A day in the wilderness

[Alan G.]

Went for a day hike above the treeline in the cascade mountains this past weekend. Flowers, berries and small animals were abundant.
Starting in the woods

The top of this ridge is one of my destinations

Long way down from the top

View over the other side

Tons of huge trees on the way down. Can you spot the knife?

Total count for the trip with just shy of 16000 feet of total elevation change

 

[Bob W]

2.6 mph is a pretty darn good average considering the elevation changes. And 29 miles is no slouch either. :thumbup: What was the highest elevation you reached?

Punk kids.

 

[Alan G.]

Highest elevation was only about 6500' but there was a lot of up and down. Don't know how much of a kid I am at 29.

 

[TPVT]

29 miles is a day hike? i'm doing something wrong. awesome landscape. thanks for the pics. makes me want to go skiing.

 

[Bob W]

29 miles is a full day, for sure. But break it down into hours and it's not really that bad. Summer days offer 14 hours of daylight or more.
2 mph x 14 hours = 28 miles.
Now increase the speed a bit...
3mph x 14 hours = 42 miles.

Of course at 44... those numbers are long in the past for me.

 

[lambertiana]

Beautiful country

 

[ThriftyJoe]

.....

 

[North]

Pretty country for sure. Thanks for sharing.

Bill

 

[River-8]

Great pics, and impressive mileage:thumbup:!!
Where in the Cascades was this?

Cheers,
8

 

[Alan G.]

It was the North Sauk trailhead which is the main trail access to Glacier Peak.

 

[grunt soldier]

29 miles is no joke especially in the hills. I haven't done that in about 4 years since I got out of the army lol. great pics! thank you for sharing

 

[Mastalerz]

Beautiful pictures, makes me really want to go out west. You have some of the nicest landscapes out there.

 

[I.N.F.K]

Never been there, but it looks like a great place

 

[schmittie]

I love it when you guys share pictures like this. All I have is corn fields as far as the eye can see.

 

[Bob W]

I love it when you guys share pictures like this. All I have is corn fields as far as the eye can see.

Illinois has a few outdoor gems, but they're small, and few, and far between. Timing is everything too, to avoid having unpleasantly crowded conditions in a state with nearly 13 Million people.

I'm from Northern Illinois, spent a lot of time in the Shawnee Forest, and went to college at Western Illinois with a degree in Outdoor Recreation. I'd be happy to recommend a spot or two, if you could say a little more precisely which part of the state you're in. :thumbup:

 

[Mastalerz]

^--- that's why I love this forum.

 

[SubaruSTi]

I'm in the champaign urbana area. I like Kickapoo, homer lake, alerton park. Know of any other good ones?

 

[22-rimfire]

29 miles is not my idea of a day hike. You must be in shape.

 

[Bob W]

I'm in the champaign urbana area. I like Kickapoo, homer lake, alerton park. Know of any other good ones?

Ouch, right in the middle of nowhere.

Just to the west of you is the Pine Ridge State Forest. It's the largest park in Illinois, and likely the only Illinois park with any backpacking or backcountry camping opportunities.

If you haven't been to the Shawnee National Forest down south, it's an amazing part of Illinois and well worth the short drive down. It's only a three hour drive from Champagne to Harrisburg, so would make an excellent short getaway. The ideal time to visit is the late fall, after the ticks and poison ivy have died back for the year. And the ideal way to see the forest would be to spend a week meandering from river to river. Hit the sightseeing stops, hike a few trails, get 'lost' on the backroads, and spend nights camping in the forest. Deep forests, canyons, natural arches, bluffs, waterfalls, and even a real swamp. :thumbup:

 

[tman038]

wow.. amazing area. i am jealous... think the highest point in FL is about 400'. thanks for sharing