What could possible beat spending Christmas eve day following an abandoned rail spur out to the edge of one of the biggest steel mills in the country? Well… nothing really beats that.
It always amazes me how one of the best, most beautifully diverse trails in the Indiana Dunes sits literally next door to one of the biggest steel mills in the country. How these delicate habitats coexist side by side with a massive mill is fascinating. Nature is resilient and tough, that’s for sure.
(You can click on any of the following images to see them full size.)
The hike actually starts off at the Miller Woods trail, where the park recently conducted a controlled burn near the nature center.
The day was cool, and it had rained lightly early in the morning. Perfect conditions for Lichens to perk up. Although the fire had scorched the outer fruiting bodies of fungi on dead wood, the fungus itself lives deeper inside and will be just fine.
This remnant of a wasps nest is pretty delicate, yet it was basically untouched by the fire from the controlled burn, even though the area around it was singed pretty good.About a mile from the lake the park trail crosses the bed of an abandoned rail line. The park district maintains it for access to an area which seems to serve as a buffer for the rest of the park. You can follow it all the way to the eastern edge of the steel mill. It eventually stops at an abutment where a bridge, which has been removed, used to carry the rails over another train line.As you follow the old railroad bed, you pass by what seems like any other part of the park. But after a while you begin to glimpse through the trees parts of the steel mill that lies ahead.Soon the extent of the mill begins to become apparent as you encounter piles of coal, active railroad spurs, buildings and bridges.
As it turns out this end of the Gary Works is where coal was once processed into coke for use in the furnaces. However they have not produced coke on site here for about a decade, having switched to shipping it in by barge. If you look closely, the nearby structures are mostly in a state of decay. For certain there is activity at this end of the mill, but overall it is pretty quiet.
The boundary between the park land and the steel mill property is pretty well marked. It is important to note that I respect this boundary. I do not attempt to get any closer to the site than the abandoned rail bed takes me. The end of the line, literally. This is the spot where a bridge once spanned the tracks below. Just out of sight on the other side of these tracks is the Indiana Toll Road which I take to get to the park.
Even right alongside the mill. All you have to do is turn and look the other direction and you see scenes typical of any other part of the park.
Not surprisingly I did not see anyone else out this way, except for this curious doe who checked me out as I approached. This part of the park has plenty of deer. Every time I come this way I see them in groups of 3 to 5. I suspect that the lack of trails affords them more privacy than other parts of the park.
Not a bad way to spend Christmas eve day in my book.
Almost the end of Autumn, just a couple days before Thanksgiving (aka Turkey Day). With temps in the 40’s and a nice breeze off the lake the conditions called out for a return to Miller Woods and a hike out to the beach. As always, a day out in nature did not disappoint!
I typically do not encounter snakes this time of year. This Eastern Ribbon snake was stretched out full length across the trail. I expect it was trying to pick up a little warmth from the sand, at least until I came lumbering up on it. It was sluggish enough in the cool air that I was able to get in nice and close for a portrait. He stuck out his tongue and slithered off into the underbrush before I could get any closer.It has been a mild Autumn, which is not uncommon along the shore of Lake Michigan. Even in late November you can still spot the occasional plant that is still vibrant green. I see the occasional pollenator out and about, but not many.The small flecks of green add a nice splash of color.There is a lot of fallen and decaying wood in Miller Woods, which means plenty of fungi. I always enjoy the scene when the back side of the foredunes opens up to the lake. Soon these reeds and grasses will soon be flattened out. Where the trail passes close to the lagoons these reed fronds dominate the scenery. There really is no end to the beautiful sights along the trails in late Autumn.
