COMPOSITE CORNS
07-08-2006, 01:27 AM
On May 1 2006 I packed up my camping gear and headed for Wolf Lake, Illinois.
I was on my way to "snake road". Actually the road is named LaRue Rd.
Snake Road is in the Shawnee National Forest.
LaRue / Pine Hills Ecological area is a truly unique place. . The snake road area is a haven for all kinds of wildlife, especially reptiles and amphibians! Running all the way down the sides of snake road are a lime stone bluff on one side and a swamp (Winters Pond) on the other. During the seasonal migration, snakes can be found EVERYWHERE!!!
I usually see LOTS of Cotton mouths and plain belly water snakes. Also along the way I check out the cracks and crevices along the bluff for timber rattlers and cave salamanders. In the spring their is usually slim pickin's as far as the snakes go, but I almost always find turtles laying eggs and lots of frogs and tadpoles.
The trip there was more or less uneventful. Lots of back road driving through little Southern Illinois towns. I did however come in conflict with one of Illinois finest. This is how it goes.....I was traveling down hwy 45 stuck behind the slowest moving vehicle on earth. Well, there came a chance to pass this behemoth of a camper attached to an equally as large truck. As I flip on the turn signal and begin to pass I notice a state trooper happened to be coming the opposite direction. YEA!!! I was following all the rules except for the fact I was going excessively fast. A half an hour later I was the unhappy donor of $95 to the state of Illinois. What a great way to start a vacation!!!
With this over with I continue on my way to snake road....
I come up to State Forest Rd. in Wolf Lake and hang a right.
A nice surprise ran out in front of me on the way to camp. I didn't catch more than a glimpse but it was a bobcat plain as day. These critters are pretty rare around here so seeing one is a happenstance.
I usually camp at the LaRue / Pine Hills camp grounds but decided to head up the road a little to a spot I was checking out the last time I was there. Glad I did, this new place had a shelter with a fire place, two fire pits, plenty of firewood, a clean out house, two picnic tables, and NO PEOPLE !!! The Cadillac of camping spots as far as I was concerned. Far better than the LaRue / Pine Hills camp grounds which usually has lots of people, noise, squirrel guts, and cars driving through with their bright's on.
I set up camp and got down to snake road.
I was driving up to one end of snake road to park at the gate. It was about 5 or so in the evening so I had a little while to hike around and take a look. Just before I reached the road I came across what looked to be a lizard crossing the road. I hopped out camera in hand to see what it was. I was surprised to find a eastern newt (red eft stage). I don't see to many of these so I took a couple of pictures and moved it off the road. I pulled up to the gate at snake road a couple of minutes later.
I walked about 2 or so miles down the road and didn't see a thing so I decided to pop a squat next to Winters Pond. All I ended up seeing the whole walk was a pair of beavers giving me a hard time. I was just minding my own business sitting down next to the water and they just kept slapping the water trying to scare me off. It was getting dark by now so I decided to head back to the truck and off to the camp site to grill my super delicious marinating chicken breast. Man, grilling over an open fire, relaxing and enjoying the wilderness is hard to beat! After grubbing down I rolled out the sleeping bag and crawled in, flat on my back looking up at the stars and fell asleep.
I woke up around 7:30, made some coffee and took a stroll around camp. I didn't find any creepy crawly's so I finished up my coffee, packed camp, and went down to snake road. On the way down to the road from the camp site I came across my first reptile find. A female eastern box turtle walking in the middle of the road. I got out and took a couple of pictures and moved her to the side of the road in the direction she was originally going before I rudely interrupted her. Coming off of hwy 3, I turned down the Big Muddy levee road. Rolling down this winding gravel road I came across a squiggle laying in the way. I grabbed the camera and came to a rumbling stop, jumped out to greet a Garter Snake. Boy was it in the wrong place...the middle of the road. I snapped a couple photo's before it slithered off the road then continued toward snake road.
I walked about 10 miles up and down snake road and the surrounding area. The list of species I found was pretty short. First was a wicked looking millipede. Then I came across a couple of spots that had loads of Cave salamanders. These things are frickin' awesome! It is amazing that Nature can come up with a bright orangish red amphibian with black speckles! I stood next to the crevice they were sitting in for a good 20 minutes just looking...until the mosquito's stole about a pint of blood. Next was a Fowler's toad and a little ways down the trail was a Ribbon snake. All along the road, puddle's here and there contained ten's of thousands of toad tadpole's. You have to appreciate the reproductive ability of most amphibians! Well lots of tadpole's but, not one single Water Moccasin! I figure showing up a little late in the season was the reason. A couple of weeks earlier and I'm sure I would have seen them en mass. Oh well, I did have a good walk and got to enjoy the road all to myself!
I was tired of walking by this point so I decided to make a trip to the Pomona Winery to pick up some fine apple wine...Orchard Spice to be exact. On the way over to the winery I came across my first road kill. A beautiful adult Black Kingsnake laying there looking freshly hit. A lot of the local's are not so fauna friendly and usually floor it when they come up on a snake, or anything else for that matter that won't tear up their vehicle when the run over it. I have talked to many of the folk's that live in the area and I am yet to meet one that actually likes snakes. Most seem to get a kick out of telling me stories about how they are "working around their property" and dig up a "nest" of Copperhead's or Timber Rattlers....then have a good'ol time killing as many as possible. I usually remind them that many snakes are protected by law and needlessly killing them can carry a rather hefty fine...not to mention most snakes eat all those pesky mice and rats that plague house and farms. Ignorance or stupidity??? These people live in one of the densest populations of reptiles and amphibians in North America. Geez!!! Back to the wine. I picked up my stash of Orchard Spice and headed for Inspiration Point.
Inspiration Point is at about 300 or so feet. This spot is dangerous as all get out but you have an AWESOME view! You can see Missouri, the Mississippi River and of course snake road running next to Winters Pond from the point. It was getting close to dusk by the time I got there so I shimmied down the 1/4 trail, found a good spot to sit down and enjoyed the sunset.
Good times!!!
The trip home was just a regular, boring ol' drive. Pretty much the end of my fun...until October. Already looking forward to it for sure!
The next day at home I did find a Garter Snake in a rather unusual place. This sucker managed to crawl up into a Fire Bush next to my house. Opaque and just hanging out on a branch. I didn't think Garter's climbed!?
Geoff :-poke:
I was on my way to "snake road". Actually the road is named LaRue Rd.
Snake Road is in the Shawnee National Forest.
LaRue / Pine Hills Ecological area is a truly unique place. . The snake road area is a haven for all kinds of wildlife, especially reptiles and amphibians! Running all the way down the sides of snake road are a lime stone bluff on one side and a swamp (Winters Pond) on the other. During the seasonal migration, snakes can be found EVERYWHERE!!!
I usually see LOTS of Cotton mouths and plain belly water snakes. Also along the way I check out the cracks and crevices along the bluff for timber rattlers and cave salamanders. In the spring their is usually slim pickin's as far as the snakes go, but I almost always find turtles laying eggs and lots of frogs and tadpoles.
The trip there was more or less uneventful. Lots of back road driving through little Southern Illinois towns. I did however come in conflict with one of Illinois finest. This is how it goes.....I was traveling down hwy 45 stuck behind the slowest moving vehicle on earth. Well, there came a chance to pass this behemoth of a camper attached to an equally as large truck. As I flip on the turn signal and begin to pass I notice a state trooper happened to be coming the opposite direction. YEA!!! I was following all the rules except for the fact I was going excessively fast. A half an hour later I was the unhappy donor of $95 to the state of Illinois. What a great way to start a vacation!!!
With this over with I continue on my way to snake road....
I come up to State Forest Rd. in Wolf Lake and hang a right.
A nice surprise ran out in front of me on the way to camp. I didn't catch more than a glimpse but it was a bobcat plain as day. These critters are pretty rare around here so seeing one is a happenstance.
I usually camp at the LaRue / Pine Hills camp grounds but decided to head up the road a little to a spot I was checking out the last time I was there. Glad I did, this new place had a shelter with a fire place, two fire pits, plenty of firewood, a clean out house, two picnic tables, and NO PEOPLE !!! The Cadillac of camping spots as far as I was concerned. Far better than the LaRue / Pine Hills camp grounds which usually has lots of people, noise, squirrel guts, and cars driving through with their bright's on.
I set up camp and got down to snake road.
I was driving up to one end of snake road to park at the gate. It was about 5 or so in the evening so I had a little while to hike around and take a look. Just before I reached the road I came across what looked to be a lizard crossing the road. I hopped out camera in hand to see what it was. I was surprised to find a eastern newt (red eft stage). I don't see to many of these so I took a couple of pictures and moved it off the road. I pulled up to the gate at snake road a couple of minutes later.
I walked about 2 or so miles down the road and didn't see a thing so I decided to pop a squat next to Winters Pond. All I ended up seeing the whole walk was a pair of beavers giving me a hard time. I was just minding my own business sitting down next to the water and they just kept slapping the water trying to scare me off. It was getting dark by now so I decided to head back to the truck and off to the camp site to grill my super delicious marinating chicken breast. Man, grilling over an open fire, relaxing and enjoying the wilderness is hard to beat! After grubbing down I rolled out the sleeping bag and crawled in, flat on my back looking up at the stars and fell asleep.
I woke up around 7:30, made some coffee and took a stroll around camp. I didn't find any creepy crawly's so I finished up my coffee, packed camp, and went down to snake road. On the way down to the road from the camp site I came across my first reptile find. A female eastern box turtle walking in the middle of the road. I got out and took a couple of pictures and moved her to the side of the road in the direction she was originally going before I rudely interrupted her. Coming off of hwy 3, I turned down the Big Muddy levee road. Rolling down this winding gravel road I came across a squiggle laying in the way. I grabbed the camera and came to a rumbling stop, jumped out to greet a Garter Snake. Boy was it in the wrong place...the middle of the road. I snapped a couple photo's before it slithered off the road then continued toward snake road.
I walked about 10 miles up and down snake road and the surrounding area. The list of species I found was pretty short. First was a wicked looking millipede. Then I came across a couple of spots that had loads of Cave salamanders. These things are frickin' awesome! It is amazing that Nature can come up with a bright orangish red amphibian with black speckles! I stood next to the crevice they were sitting in for a good 20 minutes just looking...until the mosquito's stole about a pint of blood. Next was a Fowler's toad and a little ways down the trail was a Ribbon snake. All along the road, puddle's here and there contained ten's of thousands of toad tadpole's. You have to appreciate the reproductive ability of most amphibians! Well lots of tadpole's but, not one single Water Moccasin! I figure showing up a little late in the season was the reason. A couple of weeks earlier and I'm sure I would have seen them en mass. Oh well, I did have a good walk and got to enjoy the road all to myself!
I was tired of walking by this point so I decided to make a trip to the Pomona Winery to pick up some fine apple wine...Orchard Spice to be exact. On the way over to the winery I came across my first road kill. A beautiful adult Black Kingsnake laying there looking freshly hit. A lot of the local's are not so fauna friendly and usually floor it when they come up on a snake, or anything else for that matter that won't tear up their vehicle when the run over it. I have talked to many of the folk's that live in the area and I am yet to meet one that actually likes snakes. Most seem to get a kick out of telling me stories about how they are "working around their property" and dig up a "nest" of Copperhead's or Timber Rattlers....then have a good'ol time killing as many as possible. I usually remind them that many snakes are protected by law and needlessly killing them can carry a rather hefty fine...not to mention most snakes eat all those pesky mice and rats that plague house and farms. Ignorance or stupidity??? These people live in one of the densest populations of reptiles and amphibians in North America. Geez!!! Back to the wine. I picked up my stash of Orchard Spice and headed for Inspiration Point.
Inspiration Point is at about 300 or so feet. This spot is dangerous as all get out but you have an AWESOME view! You can see Missouri, the Mississippi River and of course snake road running next to Winters Pond from the point. It was getting close to dusk by the time I got there so I shimmied down the 1/4 trail, found a good spot to sit down and enjoyed the sunset.
Good times!!!
The trip home was just a regular, boring ol' drive. Pretty much the end of my fun...until October. Already looking forward to it for sure!
The next day at home I did find a Garter Snake in a rather unusual place. This sucker managed to crawl up into a Fire Bush next to my house. Opaque and just hanging out on a branch. I didn't think Garter's climbed!?
Geoff :-poke: