River to River Trail across southern Illinois Day 2: Karber's Ridge Road to Herod

This section of the River to River trail is probably the best of the entire trail as it passes through some beautiful country.  I hiked for 8 hours and saw no people and no moving cars, not even at High Knob, High Knob Campground, or the most popular site in all of the Shawnee National Forest, the Garden of the Gods.  It was a cold, dreary December day, but I enjoyed every second of it.

To start off, the canine friend that joined my dog Ruby and I, whom I named "River," went outside this morning and wandered off and did not come back.  I was really thinking this dude was going to follow me all the way to the Mississippi River.  Well, I enjoyed his company for a day and I sure hope he knows what he is doing.  I mean, I gave him a bath, dinner and breakfast, a warm, soft place to sleep, and lots of love.  But the dog can live by his prerogative, as I will mine.

The plan for Day 2 on the R2R trail was to hike from my lodging at Rim Rock's Dogwood Cabins to Herod.  Again, the cabins' owner Steve Melville kindly followed me to the Herod Post Office, where I dropped off my car, and gave me a ride to the trailhead on Sparks Hill Road.  This is actually part of the former R2R trail from Battery Rock, but soon I would join up with the current official R2R trail.

The hike was amazing!  I think the best section of trail is from High Knob to the trailhead on Gape Hollow Road (I actually know of a secret side canyon that is a better place to finish, but I'll save that for another day).  I have to say though, I was very sore from my 18-mile hike the day before.  Less than halfway in my knees and hip began to ache, but as long as I was able to move my legs I was determined to push onward.  I stopped at High Knob and ate lunch, which included a couple swigs of whiskey and that helped soothe my aching bones a little.

View from High Knob

Selfie at High Knob

Just a basic sandwich lunch with potato chips.

The trail from Sparks Hill Road up to High Knob was fine, in the woods, and not along any paved roads.  But from High Knob on, the trail was spectacular!  From the summit of High Knob, I descended down an old hiking trail, which loops around the bluffs, and when the trail turned north, I continued cross country west back to the R2R trail. 

The next feature is the privately owned horse camp at High Knob.  Surprisingly, no one was around and as I mentioned, I did not see a person or moving vehicle.  The store had a sign that said be back later.  I didn't mind, I was going to stop in a just say hello, and didn't need anything.  Another great thing about hiking in December.  You have the trail all to your own.

Sign at High Knob Campground

Shortly after leaving the campground, I encountered bluffage, as Shawn Gossman of "Hiking with Shawn" would say.  The reason for this is because I left the Lesser Shawnee Hills Natural Division and entered the Greater Shawnee Hills Natural Division.  The Lesser Shawnee Hills has a substrate of limestone, while the Greater Shawnee Hills has a substrate of sandstone.  Limestone and sandstone behave very differently due to geologic forces and weathering.  This is why the most prominent and scenic areas of southern Illinois are in the Greater Shawnee Hills.  Sandstone rock has been uplifted and eroded, exposing majestic rock features like those found at the Garden of the Gods.

There are a surprising amount of plants that can still be identified in winter.  Of course, woody plants are able to be known based on twig characteristics, but other herbaceous plants are still green.  Smilax glauca is common along the trail, as well as the winter photosynthesizing orchids like Tipularia discolor.  On the cliffs, Asplenium pinnatifidum and Arabis laevigata were seen, and Polystichum acrosticoides was common, especially in the pine plantations.

Asplenium pinnatifidum

Tipularia discolor

Old homestead sites were also seen along this section and other signs of previous inhabitants were evident, such as Yucca.  The hills of southern Illinois were settled earlier than the rest of Illinois for several reasons and daffodils and Yucca are a sure sign of such settlements.

Old homestead

Yucca plants

Before long I was at Buzzard's Point.  I had previously explored this area and had a long way to go so I did not take the loop trail up into the sandstone cliffs and instead stayed along the R2R and traversed below the bluffs.  One could spend a whole day just exploring this area.

Cliffs along Buzzard's Point

After enjoying this area, I soon crossed a paved road and entered the Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area.  I had not been on this section of trail in between the paved road and the observation area so it was a delight to see.  However, this is where the trail began to get muddy.  Ideally, horse traffic would be ceased when the trails are wet because their hooves rut up the trail and make a muddy mess.  But like the dog I named "River," people are going to live according to their prerogatives and we have to learn to share the resource.

Highway crossing near Garden of the Gods

After viewing the extremely scenic cliffs along the R2R trail north of the Garden of the Gods entrance road, I came to the crossing with the entrance road.  I have been to the Garden of the Gods a hundred times so I debated about hiking up to the observation area.  I decided it was worth it because I had a feeling no one else would be there and my instincts were right.  I had the place all to myself.

Garden of the Gods observation trail

I have been to this area enough that this was not the first time I have visited this site without people, but each time having this magical area to oneself is priceless.  It was so silent and the view so expansive that I sat for awhile and took it all in.  Had I not been from this area or seen this place yet for myself, I would have been blown away.  However, the grandeur of the expansive views and unique rock formations leave every visitor feeling like they have seen the place for the first time,  It never gets old.

I left the observation area about 2pm and headed for Herod.  There was still a bit of trail yet to cover, but I have been through this area so many times that I was not worried about the time, even though my knees were very sore.  One foot after another, again and again, but my botanical mind can not be turned off and I continued to appease myself by looking at the landscape.

The best campsites occur on the last ridge before descending into Herod.  There are 3 along this stretch and the best one is the one in the middle.  When I lead Road Scholars tours out of Camp Ondessonk, this is where we have lunch.  The view is incredible.

View from middle campsite along ridge.

This is where the snow started to pick up.  Sleet had fallen several times throughout the day and by this time it turned into big, fluffy snowflakes.  I didn't mind though, in fact I was glad it was frozen water rather than rain because I didn't get too wet.  My boots might have another opinion though, LOL!  

It was an extremely rugged and extremely scenic day on the R2R trail though and I fully relished in the fact that I am able to hike this awesome trail in an awesome area.  I hiked about 14 miles from Karber's Ridge Road to Herod.

Near the end of my hike through the Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area.

Today's path is in blue.

River to River Trail across southern Illinois Day 1: Elizabethtown to Karber's Ridge Road

I have long wanted to thru hike the River to River Trail (R2R) through southern Illinois, from the Ohio River in Elizabethtown to the Mississippi River in Grand Tower (note: this is a reroute from the original route which started near Battery Rock).  Last year, a project was completed to re-route, map, and mark the entire length of the River to River Trail, which now spans approximately 157 miles.  The newly released trail guide was exactly the impetus I needed to take action.  That and I felt like I was in good shape after hiking all season, and I wasn't getting any younger.

December is a fine month for hiking in southern Illinois.  As a botanist, I tend to move slowly (I stop and smell the roses, so to speak), but with most plants dormant, I was able to maintain a good pace.  Also, summer in southern Illinois can be brutal.  It's hot and extremely humid, and many tick and chigger bites can be guaranteed.  The heat will wear one out, require lots of water (and dependable water sources in the summer are rare on this trail), and make it hard to make miles.  Plus, since a lot of the trail traverses low quality habitats (pine plantations and fields of invasive species) anyway, I figured December would be a good time to make the trek.

But the main reason for hiking this time of year is because I can take some time off to allow for a hike that lasts many days.  However, I couldn't spare the recommended 14 days for a backpacking trip, so I decided to do the hike in a continuous fashion, but with support.  Essentially, I wanted to complete the hike contiguously without having to carry all the gear required for camping in the wild.  Plus I wanted to move fast so not carrying a lot of gear or water would make that possible.  Not to mention with short days and cold nights, I didn't want to spend the majority of each day in the cold dark by myself.

I began the hike by settling into my lodging accommodations for the first part of the hike at Rim Rock's Dogwood Cabins, run by Steve and Tara Melville.  I stayed there on Sunday night, December 2nd and prepared to start the hike the next morning.  Not only are the owners fun and friendly people, but the luxurious accommodations are situated within a short distance from the R2R trail.  Plus they are pet friendly which was important since my dog Ruby was going to be hiking with me.

At the start of the River to River trail in Elizabethtown.

Steve graciously gave me a ride to the trailhead in the morning and the plan was to hike 14.4 miles back to my cabin on Karber's Ridge Road.  The trail starts in the small town of Elizabethtown on the Ohio River.  It is customary to get your feet wet in the Ohio River before beginning and I did just that, after collecting a small bottle of Ohio River water to carry with me to the Mississippi River.  

New signage along the waters edge marks the official beginning of the trail and provides for a great selfie opportunity as well.  The walk through Elizabethtown is short and after a short jaunt down Watson Lane I was into the woods for the rest of the day.

Entering the woods of the Shawnee National Forest.

The trail in this area was alright and follows mostly old forest service roads that have become impassable to most vehicles.  I am spoiled in the sense that my first thru hike was on the Superior Hiking Trail in northern Minnesota (I am a native of Minnesota) in 2004 and that trail is mostly singletrack with very little road walking.  The R2R is a trail that mostly links existing trails and forest service roads so it has a different appeal than other long distance trails.  But on a winter Monday, the woods were quiet and beautiful.  I hiked briskly to the first landmark, Whoopie Cat Lake, which also includes a natural area.

Whoopie Cat Lake

Whoopie Cat Mountain contains several high quality Limestone Glade openings and there are several rare plant species that inhabit them.  I am well familiar with this site so I had to deviate from the trail and walk along Whoopie Cat Lake and then up through the glade and back to the trail.  It only took me an hour to walk the 3 miles here and this was a nice place for my 2nd breakfast.

Whoopie Cat Mountain Natural Area

The next feature I encountered was the remains of a 1958 Pontiac, which is marked on the map.

Downfall in this area meant I had to walk downslope to the west and then the car was easy to see, plus the leafless forest made it apparent.  After taking a photo, I continued on and I was only about 5 miles in when I entered the quail management area, which was an open field, when I encountered a dog.  He was friendly and had no collar, but looked well cared for, and decided to follow us the rest of the day.  My dog Ruby welcomed his company and the dogs played like dogs while I continued my hike.

The first leg of my hike was pleasant and the road walking was minimal, but there were some challenges.  Some of the trail was impassable due to downfall.  The brittle pine trees in the plantations had succumbed to recent wind storms and laid across the trail in several places.  Going around these areas meant having to refind the trail and with all the tree leaves on the ground, the trail was not as evident as it would be other times of the year.  

Downfall along the trail.

Many creek crossings also made for challenges.  The creeks were up from recent rain and the direct path from one side of the creek to the other along the trail was too deep to cross.  However, only minimal route finding was necessary to find an appropriate place to cross.  Waterproof boots and high gaiters aided in this effort and I managed to keep my feet dry.

I ended up hiking 18.2 miles according to my phone app from the Ohio River terminus to Rim Rock's Dogwood Cabins on Karber's Ridge Road.  

2016 Wildflower Walks

You Might be a Botanist

You Might be a Botanist
an original poem by Illinois Botanizer

If you take the time to identify lawn and garden weeds before pulling them out…

If you know at least a dozen different terms to describe “hairy”…

If you store a dissecting microscope on your kitchen table…

If you have no problem remembering botanical names, but keep forgetting common names…

If you have botany manuals in your bathroom as reading material…

If you tell your family you spent all week looking at plant specimens in the herbarium, and they give you a funny look…

If you go out looking at plants during your day job, and then go out looking at plants on your day off…

If you wear your loupe out in public… (my wife calls it my nerd necklace)

If there are Desmodium seeds on your bath towels, (and you know what Desmodium seeds look like)...

If you open up random books and plant leaves fall out…

If you are terrible at yard work and only mow your lawn once a month…

If your bookshelf is overflowing with plant field guides…

If you pick seeds off your clothes and identify them before tossing them away…

If the book to the flora of your state is always within arms reach…

If you have bags of plants in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator…

If everyone who hears about your occupation thinks you grow marijuana…

If the phrase “scarious margins on the involucral bracts” makes sense to you (and you know what species I might be referring to!)…

If you are out all day collecting plants, and then come home, shower, eat, and then return to looking at plants…

7 Amazing Spring Wildflower Hikes in Southern Illinois

     These 7 amazing spring wildflower hikes in southern Illinois are so impressive they will leave you yearning for more.  All of these areas are open to the public and have good trails for hiking.  And of course they are loaded with spring wildflowers!
     Click on each link to view the hike descriptions from the Guide to Spring Wildflower Hikes in Southern Illinois, produced by the Southern Chapter of the Illinois Native Plant Society and co-authored by Chris Evans and Chris Benda.

Giant City State Park - Trillium Trail

Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge - Rocky Bluff Trail

Ferne Clyffe State Park - Round Bluff Nature Preserve Trail

Cache River State Natural Area - Heron Pond Trail

LaRue Pine Hills Ecological Area - Snake Road Trail

Shawnee National Forest - Rim Rock National Recreation Trail

Little Grand Canyon Ecological Area

Click here to download a field guide to southern Illinois wildflowers covering 80 common species.

Hepatica acutiloba

     The Doctrine of Signatures is a rather bizarre concept that was embraced by herbalists of long ago. The idea comes from a couple of religious Europeans who suggested that God marked his creations with a signature that suggests its purpose to mankind.  Plants that resembled body parts were thought to have been created in order to treat ailments of that body part.  In the days before pharmacuticals, plants were heavily collected and used as medicine.  The idea was that since God is responsible for disease, he must also have created a natural cure for the disease.
     Such is the story behind the plant named Liverleaf (Hepatica acutiloba). In fact, even the scientific name of this plant refers to its resemblance to the liver as "Hepatica" comes from the Latin "epatikos" meaning "affecting the liver."  This plant has leaves that are distinctly three-lobed and in the dormant season they turn liver-colored (brown).  The human liver is also three-lobed and brown, therefore it was once thought that this plant could be used to treat liver disease.  However, this species is in the Ranunculaceae (the Buttercup family), which is a family of plants that are largely toxic!

     Liverleaf is generally distributed throughout Illinois, but is restricted to undisturbed woodlands.  It has no petals as the showy portions of the flower are technically sepals. It is one of our earliest spring wildflowers.

Symplocarpus foetidus

     

     
     The earliest spring wildflower to emerge from dormancy is skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). In fact, this species flowers so early, it could be considered a winter wildflower! Skunk cabbage flowers have the ability to heat up the surrounding snow, which promotes melting so it can poke its fragrant flowers up through the ground. 
     Skunk cabbage has unusual flowers, like all members of the Arum family (Araceae). They consist of a spathe, an outer sheath which surrounds the inflorescence, and a spadix, a fleshy stem on which tiny flowers are produced.
     

Newly emerging leaves

     Many plants that produce flowers at the surface of the ground are brown in color and stink like decaying organic matter. This is to attract pollinators, typically flies, but this also lures in beetles and ants as well. Pollinators are also attracted to the flowers because of the heat they produce which leads to another interesting evolutionary strategy.
     Why flower so early? On the one hand, there are not many pollinators available in the early spring because it is too cold for them to be active or present. However, the few insects that are active and present are looking for food and warmth. The skunk cabbage receives virtually exclusive attention because it flowers when nothing else is available.
     “Symplocarpus” is Greek for “connected fruits” and “foetidus” translates from Latin to “malodorous” meaning “smelling very unpleasant.” From this, the term “fetid” derives.
     These photos were taken in a forest preserve in Cook County on March 18, 2016.  There is a healthy population at this location.

Skunk Cabbage flowers in March

     This is what the site looks like in summer.

Seep filled with Skunk Cabbage in June