I've been solo hiking and backpacking for 20+ years which has garnered me countless awesome photos of magnificent locales, but I've always been there by inference since there's been no photographic evidence of my being there. That's now changing thanks to Rod and David, the inventors of The StickPic, a tiny, light device that attaches your still or movie camera to your hiking pole, allowing you to take photos and movies of yourself as you hike.
Here's a closeup of the StickPic on my camera. They make a number of different models to fit the variety of hiking poles available. As you see, it simply screws into the camera's tripod socket...
... and then the tip of your hiking pole is wedged into the white round opening of the StickPic. In places where you are concerned about losing your camera, simply attach its strap to the hiking pole.
Just make certain you know how to put your camera into timer mode. The StickPic "learning curve" is very short. In fact, my second attempt at a photo and all photos since have been spot on, and the videos are also pretty easy. Of course the first and last few seconds of video filming will be of you reaching for the camera, so those few seconds should be cut from your video.
Check out this video I made as I hiked through the snow of Volo Bog today...
The gadget weights a mere 10.8 grams (about the same as 3 1/2 Saltine crackers) and takes about ten seconds to attach to your camera. And it's not exactly a big ticket item, either -- only $11.99 and they ship it USPS immediately for an extra $1.61. Here's the contact info (and no, I'm not connected to them in any way except as a satisfied customer)
I met Patti and Dave and we hiked 5+ miles in Volo Bog State Natural Area. After 5 days in the house fighting a hacking cough and head cold, it was good to get outside and beat the incarceration of cabin fever...
The colors are changing, though this area is not prolific with trees that show much Fall color...
Good thing we went today because they've re-hung the "Hunting" signs, so the area will be closed to hiking on and off for a while. Hope the deer find good hiding places!
Lakewood is Lake County's largest forest preserve at 2700+ acres and offers access to the Millennium Trail which loops through western Lake County. Trailhead access is available at the Lakewood Forest Preserve's "Winter Sports Area" parking off Fairfield Road just south of Route 176 in Wauconda. An additional trailhead (including horse trailer parking) is located at Singing Hills Forest Preserve, off Fish Lake Road, just north of Gilmer Road near Volo. Click the map below to enlarge it:
As the map above depicts, the Millennium Trail now runs 21 miles and will eventually cover 35 miles as it loops through and connects central, western and northern Lake County communities and Forest Preserves. The first 3.2 mile segment opened in fall 2002 to the delight of hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, and cross-country skiers, and it now runs through Lakewood and Singing Hills Preserves and up to and through Marl Flat Preserve, and then another 2 miles from Litchfield Road to Fairfield Road. Three additional paved miles alongside Hawley Road connect Mundelein High School to Lakewood.
In addition, a two-mile stretch of gravel trail called Fort Hill Trail travels from Lakewood Preserve, through the former Four Winds Golf Course, a lovely section to bike, and then on to and under Gilmer Road and into Ray Lake Preserve. This trail is also included in the video. The Fort Hill Trail parking area is located on the south side of Gilmer Road, north of Route 176.
Here's a video of the scenery and wildlife you'll experience if you bike the trail in its entirety...
From roughly 1835 to 1865, this site's forested areas were divided into 5- and 10-acre parcels used by local farmers as a source of firewood and lumber. After the Civil War, small farms dominated the property.
In 1937, Malcolm Boyle, a general contractor from Chicago, made his first of many purchases here and created Lakewood Farms, a country estate. Over the next 20 years, his farm became one of Lake County's largest, with livestock, orchards, gardens and crops. Boyle landscaped the ponds, dug Banana Lake, and built 16 major buildings.
In 1961, Howard Quinn purchased the 1,250-acre farm and converted it into a large dairy ranch, which operated until 1965. In 1968, the Lake County Forest Preserve District acquired Lakewood and has continued in stages for more than 30 years.
Lakewood is home to 17 endangered species, many of which reside in a remote 70-acre bog on the preserve's western side. Wauconda Bog, ringed by poison sumac and a natural moat, is so ecologically valuable it is designated as a National Natural Landmark and an Illinois Nature Preserve. Another area of note is Broberg Marsh, one of the best breeding spots in the county for birds.
This landscape is a mixture of oak woods, wetlands and fields. You'll also find farmlands and groves of evergreens. A lot of wildlife lives here and if you're lucky, you may even spot one of the bats from the colony living near Shelter E. These shy mammals sleep while picnickers have their fun, and then awake at dusk to eat thousands of mosquitoes and other bugs.
Lake County Forest Preserve's page on this trail is here.
Another sunny, crisp, calm 20 degree winter day, so Patti, Dave, and I hiked about 6 miles, seeing only 1 other person the entire 2 hours. The floating walkway over the bog was frozen in place, but in places frozen on an angle. Fortunately the ice on the walkway had mostly melted, so no mishaps today.
The forest and prairie sections were mostly on frozen ground, with few snow areas remaining. But as much as I enjoy these winter hikes, even through snow and ice, I am still looking forward to leaving on Sunday for Arkansas, and then with Ellen, heading down to Galveston to catch our cruise boat to 8 days in the Caribbean. After that, it's 5 weeks in Florida before heading back to Arkansas.
We met Patti and Dave at Volo Bog and hiked 6 miles on the trails on both sides of the road. Despite the cool temps in the 30s, the warm sun and the exercise kept us comfy even against the breeze. The meadow areas were like large mazes with stalks taller than us...
... and the bog area had water, so the floating bridge was rocking and rolling as we crossed...
Today it was "Fog Bog" as we began our 5 mile hike. Below is the floating walkway section which skirts the western edge of the bog wetlands and some of the residual fog is still obvious in the background.
The 60+ mph winds last week toppled trees and 5 were still blocking the trail, as Dave, Ellen, and Patti pose. The grass trail was soaked from recent rains and the encroaching vegetation drenched our shoes and pants legs. I guess you have to expect that with 100% humidity!
We crossed Brandenburg Road to hike the northern loops and were attacked by the first mosquitoes of the year. The cold Spring had kept them at bay so far, but they are abundant and voracious now. Fortunately, Dave had brought some repellent, which the 3 of us put on. Unfortunately for Dave, he didn't apply any goop until after a dozen or more bites made him regret his omission. A nice lunch at Fratello's eventually made us forget the wet and buggy but verdant and scenic hike.
After the morning cloud cover and fog dispersed, we hiked for 70 minutes through the new-fallen snow at Volo Bog and reveled in the winter wonderland scenes before us.
After 2 days of inactivity, the bog and woods soothed our souls and satiated our longing for the outdoors.
Only 2 more weeks to enjoy the snow before I head to Arkansas and then Florida for 10 weeks or so for a lot of mountain biking, hiking, and kayaking.
We hiked 85 minutes through Volo Bog State Natural Area today despite the single digit wind chill and remaining snow/ice cover and enjoyed the stark beauty and solitude.
Unfortunately, that solitude included seeing no wildlife except for 1 squirrel.
We discovered this recently fallen tree which landed squarely on a neighboring tree stump and now hangs suspended like a teeter-totter.
Volo Bog State Natural Area offers a hilly trek through various ecosystems. Cyrus Mark, the first director of the Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, managed a fund-raising campaign in 1958 that collected $40,000 in donations from school children, groups, and individuals for the purchase of the 47.5-acre bog. The land was deeded to the University of Illinois which retained ownership until 1970 when it was dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve and three years later was registered as a National Natural Landmark with the U.S. Department of the Interior. More than 1,100 additional acres of land have been purchased to protect and enlarge the state preserve, which now includes marshes, prairie restoration areas, woodlands and two other bogs. Here we traverse the floating walkway as we cross over an edge of this quaking bog, the only "quaking" bog in Illinois to have an open water center. This area is an important migratory stopover for songbirds, waterfowl and wading birds, including green-backed herons, cross-bills and sandhill cranes. Volo Bog also shelters a variety of orchids, such as delicate grass pink and rose pogonia.
The tall grass prairie to the right of the trail exceeds 6 feet in height...
... and when you step into the grass it is like being in an ocean of grass. Illinois is "the prairie state" and this replicates what much of Illinois once looked like.
Volo Bog is significant in that it exhibits all stages of bog succession. A floating mat of sphagnum moss, cattails and sedges surrounds an open pool of water in the center of the bog. As substrate material thickens, a shrub community dominated by poison sumac and leatherleaf invades the mat. This is eventually replaced by tamarack forest. Surrounding this forest is a second, more extensive shrub zone which abruptly ends and becomes a marsh/sedge meadow community. This photo shows the watery bog, the cattails, and the forest in the background.
Volo Bog Natural Area and Wildlife Refuge is a few miles from my house and protects the ecologically sensitive bog area as well as hundreds of acres of tallgrass prairie. We did a 4+ mile hike through the forests, prairies, and wetlands of the preserve and reveled in the flora and fauna.
