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One of my favorite winter hikes on a warm winter day is to Lusk Creek Canyon near Eddyville.
The cliff wall this time of year is usually curtained in massive icicle sheets. On above-freezing days the ice will melt and fall off the cliff to burst into Lusk Creek that may also be coated in ice. The scene is one of the more dramatic in the Shawnee National Forest this time of year, but it does not look like it will be happening this year unless we get a serious cold snap.
The only icicles on the cliff Saturday were small ones that have formed on the hanging plants, removed from the warmth of the stone.
Looking at the sign-in sheet on the trail people have been visiting the area quite a bit this winter and many of the addresses for the names on the legal pad indicated they were Southern Illinois folk which always is a good sign.
Brian DeNeal grew up in the hills of southeastern Illinois and spends as much time as he can exploring the hollows, bluffs and creeks that draw tourists from throughout the Midwest. He is a staff writer for The Harrisburg Daily Register/The Eldorado Daily Journal and sits on the River to River Society board of directors. You may contact him via e-mail at the address bdeneal@ yourclearwave.com
