Sunday, September 30, 2012

9-30-12 Rock Cut State Park 4 mile hike

Wilma and I hiked around the lake in a CCW direction. We saw a lot of other people out, especially on the north side of the lake where the campgrounds are. Lots of people fishing and boating. It was a nice day. 51F when we left and 66F when we got back. 4 miles according to Base Camp. It is a hike we have made several times before. We started and ended at the dam.

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Towards the end of the hike we saw a guy in a kayak wearing a horse costume.
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I got a few seconds of video of the kayaker near the end of this video.

2012-09-29 Lowden State Park Hike

We have been here before (10-31-10). Was a little later in the year and a lot fewer people then.

Wilma and Fran and I went to Lowden State Park. Wilma and I went hiking. According to Base Camp, we did 3.1 miles. The park map says there are almost 4 miles of trails. We walked most of them, some of them we walked twice on. It is quite hilly. Lots of people out hiking and lots of campers.
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We started at the statue and worked our way across the road to the east side of the park, looped around there and came back along the river to a very innocent looking trail shown as a switch back in the far NW corner of the park along the river. This tRail is in reality only for mountain goats so we went back about 200 yards to a set of steps that is directly below that statue but not shown on the trail map. Nine flights of steps later (about 25 steps per flight) I made it up the side of the hill. It would have been a lot easier to go back to Heckman Trail and come up that way. Same amount of elevation change, but LOTS easier to make.
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Archery deer hunting season coming up.
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River boat seen across the river.
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The statue.
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The statue from the backside with the sun shining on him.
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Taken from across the river after dark.
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Not much of interest in the video.

2012_09_26 Busse Woods Elk Pasture

9/26/12
I passed by the Elk pasture at Busse Woods (a Cook County Forest Preserve District property) on my way to and from a training class so on my way back I stopped for a few minutes to take some pictures and video. The class was in Elk Grove Village, so it seemed somehow appropriate to see elk there. Not sure if the Elk Pasture is actually in Elk Grove Village or not. It is close if it isn't.



ETA 10-1-12 I submitted a trail report to Traillink regarding the elk pasture.

Rock Cut State Park Pictures

9-24-12
Turkeys outside the park along Harlem Road.
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9-29-12 The leaves have started turning brilliant colors in the park.
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A sad commentary that such a sign is necessary.
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Monday, September 24, 2012

Stuff

9-20-12
Koats 4 Kids box at Logli showed up the other day. Must be fall.
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Needs no explanation.
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9-21-12
Logli pumpkin displays.
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Roosevelt Road Street Lights

They finally got around to turning on the new street lights. They were on Thursday night (9-20-12) when I came home. I have noticed the one at Nelson is not on though.

I took this picture 9-22-12

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Sunday, September 23, 2012

9-23-12 8.3 mile hike Deer Run and McKiski Forest Preserves

It was a great day for a hike so Wilma and I went to Deer Run FP. About 59F and with a nice breeze. I expected to see a lot of horse people on the trails but just met one hiker and he was in McKiski of all places. Have to be a pretty serious hiker to just get there. It is about two and a half miles on foot just to get to the McKiski trail head that is not even shown on any of the FPD maps. Wilma got to go in a number of creeks, mud puddles, ponds, and the rivers several times. We explored a few side trails that were kind of interesting.

This is the route we took. 8.3 miles according to Base Camp. I can believe it. I was dogging it at the end. I think Wilma could have gone another 8 miles.
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This is the park map for Deer Run. It does not show the canoe launch, or the first river crossing into Oak Ridge FP. It also shows a well that has been removed. Does not show the trail head into McKiski.
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This is the park map for McKiski. It does not show there is even a trail inside the preserve.
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I saw three great blue herons in the park, but was not able to get pictures or video.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Herbruck's Eggs

We get these at WalMart sometimes, depending on whether they are less expensive there or at another grocery store we also go to. They go back and forth on which store has them for less. I think this is a relatively new egg supplier to our WalMart. The packaging seems a little better with this brand than the previous brand WalMart had, as there seem to be fewer cracked eggs to deal with.

Never had any real problems with them. They are basic eggs.

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Construction continues

9-15-12 Some more work going on up at Copper Drive.
9-16-12 It looks like they finished up the big drain pipe headed north along side the community center and cemented in the last of the bike path there.
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9-16-12 Severson Dells Forest Preserve Visit

This FP is not far from Fuller FP so on our way home today we passed through it. Wilma and I will not be hiking here as for whatever reason dogs are not allowed here.

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There is another WCFPD facility just to the east. I don't know if it is part of Severson Dells or something seperate.
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9-16-12 Fuller Forest Preserve Hike

Wilma and I hiked here back in October of 2010. It was nothing special then, and nothing special today. Mostly a trail that loops around and through some fields of weeds in a band of trees. We hiked both the southern and northern loops this time. Nice day for a hike.

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They have been thinning and cutting down trees here, but nothing as offensive as the clear cutting they have done elsewhere.
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9-15-12 Laona Heights Forest Preserve Visit

There do not appear to be any hiking opportunities here. We drove in and looked around some. The web site claims there are 0.5 miles of trails here, but none are shown on the trail map and I did not see any trail heads, although I did not go hunting for them.

ETA 9-17-12 I sent an email to the district asking them about any trail that might be there. This is the reply I got. "The trailhead starts next to the entrance gate on the north side of the road." next time I am out that way I will take a closer look.

Its an old preserve - 1924 according to the sign out front. Not very large - 40 acres according to the web site.

It is about 6.5 miles due west of the south entrance to Colored Sands FP just north of where Yale Bridge Road dead ends into Anderson Road.
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9-15-12 Colored Sands Forest Preserve Hike

It was kind of warm out - low 80s. But Wilma held up fine. I think she has acclimated some to the hotter weather. There was a nice breeze most of the time we were out and we were mostly shaded from direct sun light. The trails at Colored Sands, especially the trail we took that is not on the trail map has a lot of grade change, so we had to work some. I was sweating.

The bird people were out doing bird things.

After we got done hiking we went to visit Laona Heights FP. One the way back we stopped at the canoe launch on the south side of the park at Yale Bridge Road. Wilma became quite excited when we went over the bridge as she saw the river so I stopped so she could go in the river. She had a good time. There was a woman bicyclist there who said she had been kayaking with some friends. They left her bike down stream and launched here. She road back to the vehicle they parked here on her bike and was going downstream to pick them up. Seems like a lot of extra work to me.


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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Stuff

9-5-12
A 2-3" diameter limb that came down during the storm the night before.
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9-8-12 Halloween must be approaching.
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Tomato farm update

Update to

9-3-12 Some new green tomatoes have appeared.

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ETA 9-17-12 Shortly after this post "someone" (Mr. Squirrel perhaps) destroyed the Roma plant one night, so it is now gone.

9-9-12 Rock Cut State Park

A nice morning hike. We stayed on the horse trails in the NW corner of the park.

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9-8-12 Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve

A place we have been several times before. We had a fairly short hike as I had to cut it off to go to a party. Not a whole lot interesting other than the poison ivy at about 2:20 in the video.

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