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The Shawnee Hills trail races will be 8/23 this year, they're a great way to experience the SNF. You get to hike around while people feed you snacks and cheer for you. Is anyone signing up this year? Of all the trail races I've run, this is my favorite. I'll be there.
 
krJoest said:
The Shawnee Hills trail races will be 8/23 this year, they're a great way to experience the SNF. You get to hike around while people feed you snacks and cheer for you. Is anyone signing up this year? Of all the trail races I've run, this is my favorite. I'll be there.
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I signed up for the half marathon!
 
Don't flip rocks on Missouri Department of Conservation sites, it's illegal!
 
Driftwoody said:
I retired at the end of April, now I'm planning a 17 day road trip out west through Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas before heading home back to Chicagoland.
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Awesome!

Have you been down here to Southern Illinois that much?
 
I've seen lots of cool stuff in Southern Illinois over decades of exploring. Kudos to anyone who can tell me where my favorite rock formation can be found:
20210314_141551.jpg
 
Driftwoody said:
I've seen lots of cool stuff in Southern Illinois over decades of exploring. Kudos to anyone who can tell me where my favorite rock formation can be found:
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Very easy to get to.

Park at: https://www.google.com/maps/place/W...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

Walk into the wilderness where the big boulders block the gravel road and hike down the hill past the sign. Look for the hiker only trail to your left and take it to this formation. They call it Starry Night and it's also by Anvil Rock which has sadly been vandalized with graffiti over the past few years.

The hike is less than a half a mile out and back.
 
Kudos to Shawn (I'd be surprised if you didn't know)!

There are of course more cool formations in that direction. When I visit GotG my favorite hike (~5 miles) is clockwise from the Observation Trail down to H Rock, but I don't cross over the ridge there. Instead, I follow the creek downstream. Though not an official trail, the route is easy to follow as it crosses the creek multiple times (feet likely to get wet).

At the confluence of creeks, find the creek to the right and head up it on the opposite side to make a great loop hike through two beautiful canyons (downstream the first creek, then upstream the 2nd).

Eventually rejoin the official trail, then go uphill on the left to regain the ridge which takes you to multiple interesting formations along the path closer to the cliff edge. Just be sure not to head back downhill into the valley to the right.
 
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Never knew the formation was called Starry Night, though it does look like something from Van Gogh. I usually refer to it as Gollum, or The Scream. It sucks that A-holes would vandalize Anvil Rock, or anything in this beatiful area.
 
Driftwoody said:
I retired at the end of April, now I'm planning a 17 day road trip out west through Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas before heading home back to Chicagoland.
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I hope you enjoy your trip. I hope to be retired in the next few years and have a chance to take some trips like that.
 
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