Council Overhang, Ottawa and St. Louis Canyon 03-22-2016 Waterfall and Canyon tour check.

Today Laura and I drove out to Council Overhang/Ottawa Canyon parking lot off of Rt. 71.  The Waterfall and Canyon tours will be starting soon and we wanted to check out the trails and canyons so Laura could familiarize herself with the upcoming tour.  We also went to St. Louis Canyon via the long walk on the road.  

"The Wedding Cove" Once you get out of your vehicle to hike to the canyons, this place is immediately on your left.  We take many bridal parties here for photos.

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The start of Dutchman's Breeches

The "Boot"  at the trail intersection going back to the Lodge.  We opted to go into Council Overhang and Ottawa Canyon and back to our car in the parking lot.

Council Overhang.  Go up these eroding steps and down the other side. 

At this junction, you could go left to Kaskaskia Canyon or go right into Ottawa Canyon.  The Waterfall and Canyon tour goes into Ottawa Canyon.

Ottawa Canyon Waterfall

Horsetails,  this is the only place in the park that I have seen this many growing.  Location is the intersection of Kaskaskia and Ottawa Canyons.

I know this is a push, but I'm looking forward to Spring!  This is the beginnings of Virginia Bluebells. 

  On the Waterfall and Canyon tour the trolley would park on the entrance road to the park and the group would walk from there. Not wanting to leave my car there unattended we parked the car in the parking area to go to St. Louis Canyon off of Rt. 178.  I have never walked this road (so called a shortcut to St. Louis), and probably never will again.  (The hike from the Lodge is much prettier, and there is much more to look at).  If I wanted to walk on asphalt with potholes I would have walked at home. 

We met this family on the way back to their car. They were enthusiastically coming back from St. Louis Canyon.  They were all on Spring Break, enjoying the park. Love the Shades. They were such a joy to run into.

Spring Beauties.  You can tell these are Spring Beauties, because they have grass like leaves

The beginnings of Toothwort, soon there will be tiny pink flowers on the top.

Hepatica -- The Hepatica is named for its three-lobed leaves, which resemble the three lobes of the human liver.

Eastern Hemlock.  I have been told there are only 11 of these trees in Starved Rock State Park.  This particular tree is in St. Louis Canyon.

Beautiful waterfall in St. Louis Canyon

The splash of St. Louis Canyon

Walking back to the car on the Asphalt

Because of the walk down the asphalt road, we ran out of time to check out French Canyon.  But generally the Waterfall and Canyon tour goes there.  I did manage to stop along the road and snap these cool photos of Skunk Cabbage.  

Skunk Cabbage, the maroonish flower always comes first.  It is often one of the first flowers you will see in the Spring.  You may know this plant with its big lime to deep green leaves, that kind of looks like a hosta.  It grows in wet to swampy soil. 

Skunk Cabbage

I have also heard that if you step on this plant, it will give off an odor of a skunk.  I have never tried this, as I don't want my boots smelling like a skunk.

I will leave you with this: "Share what you Love" If you have a special place, bring other people there.  Personal experience is contagious.

03-17-2016 Illinois & Michigan Canal

 We had SUN today!!  Not an overly flashy hike, but we had the warm sun all morning.  We met in the Lodge's Lobby and drove to Utica and walked West on the towpath.  When we arrived at Split Rock, we turned around and came back.  About 5 miles walked today.  35 walkers and 2 dogs.  Did I mention we had a full walk of warm sun???

I took this photo at my house earlier in the week, thought I would share it.  Enjoy!!

I tried to get everyone to turn around for a photo.  It is very hard to corral 35 anxious hikers. They just wanted to get out there and walk.

Met this group near the Black Ball Mine area.  (Our Joe is in the orange hat reminiscing with them.  When he was teaching Geology he would bring his class the Black Ball Mine Area)  They were suiting up to go into the mine and check on the bats.  5 species of bats are known to use this mine site, one of which is the endangered Indiana bat.  They will be monitoring them for the White-Nose Syndrome.  Their numbers have been dropping over the past few years.

1/2 of the "Split" from Split Rock.  Yes that is an old railroad tunnel through the limestone.

We're almost half way.  I told everyone that had to touch Split Rock or it didn't count.  Count for what??? I have no idea, but it sounded good.

Contemplating if they want to return the way they came, I guess.

Nice sunny warm day to be out hiking.

Looking back...

2.4 miles to get back to Utica.  Time when fast today.  These markers are all along the Canal going bothe ways.

We are on our way back.  This is the bridge over the Pecumsaugan Creek that runs under the Canal.

Snake on the Tow path

Close up view of the same snake.  Garter snake

The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. It ran 96 miles (154 km) from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago Portage and helped establish Chicago as the transportation hub of the United States, before the railroad era. It was opened in 1848, its function was largely replaced by the wider and shorter Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900 and it ceased transportation operations with the completion of the Illinois Waterway in 1933.

We saw these plasic sheets along the side of the towpath.  They have numbers and letters on one end.  Thought maybe it had something to do with adding gravel to the surface.  Don't really know.

A few buds starting to come out.  Spring is only a few days away. March 20th.

Not many wildflowers to be seen on this hike.  Here is the start of some day lillies.

We were just about finished for the day!  Notice how blue the sky was!!!

This piece of art (The Glassinator) sits in front of the Lodge.  There was a mild breeze and all the parts were spinning.

I will leave you with this:  Hiking is a bit like life - The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other….again and again and again.  And if you allow yourself opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit.

Trolley to Ottawa/Kaskaskia and walk back- Wildcat 03-10-2016

Today's hike is a Walker's Club favorite.  We met in the Lodge's Lobby and boarded 2 trolleys to Ottawa /Kaskaskia Canyon parking lot.  We then walked back to the Lodge from there.  Saw lots of MUD.  And I mean MUD!  It was BOOT SUCKING MUD!!!  Nobody lost any shoes or boots, but it came close a few times.  The muddiest of the trails were on the bluff.  The one canyon we went into was Wildcat Canyon.  We were rewarded with a nice waterfall. Saw a few signs of spring wildflowers.

The "Boot"

Stairway on the other side of Rt. 71

At this point, most of the group was behind me.

View from Hennepin Canyon Overlook, looking West

Our friend Roy (center)(the First Walker's Club member) came back for a visit.

Dan lost this glove on Feb. 21st while leading the Mega Hike.  I found it today on the trail and returned it to him. It needs a little washing, but other than that it is in good shape.  Dan is happy to have it back.

Trails are muddy

Top of Hennepin Canyon on the South side of the bridge

Hennepin Canyon looking Northish

If you look closely you can see the beginnings of a Spring Beauty

Shhhh don't tell anyone, this is Hidden Canyon

Lots of MUD!!!

Coming down the trail.  Top of Owl Canyon

Fairly new bridge on the River Trail

Bridge near LaSalle / Tonti Canyons

Bluff Trail stairs.  We stayed on the River Trail

Along the River Trail

Lots of ferns on the River Trail.

There was a lot of trash in this area, I already had filled my bag, I will have to go back another day.

A plastic Snow Goose

None of us decided to take a break today.

Wildcat Canyon was surprisingly not very muddy to get into.  Very pleasant

Wildcat Canyon - Nice waterfall

Bottom of Wildcat Canyon

Notice the red trail markers?  There are 3 of them in the photo.  They are placed there to let the hikers know that it is not a trail.

Top of French Canyon

Top of French Canyon.  Almost back at the Lodge

Once we got back to the Lodge, I noticed a flock of pelicans overhead.

The temperature was very pleasant.  We had no sun today.  Spring is on the way.

I will leave you with this: Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.