Yesterday I found the best closest state park to my home city of Chicago - Turkey Run State Park. Who knew that Indiana which is basically as flat as Illinois over much of the state was hiding this treasure. Until I 'discovered' this park on the internet on Thursday evening - I certainly did not know about it.
Turkey Run State Park is an Indiana state park located in Parke County, Indiana, in the west-central part of the state on State Road 47 2 miles (3.2 km) east of U.S. 41. It was Indiana's second state park, with the first parcel of land being purchased in 1916 at the cost of $40,200 when the State Park system was first established during the Indiana state centennial. It hosts the Turkey Run Inn, built in 1919. The origin of the name "Turkey Run" is unknown but the most accepted theory is that wild turkeys would congregate in the gorges (or "runs") for warmth where early settlers in the area would trap them in dead-end gorges and hunt them with ease.
A system of trails offers hikers plenty of outing opportunities during the summer months when the drainage is relatively free of water, and the suspension footbridge across Sugar Creek, the main drainage provides access to trails on the far side. Trail 3 is particularly noted for its ruggedness, including ladders and narrow but deep gorges. Floating down Sugar Creek through the park in either inner tubes, canoes, or kayaks is very popular in the summer months. There are 3-mile (4.8 km), 8-mile (13 km), or even 11-to-15-mile (18 to 24 km) trips down Sugar Creek. Also, in the spring when heavy rains and snow melt flood the narrow gorges, many more adventurous hikers will go "creek stomping" through the narrow gorges. However, the fast moving current, steep gorge walls, and unpredictable contours of the creek beds make this activity dangerous if the water level is high.
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| The hikes start by crossing a very beautiful suspension bridge. |
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| The suspension bridge from Sugar Creek |
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| This is me in the far distance on the suspension bridge that leads to the best trails |
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| suspension bridge photo taken by a fellow hiker at the end of the day. |
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| This was a 'selfie' taken when no one else was around to snap a photo for me at the start of the hike. |
I had no major troubles traversing the water-starved creeks and wet rocks as my visit yesterday was in late summer. Let me amend that. Twice I took a step and my left foot was completely engulfed in water. This is particularly funny to me. Last year when I purchased these hiking shoes for my hike up and down Half Dome in Yosemite - I purposefully did NOT buy shoes with water resistance. I figured California was in drought and water resistance would have just added an unnecessary expense to the shoes. Two Things. First, although California was in a drought, we did managed to catch rain on our way down the mountain on that October day last year. Second, I apparently was unaware that hiking was about to become my favorite pastime. I believe my next pair of hiking shoes will be water resistant!
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| TURKEY RUN STATE PARK TRAIL MAP |
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| This rock formation is called 'THE PUNCH BOWL' |
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| During my twelve mile hike at Turkey Run, I climbed up and down a lot of wooden and stone stairs. In this photo I am standing in front of one of four LADDERS that needed to be climbed. They were much easier to climb up than to climb down. |
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| This photo does not quite capture how narrow this passage nor how steep the steps were. You will just have to take my word for it. |
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| Covered Bridge that dates back to 1882. |
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| SUGAR CREEK |
* * * * * * * * * *
SATURDAY IS WEIGH DAY.
223.3 lbs
I lost another 1.1 lbs this week.
That was 'easy.'
All I had to do was walk/hike 100 miles!
(Perhaps if I ate a bit less, my success would be more rapid.) What's the hurry? This is a never-ending marathon.
I lost another 1.1 lbs this week.
That was 'easy.'
All I had to do was walk/hike 100 miles!
(Perhaps if I ate a bit less, my success would be more rapid.) What's the hurry? This is a never-ending marathon.
 |
| For the past three months, at the high-water mark of 241.9 lbs right in the middle of my recovery from a hernia, I have consistently been losing weight, virtually every week. |
* * * * * * * * * *
Your Food Diary For:
| BREAKFAST | Calories
kcal
|
Carbs
g
|
Fat
g
|
Protein
g
|
Sodium
mg
|
Sugar
g
|
|
| Essential Everyday - Butter Flavored Grits | 700 | 147 | 7 | 14 | 2,380 | 7 | |
| 700 | 147 | 7 | 14 | 2,380 | 7 | ||
| L U N C H | |||||||
| Subway - Footlong Turkey Breast on Wheat | 560 | 92 | 17 | 36 | 1,890 | 11 | |
| Cashews - Dry Roasted & Unsalted | 400 | 23 | 33 | 10 | 0 | 3 | |
| 960 | 115 | 50 | 46 | 1,890 | 14 | ||
| D I N N E R | |||||||
| Landshire Sandwiches - Ham & Cheese | 520 | 64 | 16 | 36 | 2,480 | 14 | |
| Soft-baked Oatmeal Bar - Cinnamon | 230 | 35 | 8 | 4 | 190 | 13 | |
| 750 | 99 | 24 | 40 | 2,670 | 27 | ||
| S N A C K S | |||||||
| Homemade - White Chocolate Chip Cookie | 400 | 52 | 21 | 0 | 276 | 0 | |
| Nature Valley - Crunchy Oats & Honey | 190 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 160 | 12 | |
| 590 | 81 | 27 | 4 | 436 | 12 | ||
| Totals | 3,000 | 442 | 108 | 104 | 7,376 | 60 | |
| Your Daily Goal | 3,881 | 485 | 129 | 195 | 2,300 | 145 | |
| Remaining | 881 | 43 | 21 | 91 | -5,076 | 85 | |
| Calories
kcal
|
Carbs
g
|
Fat
g
|
Protein
g
|
Sodium
mg
|
Sugar
g
|
||
| *You've earned 1,951 extra calories from exercise today | |||||||
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Your Exercise Diary for:
| Cardiovascular | Minutes | Calories Burned | |
HIKING 12 miles
|
283 | 1,951 | |
| Daily Total / Goal | 283 / 30 | 1,951 / 590 | |
| Weekly Total / Goal | 1059 / 210 | 13,105 / 4,130 | |
| Turkey Run State park | |
| Location | Parke County, Indiana, USA |
| Nearest city | Marshall, Indiana |
| Coordinates | 39°53.1′N 87°12.2′W |
| Area | 2,382 acres (964 ha) |
| Created | 1916 |
| Operated by | Indiana Department of Natural Resources |
I have always thought that a 'creek' by definition is a minor tiny place where water flows perhaps just a few miles long. My idea of what qualifies as a 'creek' apparently needs to be reassessed.
Sugar Creek is an 82.4-mile-long (132.6 km) tributary of the Driftwood River in east-central Indiana in the United States. Via the Driftwood, White, Wabash and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. Sugar Creek was likely so named from the sugar trees growing along its banks
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SUGAR CREEK WATERWAYS LIST FROM wikipedia.com
2 h 41 min (155.0 mi) via US-41 S
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Sugar Creek is apparently a very popular name. I have hiked near a Sugar Creek in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. They have nothing in common other than their name.
- Sugar Creek (Driftwood River), a tributary of the Driftwood River in Indiana
- Sugar Creek (Duck River), a river in Tennessee
- Sugar Creek (French Creek), a tributary of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania
- Sugar Creek (Georgia), a tributary of the Ocmulgee River
- Sugar Creek (Middle Island Creek), a tributary of Middle Island Creek in West Virginia
- Sugar Creek (Minnesota), a stream in Fillmore County
- Sugar Creek (New South Wales), a tributary of the Wallingat River in Australia
- Sugar Creek (North Carolina), in Charlotte, NC
- Sugar Creek (Little Miami River), a tributary of the Little Miami River in Ohio
- Sugar Creek (Ottawa River), a tributary of the Ottawa River in Ohio
- Sugar Creek (Tuscarawas River), a tributary of the Tuscarawas River in Ohio
- Sugar Creek (Susquehanna River), a tributary of the North Branch Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania
- Sugar Creek (Sangamon River tributary), in Illinois
- Sugar Creek (Wabash River), a tributary of the Wabash River in Indiana
- Big Sugar Creek, in Missouri
- Sugar Run Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania
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