February 26, 2023
Thorn Creek/GSU Sculpture Garden

All of our hiking outings are good, but this one is especially nice.  We incorporate two very distinct settings, beginning in the woods of Thorn Creek Preserve and ending on the grounds of Governors State University.  The two are only about 2 miles apart, so navigating from one to the next is a snap.

Thorn Creek is a very nice, wooded area in Park Forest.  The hike is easy, with no big dips and valleys or dunes to hike.  It was a little muddy in spots, but we managed.  We were surprised by several deer; they were equally as surprised by us!  

Next, we went to Governors State to walk the sculpture garden.  This has become one of our annual places to visit.  We usually begin with the "french fries" and end with Paul Bunyan.  Last year it was very cold and we had to go inside to warm up; this year we were shedding our layers as we grew too warm.  Although there is no photo of this, our very first sculpture John named "wiffle ball."  If you get out that way, you probably won't have any trouble finding it.

Next we were on to lunch.  Everyone was pretty hungry by the time we got to our venue.  We were glad to see free popcorn available to patrons.  Yum.

January 29, 2023:  Hike at Lemont Quarries

 

With temperatures hovering around 11 degrees, this group of ten wisely bundled up with several layers to ward off the cold.  However, it was not windy, so once we started out, everyone felt much warmer.   For this hike we brought out various brands of ice cleats.  Overall, the trails weren’t as bad as we thought they would be.  Many of us remembered last year when it was so icy several hikers turned back, not wanting to deal with slippery conditions on the trail. 

It was a beautiful setting with the I&M canal, the snowy landscape and the quarries themselves. Bernie noticed one of the enormous  barges  parked in the water, and he also showed the group the part of the quarry structure that helped change the flow of the Chicago River. The trail loop took the group into forested areas where we saw one bicyclist riding, complete with fat snow tires on his bicycle.

Towards the end of the hike, the group split up; some walked further on and the rest had had enough. Afterwards, several members went out to lunch. A very good day indeed.

Miller Beach/Marquette Park Hike
January 15

We returned to Miller Beach for another great hike.  Although the parking area was open, the Douglas Center itself was closed.  We were concerned we would need to find alternate parking or go to another area to hike, but everything worked out well.  The bridge that crosses over Lake Street has been removed - don't know what's going on with that.  There was no signage indicating what work they are doing there.  But we were able to safely cross without any problem.
The hike itself is always a good one.  There are woods, of course, but also open ponds, rivers and of course, the beach.  The hike to Marquette Park has been an add-on in recent years, and it is a great addition.
Eight members hiked about 7.5 miles:  Bernie, Scott, Jim T., Jeff, Alison, Andi, Susan and John V.   We went a little longer than usual because we missed a trail.  Oh well.
 Afterwards we enjoyed lunch in town.

November 20  
Bailly Chellberg Farm, Portage, IN

It's hard to find a bad day to hike if you're a FOS hiker.  Early morning temps hovered around 13 degrees.  Brrrrrrrr.  But as the day went on it warmed up, the sun came out and it remained calm - perfect for a hike through the woods. Nine hikers came out for the day.  The trail is pretty flat all the way and includes a trip to the cemetery.  The chickens and cows were also enjoying the day and were out at the farm. 

Lunch almost always follows a good hike.  This time the group returned to Chesterton and enjoyed a bite to eat at a local venue.  

Dunes Trail 9 Hike, November 6, 2022

The trail 9 hike at the Indiana Dunes is generally our first hike of the season.  Its a great "break-in" hike - not too long, some hills and some flat.  Its a good mixture for our first hike of the season.  Weather couldn't have been better.  It started out a little cool but it wasn't long  before we were shedding layers.   We had lunch afterwards in near-by Chesterton.  It was great to be hiking with our group again!