Pine Mountain Trail (Harris County, Georgia)

In my continuing endeavor to get in tip top shape for my upcoming Camino, I planned out a few training hikes and posted them as Meetup events. The next one on the list is the longest of the batch. The Pine Mountain Trail follows a long Ridge from an old country store to the tall WJSP-TV tower, most of it traveling through FD Roosevelt State Park in west central Georgia. I have hiked this trail or at least large portions of it in the past, but today's plan is to hike the entire 23 miles point to point. I admit I had thoughts of cancelling the hike due to injuries I sustained while out running in my neighborhood two nights ago. I tripped on an upturned piece of pavement and took a nasty fall, which resulted in several scrapes, a few bruises, and a two-inch gash above my right eye that required stitches. That said, I feel pretty good for being so banged up right now and decided to go forward with the hike.

Originally, I had five or so hikers signed up, but as the day approached that dwindled to only a single hiker. This being a shuttle hike, it required each of us to drive our cars. We met at the radio tower, where my friend left his car. We then drove my car to our starting point and got our gear ready to start the hike. Once we reach his car at the other end, he'll drive me back to this end to collect my car. 

The first section through the woods was mildly downhill as it follows the contours of the ridge. A few patches of poison ivy grow here, but I'm always extremely observant and cautious of this nasty plant, as I've found myself to be quite allergic. We are both strong hikers and I note we are traveling at an very nearly 4-mile per hour pace for the first couple of miles. Soon we reach the spur trail that leads to the park visitors center and quickly discuss whether or not to stop. We agree to just take a quick water break and continue on.

At one point, we enter an area where the Civilian Conservation Corp had constructed several ponds. The woods has grown up around them and the ponds are now dry (at least today), but in and around this area, we spot the ruins of an old structure of some kind. It's nothing terribly interesting, but I always find things like this add to the character of a trail.

Along the entire length of this trail, we will spot a large number of named and somewhat developed campsites, most of which include a fire ring and a picnic table. A lot of people do this hike as a multi-day backpacking trip and as we encounter some of these people throughout the day, they will be slightly surprised that we're hiking the entire length of it in just this one day. That said, this would be a pretty nice backpacking trip for anyone getting started in the activity. 

We remain in the lower elevation section for a little while and even encounter a box turtle alongside the trail. My friend and I take turns leading, but we both set a strong pace. The weather is going to be pretty nice today. It's going to be warm with highs in the mid 80°s, but with much lower humidity than Georgia is typically known for. 

Around the 11-mile mark, we cross state highway 190. We have been looking for a good spot to stop for lunch and as we hadn't yet found anything, the two rocks on the other side of the road seem like an ideal spot. It's shady and offers a great place to sit and rest for a brief break. My friend being from England, mentions that he originally was planning to make a salmon and cucumber sandwich, but ran out of time before he left his house and so, settled for some left over chicken salad. I brought a few pre-packaged snacks and pull a Clif bar and Fatty sausage out to give myself some calories. After a few minutes, we're back on our feet and again moving at our swift pace. The energy boost is apparent.

I am getting a little concerned about my water supply. I brought two liter Nalgene bottles plus a 16-oz bottle, which is in the main compartment of my pack. If I remember correctly from the last time I hiked here, the overlook ahead where FDR used to barbeque has a water fountain where we can refill. Hopefully, it won't be necessary and hopefully, the refill will be possible, but I begin to conserve a little bit just in case.

After another 3.5 miles or so, we reach the FDR overlook area atop Dowdell Knob. It's worth a stop to check out the magnificent views here and to see if my memory is correct of the water fountain. We walk around the cleared area a bit, taking in the view and noting the bronze statue of our 32nd President, complete with leg braces. Unfortunately, I was mistaken and there is no water refill here. I will have to be extremely careful with my water supply from this point onward. On one of my previous hikes along this trail, which was planned as the full length of it, I had to bail due to mild dehydration. I don't want that to happen this time.

Leaving Dowdell Knob, we enter a rocky section with some very mile rock scrambling. It makes the hike interesting, but given my already beat up condition from my recent fall, I have to take these sections very slowly and delay our breakneck race to the end. My friend is understanding of this situation, as I don't think he wants to see me injury myself further.

For the next couple of miles, we'll be following an undulating grade. While this is the case with most of the trial, this section is particularly well described that way. At one point, I note a long, black something on the left side of the trail and as we approach a hognose snake begins 'hooding and hissy' at us as we approach. These guys are not venomous to humans, but do put on quite a defensive show reminiscent of the king cobra. We do our best to not disturb the little guy, but as he's right along the trail on a steep hillside, we are not left much choice. We do our best to get past him without causing too much dismay. He seems to settle down as we get past.

With just a few more miles to go now, we enter the lowlands section of the trail, which includes a number of small waterfalls. It's a beautiful wetlands area with fields of green fern and other water-loving plants lining the trail. I'll be honest, I'm not really sore or anything, but I am getting to the point where I just want to be done with the trail. We've been hiking for seven or so hours by this point and I'm ready to be done. I'm also getting very low on drinking water. My friend is as well.

After passing a couple of the waterfalls, we realize we're getting very close to the end and a second (or perhaps fourteenth) wind strengthens our resolve and our pace once again picks up. We're close now and out of drinking water, though my friend says he has some in his car. Soon, we see the sign indicating 0.1 miles to the tower and just afterwards, we see cars in the parking area. 

Once reach his car, he pulls a gallon jug from the trunk and I pour some into my water bottle and begin rehydrating myself. It's not very cold, but it's still wet and easily gets the job done. Our mileage total was 23.2 miles with just over 3,100 feet of elevation gain. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. I'm tired and ready to sit, but I don't feel overexerted or anything. I'm glad we did this. Now for the ride back to my car and the drive home.

Fort Massac (Massac County, Illinois)

Fort Massac is the remains of the reconstructed structures of a French colonial and later early National-era fort along the Ohio River near Metropolis Illinois. And since it was on my route home as I drove between St. Louis and Atlanta, I had to stop and check it out. Though there may have been a Spanish fort nearby as early as 1540, the actual Fort Massac was built by the French in 1757, during the French and Indian War. Apparently, it was destroyed by the Chickasaw sometime after 1763 and rebuilt by the early American Troops in 1794. Today, the site is recognized as an Illinois state park.

Parking my car near the visitors center, I make the short walk out the the reconstructed structures of the 1794 site. Several wooden buildings stand here today as their counterparts must have over two centuries ago. As I walk out towards the Ohio River, I notice the raised ground and mote-like fortification of the actual fort aspect. This includes the very common and highly defensible corners where cannons could get a wide sweep of the land surrounding the fort. I walk around this area a little bit before heading back to my car and continuing my journey home. While not much remains of this historic site, it's always interesting to visit what does.

Stonefort Trail (Jackson County, Illinois)

I'm always on the lookout for interesting historical, geological, and archaeological sites in my travels. As I was planning a trip back to my hometown, near St. Louis, I stumbled across information on the Stonefort Trail. This is remnant of an ancient rock wall atop a bluff in the Giant City State Park of Southern Illinois. Archaeologists are unsure of the exact purpose, but they do not believe it was defensive in nature. Regardless, it seems just the kind of interesting site that I want to check out.

After parking my car, I start the short hike up the bluff along a cascading stream. The trail is well marked and once I reach the top, I'm struck by the wall, which was obviously a human construct. While much of it has been destroyed over time, long sections still remain and seem to create a defensible barrier facing the forest, while the tall bluff we're atop provides a very likely unclimbable barrier to any attacking from that direction. For whatever the evidence that the experts have relied on to move away from the defensive structure theory, I'm not convinced. This is one of the best fortified areas, I've ever visited.

While I would love to stay and explore more, I still have several hours of driving and one further stop to hit before I make it home. This was only a short hike of 0.4 miles, but a very interesting one nonetheless.

Snake Road (Union County, Illinois)

My next stop along this long drive home to Atlanta from St. Louis takes me to the infamous Snake Road. I don't recall where I first learned of this place, but since it was only a few miles out of my way, I decided to pay it a visit and see if it lived up to it's reputation. This gravel road sits in the flood plane between the Big Muddy River and the continuation of the bluff system that continues north. From my reading, many snake species can be found crossing the road here during April and October as they move between the wetlands of the flood plain and the higher ground of the bluffs. 

The road is closed to cars during these periods of high snake traffic, but a small parking area is offered at the northern end and the signage indicates that foot traffic is welcome. I leave my car and begin my trek, with eyes scanning everywhere for any dangerous species, which will likely include water moccasins and potentially copperheads and timber rattlers. I'm sure there are many more non-venomous species in the area as well, but I'm less concerned with them.

In the distance, I see a couple walking the road ahead of me and take note of where they stop along the way. While I don't see any snakes right away, I am enthralled by the beauty of the area. It's just a nice forested gravel road, which seems to be pretty well maintained. I'm sure it's a popular spot for people to hike given it's reputation. 

As I continue scanning either side of the road, some areas of which are stagnant ponds of river overflow (very "snaky"), I fail to see any of the slithering residents. I eventually catch up to the couple and we chat briefly. Apparently, they had seen a large water moccasin on a log in one of these areas, but after taking a couple of pictures, he swam off into the brackish water. I wish them well and continue south.

I climb over a couple of small inclines, but eventually decide that I need to head back and hike back the way I came, still on alert for any legless visitors. Once I reach my car, I'm thankful to have arrived safe, but somewhat disappointed at the lack of sightings. Perhaps, it was just an off day. Total distance hiked (or rather walked) was only about 2.7 miles.

Piney Creek Ravine Rock Art (Randolph County, Illinois)

Over my years living out west, I have sought out and explore many areas with ancient Native American rock art. I know that there are also some examples near where I grew up in Southern Illinois, and since I'm traveling through on my way home from St. Louis, I decided to detour and visit one of them.

The Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area sits in and among some mildly rugged rock formations, with the ravine carved out by the creek the area is named for. I really didn't know what to expect, but was anxious to see what the site had to offer. From the small gravel parking area, the trail follows an old dirt road along a couple of pastures before taking a quick right and beginning a slow decent into the ravine. 

I'm actually pretty impressed by the topography and geology here. There are some waterfalls and the creek bed is a single sheet of limestone, at least in some areas. Once I get to the main area, where the creek forks, I'm forced to do a rock-hop to cross one of the branches. I saw a sign along a bluff on the far side and I assumed that might be where the rock art could be found. After making my way back up the hill, I found my assumption to be correct. Scattered along the walls of this bluff there is a combination of ancient pictographs and petroglyphs, along with an overwhelming amount of more modern (but still historical) graffiti. The more modern carvings are generally names and dates, which appear to be mostly from the late 19th and early 20th century. Unfortunately, they have hidden much of their more ancient counterparts.

As I walk along the bluff though, I do find a few examples that are still visible. The more noteworthy examples include a petroglyph of two humanoid figures standing side by side and a series of pictograph ungulates (probably deer) in a row painted with a red stain. I spend a few minutes exploring all around the area and see many more areas that might contain more rock art, but with what appears to be a storm approaching, I don't want to linger too long. 

Back at my car, I see I've hiked only about 1.6 miles, which isn't much, but I still have more stops planned along this trip home. This is an interesting site though and when I have more time, may be worthy of a more detailed exploration.

Confluence Point Trail (St. Charles County, Missouri)

After yesterday's busy day in downtown St. Louis, which included a half-marathon, a ride to the top of the Gateway Arch, and seeing my Cardinals take a loss from the Red Sox, I'm headed north to my actual home town of Alton, Illinois this morning. It's only about twenty miles from downtown and I'll be spending today and tonight there visiting family and friends before driving home to Atlanta tomorrow. 

On the way over though, I decided to check out a small park built at the confluence of two largest rivers in the nation, the Mississippi and the Missouri. The drive is a few miles out of the way on gravel roads, but I'm not in any big hurry. As I pass through this area though, I'm reminded of the great floods this area often sees. Back in 1993, which is the biggest one recorded, I even helped sandbag several of the businesses in Alton's downtown area in a futile attempt to persuade the muddy waters away. It didn't work. I imagine this lowland area between the great rivers takes a beating during floods, which is probably why they haven't paved the roads are done any extensive development. 

The park includes a small parking area and a couple of trails. I'm most interested in the Confluence Point Trail, which leads out to the actual confluence. It's a short 0.6 mile hike on gravel and some small sections of pavement to reach the area. Out there, some markers indicate which river is which and offer some historical tidbits, including a panel describing the many Native American Nations that once used these waterways. While visually, the confluence is nothing impressive, the importance of it in social, economic, and even patriotic terms cannot be overstated. This is where nearly half of the rain that falls across the entire contiguous United States finds its path to the Gulf of Mexico. It's truly a grand junction.

Gateway Arch (St. Louis County, Missouri)

When I planned my trip to St. Louis, I had to check back in the history of this blog. I was sure I had written about the Gateway Arch before, but as it turns out, I was incorrect. That said, I figured it wouldn't hurt to make a return to trip to symbol of my hometown. I've visited many times over the years, but it's always a great stop.

The Gateway Arch, built as a monument to the westward expansion of our great nation, stands 630 feet tall above the Mighty Mississippi River and welcomes travelers to the vast stretches of the west beyond. It was built between 1963 and 1965 and includes an underground museum. My memories of this place include walking through the museum as a child on a field trip and later of dancing with my senior prom date under the starlight and stainless steel behemoth after dinner and on our way to the actual dance, which was held on one of the riverboats below. It's also worth noting that the term 'arch' is a little misleading, as the shape of the structure is actually an upside down catenary, at least in mathematical terms. If you were to hold a string between your hands and let it go from taut to loose, the shape formed would be a catenary. Now flip it upside down and that's the Gateway Arch.

Oddly for having grown up so close, I didn't actually ride the tiny elevator cars to the top of the structure until after I had moved away to Reno and returned to St. Louis on a business trip. That said, I figured I would do it again today. I bought a ticket in advance and as the time approached, I made the short half-mile walk from my hometown to the park grounds. 

Entering, I quickly found where I needed to be after passing through an airport-like security check. I suppose the park service can't be too careful with a structure like this. They line us all up in a room and show a little video on the walls of the waiting area, which details what was going on in the world in the 1960's when the monument was built. Even for an old guy like me, this was just a little before my time, but I'm very familiar with the culture of that era.

Once the video is complete, we load into the eight tiny cars that are a combination of elevator and escalator. If you think about that, it make sense given how the cars must travel to the top. It starts out my vertical, but as we approach the top becomes much more horizontal. It's a tight fit, as I remember, in this car, but I'm with a nice family and we chat a little bit during the four-minute ride to the top.

At the top, we climb a few stairs and then head into the observation deck. Here, sixteen windows per side offer spectacular views of the city. Since the shape of the arch is actually a triangle, the windows are fashioned with a carpeted area to lean out onto and take in everything to be seen from this amazing vantage point. I take a few minutes to lean over several windows and see the city and river below me before heading back towards the elevators. 

After about ten minutes, we are asked to prepare to re-board the elevator cars and they call our groups one by one. The ride down is just slightly faster thanks to the gravity assist, but we arrive back at the base in one piece. I think the young man who's family I shared the car with was impressed by the entire experience. I wish them well and once we reach the bottom, I head towards my next destination for the day.