kwc
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 947
Today’s sunny adventure took me to a hike that I had never done before, up to the Spruce Mountain Fire Tower, the tallest fire tower in the Forest Preserve at 73 feet. 1000 feet of elevation gain in 1.5 miles to the tower. Climbing the tower is a bit nerve racking for someone who really does not care for heights. Microspikes for the climb.
Heading up the trail. There were some muddy wet sections in the lower part of the trail but all snow for much of the way.
![DE242B79-407E-420E-91C2-6F61A3B25726.jpeg DE242B79-407E-420E-91C2-6F61A3B25726.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119777-940b28935d858e7c7660477e5756f800.jpg)
Old stone wall along the trail
![22FC532A-0B66-4907-AD18-3FF84F178CF1.jpeg 22FC532A-0B66-4907-AD18-3FF84F178CF1.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119778-69ae78bd5f2abb0e3cc7de0c29b59be0.jpg)
Open hardwoods
![0E52370B-183F-4944-ACB5-7E75ADA1136D.jpeg 0E52370B-183F-4944-ACB5-7E75ADA1136D.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119779-4fd5f7f7323aeab107a88aa88dd641b4.jpg)
Blue skies overhead
![BF5FE827-F434-488D-8E72-34AF6BB9ACE1.jpeg BF5FE827-F434-488D-8E72-34AF6BB9ACE1.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119780-5aa2132a0751c65f5239d8426d3b2e90.jpg)
More of the trail as I went up
![41804F47-1019-455B-B1FC-D90B1EF9DE67.jpeg 41804F47-1019-455B-B1FC-D90B1EF9DE67.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119781-e60992772090c7252a6754b8234e0499.jpg)
![D336CDB2-ED66-4563-926D-DD1D199EFDF5.jpeg D336CDB2-ED66-4563-926D-DD1D199EFDF5.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119782-3c2547e0160d6f4f5d19be9f9b2dc358.jpg)
The tower
![84B0459E-BBD7-44C1-927E-6FC3F4142355.jpeg 84B0459E-BBD7-44C1-927E-6FC3F4142355.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119783-b77cc51cab441418c62475832d815338.jpg)
Some views from up in the tower
![8F69F058-9A4E-41F7-9158-38F8E0C619A6.jpeg 8F69F058-9A4E-41F7-9158-38F8E0C619A6.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119784-d95539e3b477d547a8a62f5e7586f66d.jpg)
![02D83AD3-1AD3-422D-866E-F7458025AAB8.jpeg 02D83AD3-1AD3-422D-866E-F7458025AAB8.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119785-22acf981c73e2a2192bbfda170d8ec58.jpg)
![F0D6B4A3-E479-41B0-B02C-3F5529E52907.jpeg F0D6B4A3-E479-41B0-B02C-3F5529E52907.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119787-7be5b43ad3ec4cff3d90dc38ef940212.jpg)
![9B1F7EAD-FC10-48C7-853B-36BBD15F37A9.jpeg 9B1F7EAD-FC10-48C7-853B-36BBD15F37A9.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119788-1f8f750d2bd5416bbe9f64d9dea2069b.jpg)
Looking straight down the tower from the cab
![1B7D5C91-CEBE-44E6-AE2B-AD589D24997B.jpeg 1B7D5C91-CEBE-44E6-AE2B-AD589D24997B.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119789-f166a8c6e249f64c6bb2be9c1dcb2a56.jpg)
And lastly, someone has been very busy!
![852CA698-12A1-411F-9AAB-75339EFD36CD.jpeg 852CA698-12A1-411F-9AAB-75339EFD36CD.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119786-531447467fdc1a0a648d0ac0a708eea0.jpg)
Heading up the trail. There were some muddy wet sections in the lower part of the trail but all snow for much of the way.
![DE242B79-407E-420E-91C2-6F61A3B25726.jpeg DE242B79-407E-420E-91C2-6F61A3B25726.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119777-940b28935d858e7c7660477e5756f800.jpg)
Old stone wall along the trail
![22FC532A-0B66-4907-AD18-3FF84F178CF1.jpeg 22FC532A-0B66-4907-AD18-3FF84F178CF1.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119778-69ae78bd5f2abb0e3cc7de0c29b59be0.jpg)
Open hardwoods
![0E52370B-183F-4944-ACB5-7E75ADA1136D.jpeg 0E52370B-183F-4944-ACB5-7E75ADA1136D.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119779-4fd5f7f7323aeab107a88aa88dd641b4.jpg)
Blue skies overhead
![BF5FE827-F434-488D-8E72-34AF6BB9ACE1.jpeg BF5FE827-F434-488D-8E72-34AF6BB9ACE1.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119780-5aa2132a0751c65f5239d8426d3b2e90.jpg)
More of the trail as I went up
![41804F47-1019-455B-B1FC-D90B1EF9DE67.jpeg 41804F47-1019-455B-B1FC-D90B1EF9DE67.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119781-e60992772090c7252a6754b8234e0499.jpg)
![D336CDB2-ED66-4563-926D-DD1D199EFDF5.jpeg D336CDB2-ED66-4563-926D-DD1D199EFDF5.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119782-3c2547e0160d6f4f5d19be9f9b2dc358.jpg)
The tower
![84B0459E-BBD7-44C1-927E-6FC3F4142355.jpeg 84B0459E-BBD7-44C1-927E-6FC3F4142355.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119783-b77cc51cab441418c62475832d815338.jpg)
Some views from up in the tower
![8F69F058-9A4E-41F7-9158-38F8E0C619A6.jpeg 8F69F058-9A4E-41F7-9158-38F8E0C619A6.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119784-d95539e3b477d547a8a62f5e7586f66d.jpg)
![02D83AD3-1AD3-422D-866E-F7458025AAB8.jpeg 02D83AD3-1AD3-422D-866E-F7458025AAB8.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119785-22acf981c73e2a2192bbfda170d8ec58.jpg)
![F0D6B4A3-E479-41B0-B02C-3F5529E52907.jpeg F0D6B4A3-E479-41B0-B02C-3F5529E52907.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119787-7be5b43ad3ec4cff3d90dc38ef940212.jpg)
![9B1F7EAD-FC10-48C7-853B-36BBD15F37A9.jpeg 9B1F7EAD-FC10-48C7-853B-36BBD15F37A9.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119788-1f8f750d2bd5416bbe9f64d9dea2069b.jpg)
Looking straight down the tower from the cab
![1B7D5C91-CEBE-44E6-AE2B-AD589D24997B.jpeg 1B7D5C91-CEBE-44E6-AE2B-AD589D24997B.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119789-f166a8c6e249f64c6bb2be9c1dcb2a56.jpg)
And lastly, someone has been very busy!
![852CA698-12A1-411F-9AAB-75339EFD36CD.jpeg 852CA698-12A1-411F-9AAB-75339EFD36CD.jpeg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/119/119786-531447467fdc1a0a648d0ac0a708eea0.jpg)