2024 Spring Hiking Schedule Shared on the Radio
On Friday morning February 23, 2024, Trail Society President Bill Gilmour had a 10 minute interview on the WJPF Radio station with host Tom Miller. Link to WJPF post
Saturday, March 2, 2024 Hike Announcement
The River-to-River Trail Society announces its 1st public hike of the 2024 spring hiking season on Mar. 2nd. Hiking: Little Cedar and Crevice Falls (Pope County). This hike is free and open to the public. This will be a loop hike of 5 miles in length. This will be a hike to Reunion Rock, Little Cedar and Crevice Falls and finish with a visit to 7 Trees. The leader of this hike can be reached at 270-331-1553 for more information. Hikers should meet at 10:00 am at the East Trigg Trailhead. This hike is intended for people in good health who have done some hiking. Hiking sticks and boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Hikers should bring their own water and snacks. No dogs please. Hikers will need to shuttle for this hike. There are 3 stream crossings and hikers may need to walk rocks to cross streams. Hiker’s shoes and or boots may become wet when crossing streams if it has rained. For a map to the meeting location at the East Trigg Trailhead click on this blue link East Trigg Trailhead and a map will open up, and then click the Directions button and a driving map will be created which will allow you to plan your driving directions to the meeting area. Prior to participating in any hikes, the River-to-River Trail Society requests that all hikers read the 2023 Trail Society Waiver which can be found on the River-to-River website at the following link River-to-River Trail Society Information and then sign off on this waiver prior to the beginning of the hike. A copy of the waiver will be at the East Trigg Trailhead meeting area for your signature.
River-to-River Trail Society Announces Spring, 2024 Hiking Schedule
The River-to River Trail Society announces its schedule of free guided hikes in and about the Shawnee National Forest for Spring, 2024. All hikes are open to the public free of charge. No reservations are required except where noted on schedule. These hikes are of at least moderate difficulty, and are intended for people in good health who have done some hiking. Boots or sturdy shoes and a walking stick are recommended for all hikes. Hikers should bring their own water and a snack. No dogs, please.
The River-to-River Trail Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation founded
in 1993 by John O’Dell to promote completion of the River-to-River Trail, which now
runs 157 miles through the Shawnee National Forest between Elizabethtown on the Ohio
River and Grand Tower on the Mississippi River. The Society engages in trail
maintenance and advocacy, and it offers free guided hikes to members and the public
during the spring and fall hiking seasons. In addition, the Society has a Trail Guide to the
entire River-to-River Trail, which can be downloaded for free from the Society’s website:
http://www.rivertorivertrail.net/.
More R2R Trees Cleared
On February 7, 2024 minimum of another 13 trees were cleared from the R2R Trail between Little Cedar Lake Spillway and Waterworks road near Alto Pass. Society members Sam Morales, Cathy Jennings and Bill Gilmour met and hiked 4.5 miles from Landreth Road to Waterworks road and cleared all of the trees along that section of the River to River Trail. A note of thanks goes out to Kristi Weaver who reported the down trees along with valuable GPS coordinates of the trees last year when she section hiked that section of trail. The follow image is a map of all of the trees that were cleared from the trail.
The following are a few images of the work effort.
One of the bigger trees that crossed the trail 3 times
Before
After with Sam and Cathy getting ready to move on
Sam getting ready to finish cutting the three trees crossing the trail here
After with Sam getting ready on to the next tree
Max Creek Section Cleared
On Feb 1, 2024, two Trail society board members got together and cut approximately 35 trees that had fallen across the Max Creek section of the River to RIver Trail. Most trees were only 4-6 inches in diameter, however we did encounter 4-6 that were 14-12 inches in diameter plus one that was approximately 28 inches in diameter. The trail is now clean from Taylor Ridge Road to Hilltop Lane except for one large tree near Hilltop Lane that is easy to walk around. Thanks go to Bill Gilmour and Sam Morales.
