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.
All Hallows Eve... what to do? what to do? Take a hike! That's what! It was about 7:00 PM, nothin to do, didn't get my weekend hike in because of errands, and getting everything at home ready for winter to set in, you know the gist... Hoses to be brought in, outdoor spigots to be wrapped and insulated, garden to be plucked clean and tilled a bit, all THAT fun stuff.
Anyway, Indiana Dunes State Park beckoned to us, there was a huge moon out and the nights haven't become unbearably cold yet. Off we went, grabbed the usuals, water, snacks, cell phone and the new external battery packs I bought from Amazon.com, which I mentioned in the Gadgets Post.
When we arrived, I immediately tortured Rella by putting a costume on her, One picture and it was time for a wardrobe change - Doggy Sweater and Doggy Hiking Pack.
We set off into the woods, the moon lighting our way (along with a small flashlight). I was a beautiful night, owls hooting, breeze slightly blowing through the trees, it was all very peaceful and quite serene.
We walked for several miles on trail 10 which is a fairly level and easy loop trail. It takes us past huge prairies and even has a few lookout stands, they're about 10 - 15 feet tall. Each stand has a placard of the area you are seeing, listing species of animals you might see running across the fields or rummaging through the woods. I was not thrilled when I saw Coyote on that list... let's just say I was quite paranoid the rest of the night.
As we walked through a particular stand of trees, the wind was blowing just hard enough to cause several trees to emit a very eerie creaking sound... cue increased heart rate. Rella didn't seem to mind the noise nor did she seem very nervous about it, still I quickened our pace... I do not believe in ghosts or goblins however, that didn't help me out one iota of a bit. In moments of panic my first line of defense is comedy... cue up "Blair Witch Project" spoof.
Of course right after THAT nugget of entertainment was over, mother nature decided to have a bit of fun too and sent an ambassador of the woods careening through the woods at breakneck speeds, making noise equivocal to anything you'd expect in a Hollywood horror movie. I froze and immediately my imagination got the better of me and my rampant thoughts(Obvious Swearing Omitted) included but are not limited to: "Ho-ly ___ Coyote! Coyotes comin' to eat me!", "No, It's a bear... It's a FRICKIN' BEAR comin' to eat me!", "Wait... are there mountain lions in this area!?", "Are you supposed to run or stay your ground? Running sounds good! (takes a step) No! don't! I think that they chase you because you're showing fear. I don't know!! (looks at dog) Why's she so calm!?" The noises drew nearer and I was ready to kiss my ___ goodbye. Just then a Ginormous DEER came running out of the woods crossing over the trail almost directly in front of me. Stopped... looked (I swear it was laughing) and ran off. I gotta admit, I Eventually had a good laugh after.
I love The Dunes, I seriously do. If you're in the Northwest Indiana area, I highly recommend experiencing The Dunes! Here's a link to my Yelp! Review, if you're so inclined to read it.
