Trying Not To Die Like The Indians

"At least one person plunges down the steep cliffs at Starved Rock State Park each year, sometimes to their deaths, park officials said, prompting them to weigh whether adding additional warning signs or barriers along the trails might prevent hikers from venturing dangerously close to a canyon’s rocky edge.

But with many of the trails already signed and some hikers opposed to filling scenic vistas with too much railing, park officials say they are at a loss over what to do to prevent tragedies from occurring every year at the popular park about 90 miles southwest of Chicago, near Utica.

“Unfortunately when people go off the trails and don’t stay on them they are taking a risk,” said Chris McCloud, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources."

We went hiking in Starved Rock today. It's a really beautiful place and the kids love the legend of the Indians starving to death at the top of the stony cliffs, as their enemies circled below and prevented them from leaving.

So my friend Kathleen and her two girls, Anna and Katie, ages 9 and 11, and my quartet had a picnic and set out for French Canyon, which is a deep gorge cut through Niagara limestone.

Except we got lost and kept walking and walking and walking and walking. I'd like to personally thank the state of Illinois for boardwalking a great portion of your hiking trails in Starved Rock.

I began to wonder if we were ever going to get out. There were a lot of pit stops.

And I think we can all agree that boys are so much easier hiking than girls. You know what I'm talking about, you parents, you.

Then we ended up way at the top of the cliffs, where you could hear us screeching, "Stay to the left. Your other left!"

Finally, we circled back around and started the descent deep down in the canyon.

Then we were in the limestone and it's just so beautiful.


On the way out, we saw a woman who had climbed over the railing and was trying to climb down the face of the cliff into French canyon.

It was straight down below this picture all the way into that limestone cavern about 200 feet. She was stuck there, on that root, trying to figure out her next move.

STUPID!!!!!!

I took her picture in case she died so we would all know it's own darn fault for climbing down in there.

Amanda said, "Is she going to stay there and starve to death and DIE just like the Indians?"

That would be better than paying someone to come haul her stupidness out of there.

Not everyone can be as smart as me, taking four kids, five and under, on steep hikes next to cliffs wearing sandals because their tennis shoes are in Vegas.

I bet she's not that smart.