Snow Covered Stoneface Hiking Adventure

A snow covered Stoneface hiking adventure in the Shawnee National Forest. We tried to go to Secret Canyon first but the ice storm laid down too many trees across the road. #shawneenationalforest
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[@MikeycatOutdoors]

Accurate description

[@HikingWithShawn]

It was a fun adventure!

[@jeffreyulrich3592]

Stoneface as it's seldom seen. That trail to the right, as you say, doesn't make a loop. The USFS topo map incorrectly shows Trail 116 being a loop back around to the left hand trail. You would have to do some rock climbing to make that happen. The right hand trail mostly hugs the base of the cliffs. Part of it isn't too bad, but some places are brushy and blocked with downfall. It is probably the best way to get to the old mineshaft, though. That's probably 500 feet past the power line and another 500 feet west right in a small, rocky creek that comes off the bluffline as a waterfall during wet weather. When I went there I went due south from the parking area through the woods and skirted around private land, but I came back the other way following the cliffs. The woods wasn't easy walking because of all the boulders. You filled me in some on the Blood of the Ancestors area. I had heard that the pictographs were suspected to be a hoax, although some people were fooled apparently. I downloaded a scientific paper done by an instructor from Parkland College who brought a team of students there to photograph and measure the site. The thing that is compelling about it is the abundant red pigment in the stream that is produced by bacteria. It would make sense that Native Americans might have taken advantage of it to make artwork, although it appears that has been debunked. It seemed odd to me that an outside group documented it instead of the USFS or SIU. I expect they may have examined it and quickly decided it wasn't the real deal. Nice snow owl , Michelle.

[@HikingWithShawn]

The trail could be a loop if you climb on rocks, yes. We've definitely done it as a loop.