HIKE: Field Work, Spears Woods
Late summer at Spears Woods
And again, in mid-fall… stay golden, Spears Woods.
This is one of our favorite close-to-home Chicagoland hikes in the Cook County Forest Preserve trail system. You can’t forget you’re very close to civilization, with road noise beyond the trees and the flight path to Midway Airport overhead, but it’s still a good spot to get a little greenery in front of your eyes (or tan and gold, or silvery snow, depending on the season) and some gravel and dirt underfoot. This 470-acre former dairy farm has been undergoing extensive restoration over the past ten years and has a variety of habitat, from woods, to wetlands, to prairie & savanna.
Spears Woods- Forest Preserves of Cook County
On this particular trip, we were doing some field work for a soil science class (the fella is finishing up a geography degree at DePaul) but also getting some much-needed nature time. Like just about everyone else, we’ve been cooped up for most of this year and we have that cabin fever, big time (ie, the desire to run for the hills and build a rustic cabin with room to roam and fresher air than here… I mean, we always want that, but quarantine has given that feeling a much louder voice).
We usually soothe that itch with a backpacking trip or two in between work obligations, long bike rides along the lakefront, and enjoying the things the city has to offer, but, well, you know. We’re trying to be responsible and not travel right now but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. And we’re not the only ones… many more people are seeking solace and adventure in the outdoors this year. I’d say it works- those aren’t fake smiles.
