Trail Talk
Enjoy Forest Park but Beware of Bears… Oh My
Trails in valley bottoms are buried in yellow maple leaves. Streams are coming to life after a long, hot summer. It’s truly a wonderful time of year to be in Forest Park. This fall, we’re […]
A Wonderful Time to Be On the Trails – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – November 2021
So, our Hunters’ Moon has come and gone for another year. With the skies finally rid of the pesky smoke of summer, we can breathe more easily. The crisp morning air […]
Smoke, Smoke, Go Away… Let the Rain Come Back to Play – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – October 2021
That’s the late summer/early fall mantra for so many of us as we venture out for time on the trails. The cool, moist air that heralds the onset of our damp, […]
Mark Burkhalter and the Acquisition of Panorama Point – by Larry Smith
In Memoriam – Mark West Burkhalter (1946-2021)
Back in the mid 1990s, while out hiking the Jacksonville Woodlands with my wife, Linda, we noticed an old mining road branching off of the main Rich Trail and […]
Trust on the Trails – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – September 2021
Returning to the familiar footpaths of one’s local environment after forays far and wide creates a certain deja’ vu. To return to a familiar stomping ground while the temperatures persist in […]
Forest Park Bridge Honors Tony Hess
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, a newly-constructed suspension bridge below the reservoir in Forest Park was officially named the “Tony Hess Bridge,” in honor of its long-standing champion. Back in 2003, Tony Hess headed up […]
New Trails: New Adventures! – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – July 2021
Summer is upon us, and it’s a time to get out and explore farther afield. Trails in our local wilderness areas have opened as the snowpack has melted, and though winter […]
Why Forests? – Why Now? – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – June 2021
Our Woodlands have seen an explosion of visitors since COVID. These warming days of spring and summer are indeed a popular time to be out and gathering out-of-doors and does carry […]
Spring Season – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – April 2021
The blooms came late this spring, a welcome respite from years past, when all of Nature’s tapestry of color seemed over-anxious to burst forth and then fade even more quickly. The […]
A Spring Challenge – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – March 2021
Quietly, they came to feed and potentially nest and raise their young. One day, the old city reservoir in Forest Park was bone dry. The next day, after a bit of […]