall |
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| View of the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center. Great colors! |
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| Excellent colors looking East from Eagles Cliff |
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| Fall Colors has peaked today! |
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| Everyone at Lover's Leap. Ron was telling the Legend. 10 minutes until lunch. |
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| Bridge over French Canyon. 2-3 minutes before lunch |
We had lunch at the Lodge. Chicken Ceasar Wrap, Chips, Apple, Granola Bar and Bottle of Water. Short 1/2 hour lunch and then back on the trail.
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| Going into French Canyon |
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| French Canyon Waterfall |
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| View of French Canyon looking out. |
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| Coming out of French Canyon |
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| View of Lover's Leap from the East side of Starved Rock |
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| View from the top of Starved Rock looking East |
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| While at the top of Starved Rock we were lucky enough to see an eagle. on Leipold Island |
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| In the distance is the Starved Rock Lodge. View is from stop of Starved Rock |
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| Aurora Canyon with water flowing |
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| All of us didn't fit into Aurora, so we had to go in a few at a time. |
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| Switching the people in the canyon |
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| Aurora Canyon from the top trail |
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| Sac Canyon |
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| Everyone posing for photo on the Sac Canyon bridge |
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| On the way to St. Louis Canyon. Can't even see the trail. |
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| The boardwalks are full of leaves and slippery |
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| Stairway by the orange rock on the way to St. Louis Canyon |
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| 2 frogs sharing a small log or rock |
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| 7-8 frogs on the logs. |
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| A very wet Mega - Hike shirt |
Hike #2
Today's Walker's Club hike drove to Council Overhang parking lot and walked into Kaskaskia and Ottawa Canyons.
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| Going up and into Council Overhang |
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| A few mushrooms on a log |
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| A small Council Overhang on the way into Kaskaskia Canyon |
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| Kaskaskia Canyon from the side |
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| Kaskaskia Canyon Waterfall |
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| Fallen leaves on a log |
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| Bonus waterfall on the way into Illinois Canyon |
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| Illinois Canyon waterfall zoomed photo up close |
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| Illinois Canyon |
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| Coming out of Illinois Canyon |
The past two days of hiking was just the right time to see the fall colors. Except for a little bit of rain (great for the waterfalls), the weather was great.
I will leave you with this: When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.
Agreed, I feel very lucky to have gone on the (first-ever!) Mid-Week Mega Hike and see what is probably the peak Fall colors! Enjoyed seeing most of the canyons, too--I would do it again! Love all your photos and captions, as always. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, thanks for posting this
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