Shawnee National Forest

Due to health issues discovered since my return from deployment from Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn, I have made several trips to the VA medical faculties, including the hospital in Marion, IL. The last trip to Marion I decided to stay the night since I was ordered to take measures to 'clean' out my system. Prior to the trip I decided to take a route that would take me into the Shawnee National Forest. For years I have read on the River Valley forums about the forest and I had a desire to go after those caches. However, distance is a problem; a hour and half to two hours just to get to the forest, hike/cache and then at least two hour drive to return home.

On the way up I went after Ghost Dance by GEO.JOE, which would test many of my limits. Overall, it was not far from the parking coordinates, but the terrain was extremely complex. Crossing a creek, crossing the same creek again. Finding the correct trail was a huge challenge. More than once, I found myself in the wrong area only to backtrack and start over. Arrived near the cache coordinates, spent another 15 minutes negotiating how I would get to the cache. After some climbing the cache was found. Returning to the parking area would prove as much a challenge as the hike to the cache.

The following day I grabbed a few caches in the Marion area before going to the hospital. Scouting around too was fun in that I met a park employee that had questions about the game. After my CT scan at the hospital I had lunch and began my drive back home. I stopped along the way at Bluff Trail another cache by GEO.JOE. The terrain was not nearly has tough as the previous day and was a very enjoyable hike.

Ghost Dance and Bluff Trail was my first experience in the Shawnee National Forest and hopefully won't be the last.