Max’s Creek
In between springtime monsoons and cold snaps, we made a break for some woods nearby to have an impromptu adventure. I had read about a place I wanted to visit called Max’s Creek which is along the River to River Trail in the Shawnee National Forest. The River to River Trail starts (or ends) close to us at Battery Rock on the Ohio River, alternate start point is also Elizabethtown, Illinois, and ends (or begins) at Grand Tower on the Mississippi. It’s a relatively short trail consisting of 160 miles through scenic Southern Illinois.
What caught my eye is that some people claim that there is a “vortex” along the trail very close to Max’s Creek. A vortex sounds like something interesting to experience- or not, depending on your comfort level within unexplained phenomenon. Keith and I are dauntless when it comes to things like this so we were very eager to see what the vortex held for us. As a side note, my only experience with anything close to an unexplained phenomenon was when I lived in Port Angeles Washington for a brief period between living in Alaska and Kentucky, local kids would go to this particular road deep in the woods, and then when the car is in neutral it would roll backward all the while all visual cues would indicate it should be rolling forward. For teenagers, it was very spooky and I’m sure there is a scientific reason for this occurrence, but I didn’t care at the time.. it was cool and unexplainable. That experience anyone could have as long as they had a free rolling object to be pulled inexplicably by, but this vortex is probably only something a few people can feel.. people with sensitivities that can’t be explained. Would we be chilled, or the hair on the back of our neck standup, or get a weird feeling in the pit of our stomachs?
We headed towards Harrisburg and then took 45 South towards Vienna and then we turned onto Taylor Ridge Ln and continued on that road until we reached the end and that is where there are several trail placards as well as the white diamond shaped one with a blue i emblazoned on it to identify the River to River Trail. We headed towards the Max’s Creek Trail No. 437, (which begins our video regarding Max’s Creek). It is an easy trail through Pine and Cedar trees and past occasional old home places where daffodils have naturalized in the old yards, and the trees nearby showed the scars of lower limbs being cut off. There was one site close to the trail that still had foundation rocks strewn about and a well that held water close by.
As the trail progressed you could hear water rushing to the left in the distance and after a good ways the trail started to descend to the creek. From what I understood, the rocky trail going down to the creek is where the vortex has been felt. I tried to quiet my mind and concentrate on anything unusual. I did not feel anything, nor did Keith, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one there.. we could have been in the wrong place or we might not be sensitive enough. What we did find was a beautiful spot!! The leaves were not on the trees yet so we could see the rock cliffs clearly behind the creeks and it has been raining the day before we went so the creek was zipping by, which was also fed by another feeder creek coming in behind it. There were large gorgeous beech trees anchoring the valley in front of the creek. It would be a great place for a picnic and if the water held at similar levels in the summer, it would be a good place to wade and cool off under the large looming cliffs.
We wanted to explore a little so we went up the creek on the left side until a bluff made it impassable. Keith opted to cross while I wasn’t sure I could make it without getting a foot fully in the water. I scrambled up a moss covered rock corridor (in the video) and up onto the top of the bluff and walked a little bit before seeing a gorgeous rumbling waterfall nestled back in a cut of the bluff. I never cease to feel like a child when I happen upon something like this in nature, feelings of pure excitement, wonder and awe. Keith found another spot to cross back over and joined me at the waterfall. Right past the waterfall the bluff took on more a rock shelter formation. There were signs that people have indeed been there, a little fire pit of stone was constructed. I was glad that others had found this little gem as well. We went up over the waterfall where the water glided down a water worn algae covered rock bed. It looked like something of a natural water slide, if one was inclined to a rough landing at the end. We struck a heading towards the truck after following the water for a while. We saw a deer skull and hip.. and piles of spent acorns from squirrel feasts, but nothing else. In total, it was a very nice hike. We didn’t keep up with the time or the distance like we should have, and the signs don’t indicate how long it is, but if I had to guess, the walk in took about 45 minutes. So if you are close to the Shawnee National Forrest, give Max’s Creek a visit.