Showing posts with label erosion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label erosion. Show all posts

Monday, April 28, 2014

Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Park

Walking through the areas that Native Americans inhabited as far back as 10,000 years ago, it is hard not to wonder if this culture shared the same feeling that I did as I went through the area.  Magical, spiritual, and surreal are some descriptors that come to mind.  Filled with enormous canyons, it is hard not to feel small when exploring them.  Both glaciation and aggressive stream erosion formed the canyons that are primarily St Peter sandstone1.  Most of the canyons have active waterfalls, that vary in performance depending both on season and precipitation levels.

Lake Falls, Matthiessen State Park

During my stay, the precipitation levels and type varied from thunderstorms (that happened while shooting St Louis Canyon) to snowfall.  The temps were variable as well.  When I arrived it was about 65, the morning I departed it was 26.  Needless to say, it was well worth the trip.  Going when the weather is not ideal means very few people.  That is an ideal situation for any nature photographer: to be by yourself, listen and feel the nature and try to capture its beauty.  I hope I did it justice.    See the rest of the gallery here:  

http://www.matthewjkirsch.com/gallery/Starved-Rock-State-Park/G0000FShnJ.rTxYk/C0000vLkidu44.io


Pontiac Canyon - Starved Rock State Park

1.  Illinois DNR "Starved Rock State Park." 27 Apr. 2014