Winter Hiking

 

 

 

Destination:  Starved Rock State Park / Kaskaskia Canyon

Hiking back to this canyon was nothing shy of surreal.  The huge bluffs, the cry of bald eagles off in the distance, the frozen stream.  It was beautiful.  Walking sticks optional but fun!  Just watch your step.  The well traveled paths become compact and slippery. 

~deer~

Climbing Ottawa Canyon

Destination:  Starved Rock State Park / Ottawa Canyon

Normally when it is cold out I just want to cuddle with my honey.  But this year's record of consistent subzero temps had me yearning to get outdoors!  This was our first time ever really hiking a state park during the winter months and boy were we in for a treat!  FROZEN WATERFALLS!!!  Have you ever seen such beautiful ice sculptures?  There was even a group of ice climbers who were ascending the falls.  We spoke with them for a bit and they told us it would be wise to invest in some Yaktraxs to help add traction to our footing as we tried to navigate the icy paths.  After seeing how compact the paths became with previous hikers it was clear they were slick as snot and added traction would truly be welcomed!

I highly recommend getting outdoors to view such masterpieces...just watch your step!

~deer~

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Yaktraxs and am not receiving any sort of perks for sharing my thoughts on this gear.

South Island Park

  {Yeah, we're those folks who feed the birds}

{We just can't help it!  The birds got to eat too, right?}

 {Is there anything better than children romping around full of excitement?}
{Seriously...we all need to unplug more often}

 {PUSH}

 {Entering the no traction zone...}

Destination:   Wilmington, IL / South Island Park

 With a bad storm in the forecast and an eager Mom who was dying to get outdoors...yep...we braved the cold and had a grand old time!  Who says you need skates to enjoy the ice!  Our new Jetboil had it's maiden voyage outdoors today.  It was extremely windy and cold but it worked like a charm.   See those fins underneath it...they really help with it's efficiency.  Simple to ignite, cozy insulating sleeve, and a heat indicator to show you it's progress made this thing awfully flashy!  {Pardon the pun}  In a matter of minutes the water was boiling and we were able to sip some sweet hot cocoa goodness with our breakfast burritos!  And let me tell you, nothing tastes better after playing in the subzero temps for a few hours!  

~deer~

Disclaimer: I paid for this gear with my own, hard-earned money. I am not affiliated with Jetboil and am not receiving any sort of perks for sharing my thoughts on this gear.

Winter Wonderland

Conditions have to be just right for these beautiful views to appear. 

And even though I am not a fan of the cold...

this sure makes bearing it worthwhile!

~deer~