Showing posts with label Department of Conservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Department of Conservation. Show all posts

Friday, August 9, 2013

Groovin' At Hippie Hole: Amidon Memorial Conservation Area

Looking downstream at the Hippie Hole
Taking the Right Fork...
Just a few weeks ago I did a short write up on the Castor River Shut Ins of Amidon, which were located just off the left fork in the road as we entered the Amidon Memorial Conservation Area. It was a quick jaunt down the well groomed and maintained trail to get a look at those gorgeous, smooth pink granite boulders that had been shaped and sculpted for years by the Castor River. After finishing the Jekyll and Hyde trail that looped the left area, I left a little "cliff hanger"... What was down the right fork?

A firestruck tree we found searching
for the mystery concrete foundation.
Well, I suppose I'll retrace my steps a bit, and get you out to the area again with a bit of old fashioned written directions. From St. Louis, you'll take I-55 South to US 67 South towards Bonne Terre/Farmington. After about 50 or so miles you'll need to take MO-72/US-67 BUS toward Fredricktown. At the roundabout (traffic circle) you'll want to continue on Missouri Highway 72, and follow to US-72/Missouri OO where you'll turn right, continuing on US-72 until you see a turnoff on Route J, you'll turn left onto Route J and then keep an eye out for Route W, which you'll take a right on. Follow Route W until you reach County Road 208 (CR 208) and follow that until it turns to a gravel/dirt road and you reach a fork in the road at Amidon Memorial Conservation Area, this time, we'll bear right and continue on CR 208!

Not far down the road from the fork, you'll find a parking lot on your left. If you "dig" (no pun originally intended) gravestones and old family graveyard plots, you can park here and search out the two small cemeteries that are located in the field. We searched for them both, but were only able to find one. We discovered it by hiking directly west of the parking lot to a small grove of cedars. There, in the shade of the evergreens were a few gravestones, to be honest, I haven't investigated those that are entombed there... That may provide another bit of an adventure.

Taking a pause by Hippie Hole in the Fall.
If you hop back in your vehicle and continue down further on CR 208 you'll come to what the area map has labeled as a "Deep Fjord-Caution". This is, in fact, an unaided crossing of the Castor River, think you're up to it? Let me begin with one quick note, never, ever, ever cross flooded, deep or rapidly moving water. Do not cross it on foot, do not cross it in a car, do not attempt upon a lamb and do not cross with green eggs and ham. In all seriousness, don't cross it, you could die. Now, with the pleasantries of possible death taken care of let's get to how you might be able to tell all your friends that you crossed the Castor River in your car! It's simple, after you've established that the water isn't too deep or flooded, find a line and then slowly cross. Don't fire it up there Evel Knievel style and gun it in an attempt to skip across, if you do that you'll run a risk of driving the water into your engine and killing it, just take it easy with slow steady pressure and poof, you'll be safely across. If it looks too deep or you're just a bit frightened of crossing a river in your car (perhaps it's the thought that the river may end up running through your car), you can safely park your car off the road and walk across if you like. In fact, if you just want to play in the water, this crossing area is a great spot to cool off and search for some crawdads hiding underneath rocks. But the real refresher lies about a half mile upstream, at a place a local swimmer we met called the "Hippie Hole".

Keep your eyes up too, you never know what may be up there!
Once you've crossed the Castor River, keep an eye out for a possible second crossing over Stannett Creek very soon after, same rules apply to this crossing, be safe please. After the short crossing of Stannett Creek look for a gravel parking lot to your left, this will be were you may begin your short trek to the Hippie Hole! The trail head begins there at the parking lot and will begin by taking you just on the outskirts of a cleared field. Here wildflower abound during the spring and birds seem to be nearly everywhere. Once to the far edge of the field you will enter into a more wooded area, here the trail is clearly visible, but be careful of exposed roots from the trees that line the trail, they can easily trip you up. This trail will wind alongside the Castor River, with a full canopy of hardwood trees surrounding you as you get closer to Hippie Hole. When the canopy opens up and you hit a gigantic solid mass of pink granite (like in the picture up top) you've arrived at the Hippie Hole. This is a great place to take a dip or even a jump or two!

Love these big pink boulders!
Once you've arrived at the Hippie Hole the trail, for the most part, ends. But don't let that stop you if you're up for a bit of adventure! We continued on, constantly keeping the river within view through the trees, heading ever northward. A local swimmer we met upon our initial arrival had told us of an old building foundation, somewhere "up there" with full finger pointing proximity, and despite our best efforts, we were unable to find it during our extended hike. However, we did find some absolutely beautiful rocks, some chock full of quartz crystals of different colors, and plenty of huge boulders to climb, jump and impersonate Spiderman upon! Also, if you're quiet (and we were), you may even walk up on some whitetail deer in this area. We came across a small herd of 5-6 as we crested a hill, and all of us had a bit of a shock! There are also plenty of squirrels, birds, small reptiles and wild turkey that play in the woods here. You could hike up to the Castor River Shut Ins by just continuing to follow the river upstream a bit over a mile or so, as well if you like.

Now, I referred to this area Hippie Hole and I'm no local. I've heard there are some that call it different names, while others have Hippie Hole in a different location all together... All I can do is count on that one local swimmer's account for the naming of this area, but of course, his directions to that concrete foundation weren't so great, so he may have been a bit off... But with cool waters to tread in and rocks to take a plunge from, I'll just call it a great old fashioned swimmin' hole!

More Information:
Amidon Memorial Conservation Area Homepage
Amidon Area Map (may want to refer to this as you drive from Fredricktown to Amidon for directions*)
Audubon Society of Missouri Amidon Bird Check List

*Note on map below... Google seems to use different terminology on some roads/rural highways, the path below should still get you to the area from St. Louis.

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Friday, July 12, 2013

The Darn Near Perfect Hike: Pickle Springs Natural Area


Anyone who has hit the trail with their family knows, it isn't always perfect; someone usually is a bit tired, or a bit sore, or a touch cranky, or the weather may turn and sometimes the full beauty of the area (and the hike) simply isn't really revealed. However, I remember Pickle Springs to be darn near perfect and it would be this trip that truly solidified our family's love and appreciation of the outdoors and hiking. The weather, combined with the natural beauty that Pickle Springs Natural Area offers washed over each of us resulting in our family fully enjoying every single second of this hike, eager and excited to find what would lay around the next bend of the trail. I have a feeling, that if you time it just right, you too can experience a bit of that euphoria as well!

A small, but beautiful, group of Bird's Foot Violets
we found along the trail.
We ended up at Pickle Springs Natural Area simply by chance, that day we actually were looking to hike through Hawn State Park and the White Oaks Trail, but passed by the entrance and then turned into Pickle Springs Natural Area parking lot in order to reverse direction and head back. But instead of pulling back out of the lot, we decided to take a quick peek of Pickle Springs, and boy, am I glad we did! The two mile loop, "Trail Through Time", has just about everything that you could possibly pack into one trip; seasonal waterfalls, awe inspiring overlooks, incredible rock formations, ancient weathered trees, gorgeous wildflowers, babbling creeks, crystal clear spring water and so much more, all on an easy to navigate and well maintained trail that even features wooden bridges to help you over some troublesome creek crossings. The area was named a National Natural Landmark in 1974 and with so many unique features you will quickly realize why as you hike.

Ferns abound in the wet sandstone soil here.
As we began our trek, we opted to head right on the trail, toward Piney Glade, Rockpile Canyon and the Headwall Falls. It was quickly apparent to us that this trail was very well traveled, well packed with a bit of gravel thrown in for measure. The canopy of trees provided just the right amount of sunlight and warmth as we made our way through the forest and provided a perfect scene as the birds sang in the background. Headwall Falls were not really "Falling" but it was still an impressive formation of rocks and with frogs and toads abounding in the area my daughter had the time of her life chasing them about. I marveled at the ferns and mosses growing on the sandstone surface of the canyon while the steady beat of the water as it trickled off the edge and fell to the rocky floor where it would water a great gathering of lush green plants.

A pickerel in the hand is worth two in the spring...
Pickle Spring is itself an impressive sight, with the clear water flowing, while more water cascades over top, creating a mini-waterfall into the spring pool. The view from the bridge crossing the creek provides a perfect vantage of the spring and may even serve as a great place to dangle your toes into the water, Andy Griffith style. Here we found a great gathering of pickerel frogs who seemed to hop right into our hands! Continuing through it was a short trip up to Dome Rock, marked with so many shallow caves and crags, this rock just begs to be looked at closer.

Gathering inspiration at the Spirit Canyon overlook.
As you reach Spirit Canyon you will find Missouri's only native pine tree, the short leaf pine, growing in this area, along with white and black oak trees and many of these trees were growing as Missouri was thrown into the Civil War, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. You may even chance upon a low blueberry bush, as they grow well in the somewhat acidic soil of the area here, if your lucky! As you actually step up to take in the Spirit Canyon view, know that this may be the best views I have experienced in my Missouri hikes, period. There is nothing "fancy" about the view, and I can't put my finger on exactly why I love this particular vantage point, but it has stayed with me and I can still picture it now in my head.

A view of the Double Arch, you can spend a great deal of time
here just snapping photos!
We continued to enjoy the hike, as it meandered near Bone Creek, crossing over the twin bridges and high crossing. Then as we neared the end of the loop we encountered some of the most interesting rock outcrops and formations I have seen. We "squeezed" through the keyhole and made our way past the Cauliflower Rocks, to the Double Arch and, if you're looking to take pictures be sure to save a few for here, as we spent a great deal of time right here, snapping away. As we finished our posing and preening for photos, we made our way out through The Slot and all walked back to the car with smiles I thought may need to be surgically removed.

According to many other hikers, the trail takes about an hour to complete, however, we took nearly two. With so much to see and so many places to spend "just one more minute" taking pictures it is easy to extend the traditional hiking time, and these days that time, spent with family having a great time, is overtime I look forward to and can't wait to do again.

I hope you enjoy the blog, let me know if you have any questions and thanks for reading!

More Information:
Pickle Springs Natural Area Website
Pickle Springs Topographic Map
 

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