Remember being a kid and having snow days off from school? It was so exciting, knowing that there would be no school work, and even if the winds were howling, the snow was blowing, and being outdoors was treacherous, we braved the elements and made it a fun day.
Well, today was a "flood day" for me. We live pretty close to the Des Plaines River, and it often floods in the spring, making it difficult to get out and enjoy the Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT) when sections of it close due to flooding. Determined to get out on the bike to get in some much-needed "forest time" and to do some cache maintenance, I ignored the warning signs that the trail would be closed ahead and pedaled on. When I got to the junction where the DPRT meets the river, the Metra overpass, and a trail that leads to the Oak Spring Road canoe launch parking lot, the river had risen and was covering the junction. Not to be deterred by a little water, I pedaled on through. It was only a few inches deep, and I managed to get through it without even getting my feet wet.
After checking on a few caches, I came to the spot where the trail passes under Illinois 176 (and yes, there's a cache there), and it was impassible by bike. At least for me, it was. So I turned back toward home, deciding to approach the next stretch of trail on another day from a different direction, as it doesn't look like that water is going to recede anytime soon.
On the way back, I stopped to place this cache, filling in a gap for this segment of the trail. It's in a tree that is presently standing in water, but I was able to place the cache without actually standing in the water myself. You're looking for a well-camouflaged pill bottle. After placing the cache and taking a few pictures, I headed back down the trail toward Oak Spring Rd., and was shocked to find that the river had risen so much that there was now no way to get home without wading through water that was now nearly knee-deep, and it extended along the trail for at least 100 feet. Welp. Needless to say, my feet got wet going home.
What was supposed to be a quick lunchtime maintenance run ended up turning into a whole afternoon off, as I tried various routes to get home and ended up having to just plow through the flood. Hence the name "flood day" for this cache.
My advice if you are seeking this cache (and others along the trail nearby) during the flood season is to park on Camelot Rd. (see parking waypoint) and keep your feet dry. Happy caching!
Congrats to Wheels00 on the FTF!
