Our engagement on the Eleven Point River

     This is a story of love, beauty, and nature.  It all started 3 years ago in the spring of 2012.  My position with the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) was ending and I needed something temporary.  My job ended somewhat abruptly and I didn't have many options in southern Illinois. But it just so happened that my friend Tony Gerard was on paternity leave at Shawnee Community College and they needed someone to teach his biology courses for a semester.  That would do nicely and this is the first of many examples of the serendipity of meeting my fiance Susan.
     Another example is that for no particular reason, it just somehow worked out that Tony's office was across the hall from Susan's office.  This is interesting because Susan was the chair of the Humanities and Social Science Division at the time and Tony is in the Math and Science Division. Obviously because of this I ran into her regularly in the hall or at the copier and I would chat her up about the minutia of teaching at the community college.  We hardly had any free time during the day to get to know each other, plus it is always tricky to ask someone out on a date that you work with and see regularly in a professional setting.  Once I did have a chance to ask her some more details, I learned that she was leaving her job and moving north to the Chicago area.  I had no interest in that, but I still kept my eye on her.
     I waited until the last day of the semester to ask her out.  I had nothing to lose.  I was sitting in Tony's office knowing that once I left I would not see her again.  I was returning to teach during the summer semester, but she was not.  I looked over and her door was open.  I gathered up my courage, figured out the how to break the ice, and went to walk over to her office door.  But now it was closed.
     "Well you waited too long and now she left you stupid chicken," I thought to myself, and "well that is that."  I collected my things and walked down the hall toward the door to the parking lot. Just before reaching the door, I passed by the restrooms and she walked out right there in front of me. I scrambled to make small talk and then just came out with it.  "I'm going to make your day...I think you're gorgeous."  We made plans to get together that weekend and we pretty much hit it off right away.
    I had only about a week before the next semester started so I asked her to go with me on a 5-day float trip down the Current River from Akers Ferry to Powder Mill.  She had a trip planned to visit her friend Lori in New York, but since this was the only time I had available, I convinced her to postpone her trip.  We had an amazing time on our first trip to the Ozarks and it was hot and sunny and perfect every day.  I had her hooked on canoeing and I had her hooked on me.  Everything was going according to plan.

     The next challenge was that she was about to move 5 hours north to Chicago and I was hoping for a job as a botanist with the Shawnee National Forest.  Long story short, I was not offered the job, but I received a request from my former employer to return to the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI), but to do so in the northeast portion of Illinois.  Before then, I did not want to work in the suburbs of Chicago, but now there was a strong incentive!  Against the odds, our relationship survived.
     Skipping ahead to the present, we wanted to replicate our Current River trip in 2015.  For various reasons, we decided on a shorter trip down the Eleven Pint River.  I lived in Alton, Missouri in 2007 and had paddled on that river a dozen times or so.  It took just over 3 hours from Makanda, Illinois to get to the landing at Greer.

Pulling into Greer Landing

     I dropped off Susan and our gear and took my car to the canoe outfitter that would shuttle my car to the end.  Soon after we were off!

At Greer Landing

     The Eleven Point River is much more remote than the Current River.  Nestled in the Irish Wilderness, this National Wild and Scenic River is managed by the National Forest Service (USDA) instead of the National Park Service (USDI).  Upstream from the Greer Landing is Greer Spring, which is the 3rd largest spring in Missouri.  It adds so much water that the river can be paddled downstream from this point any month of the year.

The Eleven Point River

      Although this river does not get the crazy party groups that other Ozark rivers often have, it is a bonus to go during the week.  We launched on a Wednesday and there was no one around.  In fact, only a handful of people were encountered during the entire trip.  But there was a lot of nature to be seen.

Snapping Turtle on log

Green Heron

    The water level was perfect.  The Ozark rivers can be flashy and there had been a lot of rain in the spring/early summer in that area.  We were fortunate to not be rained on at all during our 3-day trip and overall the conditions were lovely.

Paddling the Eleven Point River

     We selected a very nice campsite, one that I had not camped at before, since I usually do this section of river in one day instead of two.  It was across the river from the Stinking Pond float camp.

Susan happy about our campsite selection

Campsite #1

Foil pack dinner and campfire

     We are adamant that we eat well while on the river.  Careful planning and ice management can provide for fresh meat, vegetables, and cold beverages.  One of our favorite meals is chicken and veggie foil packs.  No stove necessary, just wrap in foil and throw on the campfire coals.

Preparing the foil pack dinners

Chicken with seasoning and bell peppers

     We have also found that throwing everything into a large plastic bin works well to keep it contained and protected from the elements.
   

Just throw it all into a bin

     We enjoyed a nice evening by the fire listening to the nature sounds and enjoying the conservation.
   

Hanging out at campsite #1

     The next morning we continued down the river and had it all to ourselves.  One of the things I am adamant about is a clean and organized cockpit.  Every morning I sponge out the boat and pack everything just how I like it.  What can I say I run a tight ship!

Leaving campsite #1

I am stern about having a clean stern

     The other thing I am stern about is cold beer.  If you do it right, you can make a cooler full of beer stay cold for 3 days in the hot sun.

Ice cold beer here!

     As we continued down the river, we stopped at a rope swing and took turns swinging into the water, skipped rocks across the still pools in the backwaters, and dipped in the ice cold water whenever our hearts desired.  Before long, we were at campsite #2.

Docking the barge at campsite #2

     

Campsite #2

   

Not wanting to leave campsite #2

      There are many landmarks and historic places to stop at along the river.  Something that is a right of passage is stopping at the spring at Boze Mill and taking a dip.  The water is freezing cold and in the hot summer sun, nothing feels better.  We paused for a self-portrait at the output of the spring and the water was flowing so swiftly I thought my tripod and camera would be swept away.

At Boze Mill

Boze Mill Spring confluence with the Eleven Point River

     We didn't want the trip to end.  The emerald crystal clear waters were entrancing and we took our time floating down the 19 miles from Greer to the bridge at Riverton.  As we neared the bridge we decided to stop at a gravel bar at the final turn in the river to waste some time.  We played in the water, enjoyed the hot sun, and watched the water flow by.  It all seemed so perfect that this is where I asked Susan to marry me and she accepted!

Newly engaged!

     Finally accepting the reality that we had to finish our trip, we shoved off and paddled the last little section to the landing at Riverton.  The nice thing about using Richard's canoe rental is that they move your vehicle to the take-out at Riverton for only $40.  It was pretty much an amazing trip and we had a very nice drive back to Makanda, Illinois.  We look forward to our next trip to the Eleven Point River!

Car loaded up and ready to head home

Finger Lakes, NY, Watkins Glen State Park, NY and Pittsburgh, PA

     My partner Susan and I had the recent fortune of traveling to New York for a wedding.  My buddy from graduate school was getting married to his girlfriend of 7 years.  They live in Geneva, New York so we made the long drive out there from Illinois for the wedding.
     Luckily, we had friends along the way we wanted to visit and traveled to Pittsburgh, PA the first day in order to break up the drive.  We continued on to Geneva the next day, which was in late October.  The leaves were about peak color for most of our drive.

With the bride and groom.  Rocks denoting table placement at the wedding dinner.

     The day of the wedding we had some time so we visited a winery.  We stayed with a friend of the bride and groom and she directed us to Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yan, NY.  We had a nice lunch and did a wine tasting.  After picking out a few bottles to take with us, we headed south down highway 14 to Watkins Glen.  The air was chilly, but the sun was shining and the Finger Lakes region was beautiful.

Beautiful day for a drive in the Finger Lakes region

   

At Fox Run Winery, Penn Yan, NY

     Watkins Glen is the name of the town, but it is also the name of a large gorge in town, named Watkins Glen State Park.  It was highly recommended and it did not disappoint.  It cost $8 to park but it was well worth it.  The park was busy as expected on a fall Saturday, but it was still amazing and the beauty started as soon as we left the parking lot.

Waterfall near entrance to Watkins Glen State Park

     The gorge at Watkins Glen State Park was carved by Glen Creek, approximately 12,000 years ago. Thousands of years of erosion created the deep chasm, and a rock pathway and stairs lead the visitor up the canyon from the main parking lot on the southeast end.  We gorged ourselves on the Gorge Trail.

As they say in the area, "it's gorges!"

Along the trail and behind waterfalls

     The park was opened in 1863 and since then it has seen many changes,  The trail has been reconstructed several times as weathering and flooding have deepened and widened the canyon.  Two dams have been built far upstream in order to alleviate severe flooding.  Humans try to tame nature, but the geologic forces will continue, whether we like it or not.

Along the Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen

     Most of the underlying rock in this area is shale, which is a combination of mud and clay that formed when the area was covered by a shallow sea about 400 million years ago.  Since the last Ice Age, glacial meltwater and large rain events, as well as freezing and thawing action, have removed the layers of rock little by little and we are left at the perfect moment in geologic time to observe a natural wonder.

Main Waterfall

Lover's Lane

     Next we went to Watertown to see some of Susan's friends and we stopped in for lunch at the town's oldest restaurant, built in 1909!

The Crystal Restaurant, Watertown, NY

     After a nice visit to Watertown, NY we returned to Geneva, but on the way we stopped at Niagara Falls.  We forgot our passports so we were not able to see the better view from the Canadian side, and the sun was behind us so photographs were tough, but we took one anyway.

Niagara Falls, NY

     We visited our friends in Geneva again on our way back and continued on the next day to Pittsburgh to see friends and explore the city.  On our last day of the trip we went to the Andy Warhol Museum.  It was super cool and not something one can describe in words.  You just have to go there and see it for yourself.

Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

     Outside the museum was the Andy Warhol bridge, the only bridge in the United States named after a visual artist.  Pittsburgh is the city of bridges, as three rivers converge here.

Andy Warhol bridge

          The museum visit made for a perfect morning and from there we went to an overlook to see the city.

Overlooking Pittsburgh, PA

     For lunch, our host asked if we wanted to go to church.  He took us to the Church Works Brewery, an old church converted into a brick fire pizza oven place and brewery!

Church Works Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA

     It was a great way to end a great vacation!

Mill Bluff State Park, Wisconsin

     Being from Minnesota, but living in Illinois, I frequently travel through Wisconsin on Interstate 90/94 to visit family back in southeastern Minnesota.  About halfway on the trip is a fine state park, right off of the interstate, that I like to stop at, take a break from driving, and check out the view from the overlook.  The place is called Mill Bluff State Park and much of it is designated as a state natural area.
     If coming from the west, exit at Oakdale, and if coming from the east, exit at Camp Douglas. Then follow Highway 12 to the entrance road to the park.  A state park vehicle sticker is required, but a daily pass can be purchased  for $10 (for out-of-state residents), or $5 for a single hour, which is plenty of time when just stopping for a respite from a long car ride.  We paid the ranger, parked our car, and headed for the stairs to the top of the namesake feature, Mill Bluff.
     Only 223 stairs and we were at the top of the bluff!  There is a nice hand rail on one side and the stairs were carved out of the sandstone cliff.  Although they are uneven and challenging for some to climb, it is neat that they were made on site.

Only 223 stairs to the top!

     Pine trees are common on the bluff, and along the trail at the top we observed lots of blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), native honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera), and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum).  Mill Bluff and the other rock formations are comprised of sandstone of Cambrian origin. These many sandstone pinnacles and mesas are geologic features called sea stacks, rock pillars composed of a steep vertical layer of rock formed by wind and water erosion within a large body of water.  Although this area is within the Driftless Area, a region covering southwestern Wisconsin that was never glaciated, the area was influenced by the last ice age, 15,000 years ago.  The rocks were once islands barely visible in a giant waterbody called Glacial Lake Wisconsin.  The giant lake was created when icebergs dammed the outlets draining the area.  Once the icebergs melted, the glacial outwash carved out the distinctive valleys of the Wisconsin Dells area.  Many glacial erratics were also deposited in this area, material carried south by abundant meltwater.

View from Mill Bluff 

   

Selfie

     After taking in the views to the north, we descended the stairs and returned to our vehicle.  But I wanted to see another one of the rock formations.  One of the rock bluffs is not as angular as the rest. This one is called Ragged Rock and it more uneven in appearance because it is not covered in protective limestone cap, like the other rock bluffs are.

Sandstone cliffs at Ragged Rock

     This characteristic also made it easy to scramble up to near the top.  Rock climbing is prohibited, but to me rock climbing is vertical and hiking doesn't require ropes so I carefully made my way up the steep and sandy slope.  I couldn't get to the top without doing some maneuvering that I would consider climbing.  But I did get some good views from my perch near the top.

View from Ragged Rock

View from Ragged Rock

     This unique area was very fun to explore and I only saw a small portion of it.  Looking out across the wide open expanse made me want to hike the area cross country.  But with lots to do, we made our way back to the car.  Along the way back down I found Spinulose Woodfern (Dryopteris carthusiana) and Polypody Fern (Polypodium virginianum), as well lots of Blue Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis).

Spinulose Woodfern (Dryopteris carthusiana)

     This area is a real gem and convenient to stop at and take a closer look.  The geologic formations are really quite fascinating!

Base of Ragged Rock

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

     This spring there was one thing that I knew I needed to do: visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I had never been there before and it is not all that far from Carbondale, Illinois. 
     We set out Friday morning for the park.  Not really knowing that much about the park, we figured we would head to Gatlinburg and go from there.  We heard from wise friends that we wanted to avoid that area, as well as Pigeon Forge, and decided to start in Townsend.  What a neat little town that was!
     Before finding a motel, we decided to go to a Visitor’s Center to learn more about the park and mainly, to get a detailed map.  We proceed to Cades Cove and found ourselves driving the scenic loop.  It was a bit early in the year at that altitude and so we did not observe that much in that area, but we did stop at the small Visitor’s Center, which was a neat little log cabin.  On the way back around the loop we stopped to admire and photograph some old settler cabins, but it was getting dark so we went back to town.

Motel in Townsend, TN

     We found a motel to stay at for only $60 and it had a nice fire-pit area with wooden rocking chairs.  We joined the crowd around the fire and had interesting small talk until one of the participants told us a couple bizarre stories from his tenure as a police officer in Chattanooga.  I’ll spare you the details.  Another person told us to check out the trail at the intersection just south of town so we packed it in for the night.
     In the morning we drove a few minutes to the Chestnut Top trailhead and proceeded up the slope.  It was splendid indeed!  The cliffs along the trail were loaded with wildflowers.  We saw large patches of many wildflowers like Fern-leaved Phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida), Great Chickweed (Stelaria pubera), Early Saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis), Soloman’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), False Soloman’s Seal (Smilacina racemosa), Bishop’s Cap (Mitella diphylla), Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum), Meadow Parsnip (Thaspium sp.), Long-spurred Violet (Viola rostrata), Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata), Fire Pink (Silene virginica), Toothwort (Dicentra lcacinata), Rue Anemone (Anemonella thalictroides), Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), and several species of Trilliums (Trillium spp.).  It was a splendid introduction to the spring wildflowers of the park, but we had lots to see so we turned around after a mile or so and went back to the car.

Yellow Trillium (Trillium luteum) and Fire Pink (Silene virginica)

     Next we drove the Little River Road in order to make our way up to Clingman’s Dome.  The road was lined with Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) blooming along the cliffs.  The road followed the river and it was an extremely winding road.  We drove slowly in the light rain, and traffic was light, allowing us to take in the views all around.
     There was some more activity around the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center, so we skipped stopping there and drove up Newfound Gap Road.  Traffic was light for the most part and I was beginning to wonder where all the people were, since we knew that this is the most visited national park in the United States.  All it took was a wildlife encounter to bring the people into visibility.  On our way up Newfound Gap road we encountered traffic and cars along the side of the road.  Our inquiry indicated a female black bear and her three cubs could be seen in the woods.  We responsibly drove up to a small parking lot nearby and went to observe the black bears slowly walk around foraging.  It was pretty cool.

Female black bear and view from Clingman's Dome

     After a couple more hilarious encounters with motorists, we arrived at the parking lot for Clingman’s Dome and headed up the short, steep path to an observation deck that had been erected on the summit.  Clingman’s Dome is the highest point within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the highest point in Tennessee.  Having completed Arizona’s highest point last November, we were excited to have completed another one.  On the way down we noticed some inappropriately dressed tourists make their way up, and I said, “You’re going to be cold up there!” to which they just awkwardly smiled.      

     

Clingman's Dome, 6643 ft, highest point in Tennessee

     It was cold, windy, and rainy up in the parking lot area, and visibility was reduced from the cloud cover so I snapped a few photos and we headed back down the mountain to one of the main Visitor Centers.  On the way, we stopped several times to look for salamanders under rocks in the smaller flowing streams.  Unfortunately, we didn’t find any, but they are reportedly usually everywhere.  However, we did stop to admire an area with old growth trees and huge mats of wildflowers, mainly Fringed Phacelia (Phacelia fimbriata) and Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum).  

Fringed Phacelia (Phacelia fimbriata)

     I was very impressed by some of the large trees here, mainly the huge Ohio Buckeyes (Aesculus glabra), probably because I had never seen ones so large before.  Before getting into the car at this spot, a young girl pointed out a curious mouse that was roaming around in the grass.  We went to observe it and it jumped on my boot!  

      I stopped along the road at a couple other pulloffs to photograph wildflowers, particularly the Trilliums.  I found some pink ones that were beautiful, and read in the guidebook that the white ones turn pink with age.

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), Ohio Buckeyes (Aesculus glabra), and Trilliums (Trillium spp.)

     Once at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, we asked for advice about visiting some of the better waterfalls and ended up buying a guidebook to the waterfalls in the park.  We decided to go to Porters Creek at the suggestion of a botanist who works in the park.  He told us to go at least a mile to get into the real good wildflowers.  The trail was wide and well-travelled with mostly flowers we had already observed and so we made quick time in the late afternoon rain.  

     I really liked an area with a small bridge that was loaded with Brook Lettuce (Saxifraga micranthidifolia).  It was a plant I had never seen or even heard of before!

Porters Creek and Brook Lettuce (Saxifraga micranthidifolia)

     Things got real cool when we came to the crossing over Porters Creek.  There were several large logs that were cut in half and lined up to form a single walkway across the cascading river.  The flat part of the logs were placed face-up and were covered with roofing tiles to increase traction.  There was also a wooden handrail secured with wires and some cement foundations anchoring the log bridge to some large rocks in the river.  It was so fun to cross, and I made a video of it that can be seen here.

Crossing Porters Creek and at Fern Branch Falls

     The vegetation became very interesting immediately after crossing Porters Creek.  All of a sudden, Fringed Phacelia everywhere!  The lightning was poor and the rain was falling, preventing me from getting any good photos, but it was a beautiful site.  After another short hike, we made it to Fern Branch Falls.  Although not a spectacular flow, the area was lush and colorful in the late afternoon rain.  We scrambled around the area, took a selfie, and headed back to the parking lot. 
     On the way, we ran into some folks who pointed out a neat plant called Little Brown Jug (Hexastylis arifolia).  It is in the Aristolochiaceae, along with Wild Ginger, and it was something I had not seen before.  

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), raging river, and Little Brown Jug (Hexastylis arifolia)

     Another highlight was seeing several flowering Showy Orchids (Galearis spectabilis) along the trail.  Seeing orchids in flower is always a cool thing.       

Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata), large rock cleavage, and Showy Orchid (Galearis spectabilis)

     Later on, we saw another orchid, the common Rattlesnake Plantain orchid (Goodyera pubescens), not currently in flower although the seed capsules could still be seen.  Another interesting shrub we observed that I had not seen or heard of before was Dog-hobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana).  Apparently bear hunters back in the day used dogs to chase bears and the heavy bears could penetrate the dense thickets of this shrub but the dogs would be hobbled.  Another plant that I enjoyed photographing was Blue Cohosh (Caulophorum thalictroides).  The delicate flowers are hard to capture and there was more of it here than I’ve ever seen in southern Illinois!
     It was getting late in the day so we decided to look for a place to stay, while also avoiding Gatlinburg.  The guide at the Visitor’s Center made it seem like little else was available outside of town, but we took our chances.  We were planning on camping, but the rain was a strong deterrent.  We found a place just outside of Cosby that was nice.  We had a living area with a full kitchen and wood stove for only $75.  We ordered a homemade pizza from an Italian guy in Cosby who told us many stories while we waited for our pizza.  I played guitar while Susan relaxed.  It was a nice evening.
     The sun was finally shining in the morning and the air was warm.  We were excited to get on the trail to enjoy a few more hours of the park before heading back to Carbondale.  We headed over to the Big Creek Campground and hiked up the trail to Midnight Hole and Mouse Creek Falls.

Midnight Hole

     One of the folks we spoke with (I have a habit of chatting up everyone I encounter), mentioned that Midnight Hole was a really nice spot, but wanting to see waterfalls, we didn’t think the picture in the guidebook looked too phenomenal.  Funny because when we came upon Midnight Hole, we didn’t realize at first we were there, but both immediately thought what a cool place it was.  It is was warmer, we would have jumped in!
     A short hike up the trail from Midnight Hole was Mouse Creek Falls and it was a pretty waterfall.  What was so nice was that this was supposed to be the most visited national park in the system, yet we had the waterfall all to ourselves for the half hour we spent there having lunch and taking it all in.  On the way back, we saw a lot of the same wildflowers we had been seeing, and a hiker pointed out a water snake and a black rat snake.

Mouse Creek Falls

     Hiking along Big Creek was so nice.  The surging crystal clear water was flowing over and through the large and well weathered boulders.  It sounded very peaceful.
     After getting back to the car, we split the last beer in our cooler and decided to hike a short way up the Baxter Creek Trail.  The most interesting thing observed along this section, besides lots of the neat plants we had already been seeing, was a plant called Yellow Mandarin (Disporum lanuginosum).  I had never seen it before and had fun pondering what it could be before I got out the guidebook and figured it out.

Baxter Creek Trail and Yellow Mandarin (Disporum lanuginosum)

     As we made our way back to the car we were sad our brief vacation to the Smokies had come to an end, but we knew we would definitely be back.  Although there were many plants I was hoping to see in flower, there was one thing I spotted flowering at some point along our travels that I wished /I had stopped to photograph.  On our last few miles of road before getting to the Interstate, I found what I was looking for: the Silverbell (Halesia carolina).  What a great way to end a great vacation.

Silverbell (Halesia carolina)