Jan. 5, 2017 Matthiessen Park Dells Area

Best picture of the day!

 Today we met in the Lobby of the Lodge and carpooled to Matthiessen State Park. 24 hikers came today.  We started out at 8 degrees and on the way back to the Lodge the car registered 14 degrees.  We had a bit of snowflakes. 

All meeting up in the parking lot by the fort at Matthiessen State Park

Fort at Matthiessen State Park

Going down.  We will have to come back up these 146 stairs at the end of the hike.

We were the first on the stairs after the snow dusting

Strawberry Rock.  Always worth a photo.

Going down the Lower Dells stairway toward Devil's Paint Box and Cascade Falls

Looking from half way down the stairs to see the front of the group checking out Devil's Paint box.

Devil's Paint box

Looking back towards the cement stairway, (where we just came from)

Rock and ice hopping at its best. Some decided to just stay put.

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls

zoomed in photo of Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls from inside the little cave area

Walking out of the Lower dells I found these icicles hanging on.

Nice little waterfall on the way to Lake Falls

This is really hard to comprehend.  I am standing on the bridge at Lake Falls and looking down.

View of Matthiessen Lake

View of Lake Falls

Lake Falls

Our resident Geologist, Joe has probably told me about this design a time a two.  But he didn't come down to the Lower Upper Dells area.  He stayed hiking on the Upper Upper Dells.  Maybe next time.

My favorite waterfall at Matthiessen State Park, Giant's Bathtub

Jack says this is the rock and root island

Another rock and ice hopping challenge

I heard a crack in the ice here.  All made it across ok.

Last waterfall of the day.

I will leave you with this: Somewhere between the start of the hike and the end is the mystery of why we choose to hike.