Interest in Shawnee Forest trip?

“I saw a trip taking shape on "the other side" (shhhhhh!) to this area and it got me wanting to take a trip to Shawnee, either doing a part of the River to River Trail... or base camp and day hikes. It's a really great area and supposed to be magnificent in the spring.

If we could get mnutz to help out... something could be planned.

I think it'd be nice to make it a spring hike, with new wildflowers, etc. With my work schedule, the following weekends seem like they might work:
April 9-11
April 24-26
May 7-9
May 21-23

Any interest? Bell Smith Springs is gorgeous and would have great swimming and possibly fishing. It's more a day use area, with a primitive (no water) campground near by. Burden Falls Wilderness is near there.

I did an overnight in Garden of the Gods with Stikmon. Nice, but trails are poorly marked.

Also, on "the other side," Eric Hanson said he likes the far west wilderness areas around Balk Knob (mnutz should know waaaaay more about that area)

I'll have to post my photos from last summer's trip.

Anyone interested??”

“Balk Knob = BALD Knob. lol”

“I'll have you know that while bald I have never been knobbed”

“I'd be a strong maybe. April 9-11 might be best for me, as its a 3-day weekend. I was planning to go there this weekend, but had to change plans. I should be able to say yes or no in a week or two.

I did Garden of the Gods a few years ago and I completely agree about the trails.”

“C'mon, chili and cottonsocks? Trooper and Moses? Any Tennessee people? This is like 3-eesh hours from Nashville. Plus perhaps doable by Crazy Mike and Michigan Mountaineers?? And the Arkansas crew?”

“Maybe”

“I could possibly do it in May

March/April is booked”

“I would love to get down to Shawnee for some ass kicking (compared to MI)hiking and meet you, lizs. Set a date and we'll see what we can do (I'm outta vacation time but maybe a mental health day is in order).”

“I am with Chili, May is better. Late May”

“That's in my stomping ground too. I've been to the Garden and Shawnee many times, but never did the River to River trail. If you like rappeling, bring your ropes.

I'd definitely be interested, but it would depend on when my wife's knee surgery is.”

“Knee Surgery?

I know all there is to know about that pal.”

“Definitely not out of the question, lizs. I'll start watching this thread and the trip page.”

“WK, this is her second one. First was in 1997. This time it's the other knee. Full reconstructive surgery. Ouch!”

“Sounds like a trip I might be interested in.”

“Count me in as a maybe if it is late May.”

“Hey Liz, you talking about Shawnee in Ohio or in Indiana?”

“Late May is a possibility for me.
If it's that close to Nashville, it's not all that much further from Huntsville.”

“Would you guys really go for that weekend before Memorial Day? I would think people might be like, "Well, I 'm taking the next weekend off for the holiday, so can't go two weeks in a row."

UNLESS YOU'D WANT TO DO IT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND?? Something to think about

Actually the first weekend of a month works well for me (like Ocala), but it depends how the days fall. I don't want to have to BE BACK for a City Coucil meeting on Monday night (which is the first Monday of the month... and also the 3rd Monday)

I'll have to think about how the late May date would work. It would be coming up on Memorial Day weekend... how that would be for working ahead for newspaper stuff, what with the holiday. Usually the week AFTER a holiday is slack-off time. Would hate to do two weeks in a row of scrambling for stories and getting them done early. That would really suck!! LOL!

We need to hear from mnutz, too, as to what might work. He's the man at Carbondale.”

“Didn't think about Mem Day, I just can't hike in April. Early May is out sometimes too.”

“OOPS CLARIFICATION TIME!! lol

Shawnee National Forest in SOUTHERN ILLINOIS!! WAY SOUTH!”

“Okay, thanks. That makes a bit of a difference, I think probably an 8 hour drive instead of 5 1/2-6 (?). But I'm just guessing. We'll still see if it's possible.”

“I think I could make Memorial Day work. I'm hoping I can get to the Rockies sometime in mid-May.”

“Me and Ms Cmb might be in?This trip is only 4 or 5 hours away?



Keep us in the loop.


8)”

“Let me know when & I can request those days off......I would LOVE to go.......”

“ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! I wanna go!!!!! PICK ME! :)”

“Golly, that's Golconda Country!”

“I dunno what that mean's, nowslimmer. But, I did visit Golconda this past summer. :-)

Discovered the Ohio River looks JUST LIKE the Mississippi River. OHHHHHHHHH MYYYYY!! lol

We need to get input from mnutz! Did anyone write down his e-mail from when he showed up about a month ago?? Dang....”

“Liz -
1. Golconda is somewhat central along the Ohio River in the Shawnee Forest. I'm sure that people from there have had an influence in the forest. The expression is a figure of speech, like Al Capone's "country," a rival gang's "country," etc. Also, it might be used to refer to a person's field of expertise.

2. My contacts in that area go back to 1960, when I was first married. This last Christmas Week, my first wife was buried between her parents' graves in Colconda. So I have been in that area several times and this encounter conjured many memories.
-----------------------------
Do you have any good links to information on trails in that area.? My first search did not produce much information. Thanks. Happy Valentine's Day.”

“Hi Liz....
May sounds like a good time for us. Memorial weekend would be perfect (due to me having a Government job). Keep us posted.”

“So who is going to post a trip for this on the trip page???


8)


Oh Lizs!”

“Mike, I'm wanting to hear from mnutz. I'd want his help on planning anything, cuz I just know dayhikes in the area. And I would guess he'd want to go on it. Am awaiting his "checking in," whenever that might occur.

Also, it's probably gonna end up being on whatever weekend works best for me, beyond that. And then just see who can make it for whatever weekend that ends up being. I'm itching for April, but we'll see......”

“No day hiking!


This has to be a backpacking trip!


8)”

“Then all the more reason to get mnutz in on planning. I don't know the trail system there.

BUT... we all know ya love that car camping, CMB. LOL!!! ;-)”

“Lotsa good day hike info here:
Great day adventures!”

“SPPPPP dont tell mike I said this but car camping and dayhiking are good things too :)”

“are you stuttering?”

“No you fool! :)”

“Maybe we'll need to make it a daycamp trip. heheheehee”

“Oh my God!!!!



I take a nap and look what happens!


8\”

“Mike, I'm on your side. NO DAYHIKES!! I can do those in my back yard.”

“Hmmmmmm. Day hikes are better than no hikes.”

“"Oh my God!!!!



I take a nap and look what happens!


8\"
Crazy Mike Backpacks
03:44:51 PM
02/15/04


Ha Ha! That was a good one.”

“Hmmmmmm. Day hikes are better than no hikes."
nowslimmer
12:48:55 PM

OK, I concur, and the Shawnee is better than my backyard!”

“I just e-mailed Lizs with a (very) tentative proposal. Glen O. Jones Lake to somewhere around Herod, following the ridgetop. I'm thinking around 10 miles with lotsa up and down. Dates still up in the air. Thursday I will find out my spring/summer schedule and will know more than. If anyone is interested I promise you'll love the views on this hike.

Hope I can see everyone soon!”

“Yup, m-nutz wrote me and sent some topo profiles for that hike. Who says there's no hills in Ill-eh-noiz??”

“I was just looking at the topo map m-nutz sent. LOL! I love the way these little wide spots on the road are presents as "TOWNS," like say, Karbers Ridge on the way to Garden of the Gods. And Herod. I can't recall Herod, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a house or two there. lol... Very cool and quaint area.”

“I think a good backpacking trip for the River To River Trail would be to start at Batt Rock and hike to Garden OF The God's.


Just a thought.

8)”

“CMB, where's Battery Rock? How far is that? (at work, no Shawnee N'tl Forest map handy)”

“Then maybe we could find a spot to have lunch at one of those wide spots in the road. ;-)”