Mina Sauk Falls Trails

It seems St. Louis City was the only part of the region that missed out on ice & snow this weekend! 

When we left the house on Sunday morning, the ground was wet, but the temp was still above freezing. I was honestly a little disappointed. We're trying to test out gear and get accustomed to winter hiking before our big February trip to the Rocky Mountains, and it didn't look like this would be the weekend after all. 

Imagine my excitement when, not long after we turned onto highway 67, the tree tops off in the distance starting getting frostier. Then we started to see dusting in the ditches alongside the highway. The sun was finding its way through breaks in the clouds, which made for beautifully sparkling glassy trees. It also threatened to melt all those magical icy trees before I even got out of the car to walk amongst them. The last 25 minutes were a race against the sun to hit the trailhead before the winter world melted away. 

The last 5 minutes, though, the whole atmosphere changed. We entered the park, which houses the highest elevation point in the state of Missouri, the trees were covered in not only ice but a thin layer of snow on top of that, with gloomy grey clouds churning overhead. You want winter? You got it. 

The park had that distinct eerie quiet of a blanket of snow and icy structures crackling and sighing under their own weight. The first half mile or so of the trail were large, dark red and grey gravel that crunched loudly underfoot, so the sound of your own walking is really intrusive. But once past that, the views from were incredible and the path was rocky much of the way, with a fair amount of clambering up and down.  

We departed for the Ozark Trail stretch before the top of the falls and walked the mile or so each way to the Devil's Tollgate. According to our hiking guidebook, it got it's name from travellers who couldn't get by without taking their wagons apart, carrying everything through, and reassembling it all on the other side. I don't know it seemed pretty wide to me? I guess I don't realize how wide wagons are? But it's definitely outstanding and imposing, and you can imagine it as a notable landmark for travellers along the Ozark region.   

The scramble back up the Falls somehow seemed easier than it had been getting down, but it still wasn't nothing. And the falls were gorgeous. Sometimes Missouri just really surprises you with remarkable scenes you'd see in a travel publication, like it should be a destination of its own. But I don't think Missouri gets nearly as many sightseeing visitors as it could if these gems weren't so well hidden. And I am ok with that.  

The top of the Falls was the warmest I had been all day. But it wasn't just me warming up from the uphill scramble - the sun had come out! 

Everything was warmer. And melting. Trees were shedding chips and sheets of ice all around us. we were completely surrounded by the constant clatter of ice chunks busting apart dully over beds of leaves. And busting over your head. And cutting your hand if you're caught exposed. And probably shouldn't look up. Kind of felt like a dungeon escape where you have to outrun a collapsing environment. I don't think it was dangerous, really, but still made you laugh rather nervously. There's that bit of adversity I like to make a hike a good one. ^_^

I haven't figured out yet if there are any hazard warnings against walking under melting trees, or any real danger there, but it sure seems like it could go terribly wrong.   

More cool pics ;) of ice and snow can be found here!