Off The Beaten Path

Bunny here at the keyboard since Mom's back to work today. 

To distract myself from that sad thought, I thought I'd share our hike from Saturday with you.  This time we went to Sand Ridge State Forest.  I was worried in the morning that we wouldn't get to go, since it was raining like crazy, but it let up and off we went.  It was pretty cool, because we were just about the only ones hiking there today, and it really felt like we were taking a stroll through the woods instead of walking on a marked trail like some of the places we've been.  

What's unusual about this place is that it's a huge sand ridge, right in the middle of Illinois.  They say that thousands of years ago, a glacier up in Wisconsin melted and pushed the sand down here.  It's unique in our state, that's for sure.  Back in 1939, the state bought this tract of land to try building an experimental forest.  They wanted to see if trees could grow in the sandy soil.  I'm here to tell you that they can.  Those trees are huge!  The pine trees are sometimes used for needs by the state and the oak trees are used for safe firewood.  They are being very careful to try not to get Emerald Ash Borers here in our area.

I have to tell you that hiking uphill in wet sand is not easy.  Being a hearty little Greyhound, though, I forged on.  I did let Mom go ahead of me, though, and clear the trail a bit.  I am still a princess on the inside, you know.   Anyroo, we trekked on and it was definitely worth the climb to the top of the ridge.  The view was amazing.

A turkey must have thought it was a good idea to use the trail, too, since we saw his footprints in the sand.  Morgan and I were hoping maybe we could get things all set for Thanksgiving dinner, but that wily bird stayed out of our sight.  I know he was out there nearby, though.  Actually, there were a lot of animals nearby, because we heard a lot of rustling in the trees.  We were glad to have our bright colored backpacks, too, because there were a few hunters out, but we only heard gunshots once from far off in the distance.  

It was almost like the forest was deserted, and at times, it was a little spooky.  Mom told us a few stories about Goofy Ridge, which is pretty close by, and I sure had my eyes open.  Let's just say that lots of strange things happen there.  At one point, it looked like an enchanted forest, which I have to admit was pretty cool.  The sun just kept darting in and out and changing things.

There are some unusual plants that grow in the forest, too.  These are plants that normally grow in desert areas.  Many people come looking for the prickly pear cacti that grow here.  There are also badger, silvery bladderpod and pocket gopher.  There's also a nature preserve nearby where people come to see a lot of different songbirds and butterflies, but dogs and horses aren't allowed in there, so we skipped that small part.

Dad said that this was one of his favorite places that we've hiked so far, so I have my paws crossed that we'll go back.  Mom said she thought it was funny that we've lived so close to it all her life and she didn't know about it.  Grandpa took her to all kinds of state parks when she was a human puppy, but never to that one.  I'm glad that I could expand her horizons   Sometimes going off the beaten path can be lots of fun, even if you don't find a turkey!