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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hiking at Starved Rock State Park

First off: I'm sorry I haven't shared anything in a while, had some things going on. Stupid girl broke my heart... but you don't want to hear about that do you?

A couple weeks ago me and the pups went to Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL. It's such a beautiful place and has a deep history behind it. Read about Starved Rock's History

On to the Pictures:
The entrance to the park.
I've heard many things about Starved Rock and it has been on my "To Hike" list for some time. 
The only reason I've put it off for so long is because it's over 90 miles away from my house. 

Finally though, I did decide to go and make the trip. It was WELL worth it. 18 Canyons and Waterfalls, beautiful cliffs and an amazing layout that beckons hikers of ALL skill levels.

A plaque commemorating the Union Soldiers of the Civil War 


Rella is looking towards the trees... probably a bird or squirrel up there.
Ya... I see you there... takin' my picture.

This is one of the first canyons and waterfalls we came across. Winters cause the water to freeze into beautiful ice falls that are an amazing sight to behold. 

I was only planning on staying for a few hours, then seeing the small town nearby and heading home. That all changed when I realized that Starved Rock is an all day ADVENTURE. We didn't end up leaving until 8:45 at night (park closes at 9:00 PM



















This is too cool... I loved it!

This picture was taken at Wildcat Canyon. The height of this fall is staggering. Being in the Midwest, we don't see a lot of canyons or waterfalls because it's so very flat here.
The reason the Midwest is mostly flat is from Glaciers, as they swept across the region thousands of years ago. 
1- The Great Lakes - Glaciers, up to 6,500 feet thick, scoured the surface of the earth, leveled hills, and altered the topography. Valleys created by the river systems of the previous era were deepened and enlarged to form the basins for the Great Lakes. Thousands of years later, the climate began to warm, melting and slowly shrinking the glaciers. As the glaciers melted, they began to fill the Great Lakes. 2- Minnesota - all of the small lakes were carved by glacial movement. As the glaciers receded and melted, the small lakes began to fill.

Here's a WikiPedia Link




Bald Eagles in flight over the Illinois River
Between December and March, there are many Bald Eagles at Starved Rock. This is the first time I've seen them in real life, in their environment. I must say, they are majestic birds... so graceful and swift.  
Luckiest Photo I've Ever taken! Thank you Nikon for being awesome!
The historic - Starved Rock
This is the historic Starved Rock there is a trail that goes to the top with scenic overlooks of the park and the Illinois River. It is also one of the BEST places to watch for eagles. 
It's a heck of a climb with lots of stairs but absolutely worth every effort.
Matzah and Rella, just hanging out in La Salle Canyon. We took a little break here just to kinda relax and get some snacks in. 
Even in winter when it's cold and you're not sweating it is important to stay hydrated. Summertime is not the only time one has to worry about dehydration, please keep that in mind as you hike.
Just hangin' out... Rella is sneaking a kiss lol.

Poor Matzah... she's getting old (7 yrs) but she is still able to keep up most of the time.
Like a string of pearls. (Click picture for Larger Image)
I saw this and just HAD to take a close up picture.

Tree roots growing through the rocks and over the edges of cliffs. The slow drip of water over them froze into small orbs making it look like a string of pearls... quite beautiful I think.
Another beautiful ice fall.


We're getting quite wet from the melting ice...
Canyoneering like champs!
Another little break before the ascent to the trail leading further in.

End of the trip, we stopped by the visitor center. This is the cross section of the Great American Elm. Such history!


THE LEGEND OF STARVED ROCK

Starved Rock
Starved Rock obtained its name from a legendary incident that occurred in the 1760's when a small village of 500 Illinois Indians still lived in this area. During this time the dominant tribe was the Ottawa Indians who controlled the Pottawatomie and Fox Indians and lived up river from here.

The chief of the Ottawa Indians, Pontiac, went to the southern part of the state to negotiate some trade agreements with the French and was murdered by an Illinois Indian from this area. When word got back to the Pottawatomie and Fox, they were out to avenge their leader’s death. They paddled down river and attacked the Illinois’ village by the great rock. A fierce battle went on for several days. During the battle, the Illinois tribe was reduced by half. The Pottawatomie and Fox went back to regroup and the Illinois knew that if they were to survive, they would have to abandon their village. They decided to seek refuge on top of the great rock. 

When the Pottawatomie and Fox returned, they surrounded the base of the rock. They periodically went to the top of Devil’s Nose and showered the Illinois with arrows. As the Illinois grew more desperate, they tried to sneak off the rock at night, but all that attempted it were killed. Eventually, all of the Illinois Indians on top of the rock starved, and ever since, the site has been called “Starved Rock”. 

There are no written records to prove this event actually happened. The story came down through the years from Indian storytellers. However, archaeological excavations have revealed numerous artifacts including skeletons and weapons used over 1,000 years ago.