River to River Trail Thru Hike Episode 7: Garden of the Gods Wilderness to Elizabethtown
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- #thruhike #rivertorivertrail #shawneenationalforest
On May 21th, 2021, I completed my solo thru hike journey of the River to River Trail across Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. This was the most daring physical challenge I had embarked on yet, where I pushed myself to walk 161 miles from the shores of Mississippi River to the Ohio River in just 7 days.
This seventh day on trail had me hiking just under 20 miles from the Garden of the Gods Wilderness to Elizabethtown, IL, which is on the shores of the Ohio River and is the Eastern Terminus of the Trail. I would pass notable features as the High Knob Campground and Ranch, High Knob Overlook, passing one of the oldest log cabins in Illinois, walking past the beautiful Tecumseh Lake, and entering Elizabethtown, where I soaked in the views of the river and stopped to eat some local fish at the "E-town River Restaurant". I finally crossed the Ohio back into Kentucky via the Cave-in-Rock ferry.
I wanted to finish strong on this last day on trail, and reached my 20mile goal early in the afternoon. I was filled with emotion and satisfaction when I reached the river, realizing that I had overcome the biggest physical and mental challenge I have endured to date.
I hope you enjoyed the sights and sounds of this beautiful area that I am so grateful I got to experience and film!
Please subscribe for more thru hiking adventures to come!
Day 7 Details:
(Note: I used the REI Hiking Project App for my navigation of this trail, and all mile marker distances are reflected from its database.)
-19.88 miles traveled
-Link to my GPS to search for my route from this day: share.garmin.c...
Main Gear Used on this trip:
-Zpacks Duplex
-Waymark Lite 50L Frameless UL Backpack
-Thermarest Neoair Uberlite
-Western Mountaineering Summerlite Sleeping Bag
Please subscribe to my channel to stay tuned for the finale of this thru hike series!
I really enjoyed your video. Very well done.
Thanks so much for watching, glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Well, here we are at the end of this crazy adventure. I’ll share my running thoughts first:
0:30 I’ve really enjoyed the cold open shot in each video and the musical selections for them. They’ve set the tone very well for each episode.
0:50 That is the face of a man who knows he’s sleeping in his own bed tonight! Even if you’d never said this was the last day, we’d know it from your face. Your demeanor is much different this day than on your snake day!
1:05 This is exactly what I mean, haha. Only on this day would you be laughing at this ridiculous mud!
2:07 Gathering information at these little places is so weirdly appealing to me, haha. I enjoyed the JoJo information.
3:35 Another of those unexpectedly great Illinois views.
4:30 Nice job showing the axe-marks on this old lumber.
5:15 This reflection is so near-perfect that it took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on.
6:00 I wondered what the story was on the old section of trail. Good choice on sticking with the new route 😬
8:00 You definitely did not mope your way to the finish. Nice job on applying the day’s Trail Lesson.
9:15 Since George is still alive and all, maybe he was ranging outside his territory and you ran across him the previous day…
10:20 Yes! I highly approve of the BtC method of final-day creek crossings that you’re using here 😁
10:35 Turtle cam! You might have been able to put your camera on his guy’s shell for some turtle POV footage.
12:30 I had a big smile on my face from this point onward 😀
13:34 Cool shot!
13:55 Victory! How good did that water feel on your battered feet?
15:03 Excellent choice on the post-hike fare. Is there anything better than fried food after a week in the woods?
15:50 I think your conversation with Becky is the perfect way to end the series. It captures that feeling of returning to civilization and being excited to catch up with your loved ones and share the things you’ve seen and learned. That feeling is a big part of why I go into the woods and make videos. I’m glad you managed to capture it. It’s something I don’t see in very many backpacking videos.
16:25 And the verse and your shoutout to the trail angels couldn’t be a more fitting end.
Congratulations on completing this monster hike, and thank you for putting in the effort to record it and share it with all of us. I’m sure there were times when you wanted to quit recording and just plow through the miles, but I’m glad you didn’t. Your perseverance and Trail Lessons are inspiring, as are the many beautiful shots you got along the way. You’ve made me want to do (part) of the RtR again! Thanks again, and hopefully I’ll see you on the trail within the next month!
Hey thanks again for the supportive comment regarding your thoughts about my video! Always a treat to get some constructive criticism/feedback from BtC!
-I honestly don’t remember filming most of these shots each morning, but I am glad that I did. I agree that they each were great tone setters for each episode
-You are right! Even though the pain didn’t go away and the trail conditions didn’t improve, knowing you are going to finish is such a good feeling on a backpacking trip, no matter how long the trail is!
-Yeah I was just so over the mud-pocalypse by then that laughter seemed to be the only remedy haha
-I also agree about getting this kind of information while on trail. It’s another piece to that “local spice/flair” that makes a small thru-hike like this so unique and special
-High Knob was gorgeous! I think there are some more trails around that take you to a more open vista than that one. Definitely worth the visit!
-Totally didn’t even notice the axe marks until this comment, but I am glad that I got the shot for that reason! I was just mystified by how old the lumber looked that I totally bypassed the axe marks.
-For this to be the Midwest, there were a surprising number of great reflection shots along the creeks/lakes on this trip.
-If I went via the Battery Rock section, I probably would still be there as a mud/stone statue!
-Thanks brother! My feet were ruined by the end of this day, but I’m glad I gave it my best effort.
-Dude I didn’t even think about that, but that would be insane! Maybe that rattle I heard was his friendly “hello” and not the menacing “get away from me”. It’s a pity I don’t speak parseltongue haha!
-It’s times like this where I miss the trail runners. They dry out so much better than those Big Chungus boots haha
-That turtle had some quads of steel! He was booking it!
-Me too, brother! Reaching the end is an invisible, indelible pain medicine.
-I didn’t care that it was the murky Ohio, I welcomed that brown water like it was the fountain of youth!! I almost considered swimming in it Haha
-I’m so glad there was that local joint at the terminus. Such a cool way to decompress with some savory food after reaching the finish line.
-Thanks for this insight, brother. I totally agree. This is one of my favorite shots of the entire series, too. Now that I am getting a bit older, I realize the importance of family, and want to cement as many memories with them as possible. This was one of those successful moments (much to Becky’s surprise- she didn’t like being on camera ha!).
-I’m glad you appreciated the end texts! It almost felt like a engaging credits roll-by or mini post credits scene at the end of a movie haha.
Thank YOU for being such an active watcher of this series, and supporter of my journey while I was on the R2R! I should have mentioned yours and Nick’s name that last night in the tent, but knowing that I had friends like you watching my Garmin pin creep along that week was such a boost in my morale, especially on the days where I wanted to give up or stop filming. It’s amazing how much something as small as that can be a benefit to you. I’m game for another R2R trip if you are! Just tell me when and where! See you at the base of Guyot!
Absolutely awesome journey my friend. You should feel so accomplished and proud of yourself. Congratulations. 😊😊
Thanks so much Gary!! The River to River will always hold a special place in my mind and heart after this trip. I can’t wait to return soon!
Congratulations on a great thru! Totally enjoyed watching. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for watching, Pop Pop! Glad you enjoyed it! More adventures to come!
Beautiful journey! Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks so much for watching!!
Congratulations! You pushed through to the end!!! Awesome job!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad I was able to push to the end, it was such a rewarding trip! Appreciate you watching and following along!
Enjoyed the ending verse and the snake story JoJo told! Great series of videos. Thx for taking us along. You finished strong.
Thank you so much for watching and following along with me on this journey! So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my perhaps and probably stupid questions throughout! I enjoyed this immensely. Going to be a section hiker, somewhere, idk where yet, but I certainly cannot do what you just did out the gate. I'm currently listening to A Walk In The Woods which I'm enjoying. Thanks Samuel for tips, tricks, passion, emotions and reality. Very happy and thankful I subscribed. God bless on your future endeavors.
You are very welcome, and those weren't stupid questions at all! I am more than happy to help anyone out if it means they get to get out and experience the outdoors in a positive and meaningful way. Glad I could help! I wish you nothing but the best when you start whatever section hike you begin, and I hope that it is a fulfilling and profound trip for you! I really appreciate your kind words and for taking the time to watch and now subscribe! Stay in touch, God Bless!
Thank you for the series, this was awesome and very well done!! I cannot imagine all of the extra mileage you put on your feet doing the camera work, but, we appreciate the quality of your videos!!
The horse trails are THE worst ever!! I hike at Otter Creek Park and Mammoth Cave back country. The horse traffic has those trails absolutely torn up. I have gotten to where I will not hike on those trails after a rain, because it is so nasty! But, when your on a thru-hike, you have no choice but to hike on.
Great stuff, and looking forward to more videos!! Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and comment on the whole series! I’m not sure I want to know how many extra miles I added from getting all the footage, but I’m thankful I have this as a memory to preserve, regardless. I’ve done two backpacking loops at Mammoth Cave and the mud was bad on both of them. I’m glad you understand the pain. I want horse-riders to enjoy the trails too, but they leave a heavy hoofprint, pun intended haha. Thanks again for your support, and I’m excited to share what I’ve got next on the queue!
Man I have really enjoyed watching these. Thank you for sharing your experience. It will help me prepare for my first thru hike. I believe I am going to try for fall of 24.
Super glad you enjoyed the trip series! I am really glad to hear that it will be helpful to you in your aspirations to do it next year. Just let me know how I can help out in any way!
Congratulations brother! It was well earned! Loved the clip with you talking to aunt Becky!
Thanks man!! And I had to keep that clip in there, it was a really cool memory to capture while floating on that ferry!
You guys add joy to life!
I love the Battery Rock trail. I haven't done it in several years but it's very similar to the rest of the R2R. Only the last 100 ft get flooded normally when the Ohio is up. Jo Jo is Great. The Jeep is still there but the snake is a legend.
I am still very intrigued by the Battery Rock section, I have seen photos of some of the rock formations near the Ohio River that look incredible. It's also cool to know that you know JoJo! She seems like such a nice lady. Do you mean legend in that the snake is not real? I was asking around on Shawnee facebook groups and JoJo said someone saw "George" the rattler at the top of High Knob last week. Hope she wasn't pulling my leg haha. Thanks so much for watching!
Tots are a rare treat! More places need to offer tots lol
How much of the entire trail do you estimate is road?
Those tots were the bomb! I enjoyed them more than the fish haha. And it was about 45 miles of road walking, which comes to about 28% of the entire hike. Not anymore percentage-wise than the Sheltowee! Thanks for watching, Bane!
@@BluegrassBackcountry thoroughly enjoyed the video and thank you for bringing us alone. I’m gonna add this to my list and might do it this year! What was the low and high temp wise when you went in may?
You are very welcome! You will not be disappointed if you do this next year; I loved every moment of this trail! The first night sleeping next to Grand Tower before my full first day was the coolest at night (upper 40's); the rest of the trip it averaged from upper 50's at night all the way to the 70's at night for a few days. The high temps stayed mostly in the 70's and 80's, with the humidity fluctuating up and down. Not too bad!
I think the mud is the worst thing about the trail. The section between GOG and High Knob is terrible. Our channel is Two Bobs' Adventures if you want to check it out. We carried a small bottle of water from the Ohio to the Mississippi. Congrats on a great hike.
Yes that section was pure misery!! Some of the hoof mud holes were as deep as my shin! Thanks for the recommendation on your channel- I’ll definitely check y’all out! Carrying a bottle of water across the state is a cool idea! I might have just filled a little medicine bottle so I was carrying extra weight all week haha. Thanks so much for watching again!
So enjoyed the “series” of the R2R hike. You had many challenges but with God watching over you and placing the trail angels or as you say trail magic you persevered . So proud of you and all you do! Love you!
Thanks so much for watching and for following along!! I’m so thankful I was able to persevere to the end, and to be able to capture all these miles on camera for special people in my life like you to watch and enjoy! Love you!