Tunnel Hill Southern Illinois 10-2-14

On our way back from Georgia we planned it so we could ride another section of the Tunnel Hill Trail, another rails to Trails path. It was a beautiful day for a ride.


Garmin Report and map   https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/604407190

Our starting point the Vienna Community Park a Rail Head for Tunnel Hill

As soon as you start north you come to this old RR Bridge

Soon you come to the 1st bridge over Little Cache Creek with the trees forming a tunnel in the distance.

The next tunnel is at Shelby Road

Nearby is some property for sale

 

This is the next bridge you come to.

Approaching a rock cut, just the other side is a shear drop off and another bridge

Bridge just past Rock Cut

 

 

Having passed over the bridge I stopped and looked back.

This is the next Rock Cut and the next bridge.

The bridge over the deep ravine just past the 2nd Rock Cut

This shot was taken at an earlier date but shows the height of this bridge

The Plateau to the west must run deep and fast with water in the rainy season as the rocks are polished smooth

This is some pretty rugged country.

And all along the trail are these natural rock formations rising up to the west of the trail

And drop offs to the east.

We are back to the I-24 bridge almost back to Vienna, IL

And here we are back to the Community Park

Silver Comet Trail Fall of 2014

On September 30, 2014 we rode on the Silver Comet Trail. we almost rode to Alabama on this ride. Next ride will be into Alabama. Unfortunately we were only able to get one ride in on this trip. The other down side was my camera batteries were dead when we got to the start of our ride, so I used Judy's cell to take a few pictures.

About 4 1/4 miles into our ride we came to this marker, only 19 miles to Alabama. 

At Mile Marker 45 we came to the Don Williams Trail Head, this was our turn around point.

This will be our starting point on our next Silver Comet ride. 

This shot was taken as we approached Hendrix Road  2 tenths of a mile east of The Don Williams Trail Head

A mile and a quarter east of The Don Williams Trail Head we came to this Ranch with its beautiful buildings and its own covered bridge, seen to the left of the picture.

Only 4 miles back to our start point at the Nathan Dean Sports Complex.

This is the down hill we called Mound Hill (named after a steep hill out side of Sterling, IL) because of the steep incline on our way west at the start of our ride. From top to bottom it is about a 100 foot drop.

The boardwalk across a swampy area just west of our starting point  at the Nathan Dean Sports Complex

 So ended this years ride on the Silver Comet Trail!