Hiker's Path: Eagles and Sailboats at Monroe Lake
This past Saturday was a gorgeous day to be outside. For me, that means a good day to go hiking. The sky was sunny and blue and it was a warm day for the middle of September. I had driven over to the Lake Monroe area outside of Bloomington. I decided I would hike over by the dam and tail waters of the lake. It’s a beautiful area.
Some people call the lake, Monroe Lake, but locals and people who grew up in the area used to call it Lake Monroe. It’s actually a reservoir that was built back in 1964 by the Louisville District of the ArmyCorp of Engineers and designed originally for flood control for the White River. The Lake is 538 feet above sea level. Its size is 10,750 acres while the total land that makes up Lake Monroe is 23,952 acres.
I drove to the spillway right down the road from the tail waters and parked in the gravel lot. I made my way down to the shoreline of the lake. This would be my chosen path for the day. I love to fossil hunt and sometimes, the lake is a good place to find them. The shore of the lake makes a natural path and there’s so much to see along the path. The shoreline of the lake is 103 miles at normal pool depth.
I started my hike, taking in my surroundings. I observed that there were quite a few boats on the water and this made for a lot of waves. There was a bit of a breeze as well. It was a good day for sailing as evidenced by the many sailboats I observed on the lake. Very pleasant day.
I walked along the rocky shore and searched for small rocks and geodes and fossils. I passed some fallen trees. I observed trees growing along the shore that had many of their roots showing. This was from times of higher levels of water from the lake that had washed the soil from the roots. I saw a few people fishing. A few lake gulls flew overhead and the sound of the small waves lapping back and forth along the water's edge was very relaxing. I found a few crinoid fossils along my walk. These are ancient seas lilies that grew millions of years ago. They were actually marine animals related to sea urchins. It’s common to find them in southern Indiana. I found some interesting rocks and a few small pieces of driftwood. You never know what you will find when walking on a beach or shoreline.
I walked about a mile further down the shore and sat down on a large rock to watch the boats as they passed by. Summer was officially dying down for the season. I could feel the change in the air.
I looked up at the puffy white clouds in the sky. I suddenly noticed a Bald Eagle flying high above me. The lake is known for them, but I had not been lucky enough to see them very often. I watched as this regal bird circled and swooped down and then back up, widening the circles as it flew. Looking for a meal I supposed. Though it is mating season and males are known to make certain maneuvers to attract female eagles.
Indiana reintroduced Bald eagles into the state during the 1980s. Lake Monroe just happens to be one of the top places in Indiana to see them. Watching this eagle was one of the highlights of my hike along the shore. The eagle appeared to be a mature one. It had a white head and white tail feathers and immature eagles don’t have these until they reach 5 years of age or older. The Bald eagle has an average lifespan of 15-30 years.
Most times, when I go on hikes, I am never sure what I will see or discover. This is one reason that I enjoy hiking so much. I am always seeing wonderful things and learning new things on my walks. Hiking isn’t always about walking on a trail in the woods. It can be a paved path, a climb up a mountain, a designated trail through a park or forest, or maybe just a walk on a beach. The important part is just being there, in the moment. Nature never disappoints.
To find this place: Take State Highway 46 East to I-69 South/IN 37 South. Turn right and travel 5.6 miles to exit 114, IN-37 South. Continue south for 6 miles to Lake Monroe Reservoir/Harrodsburg exit. Turn right and after 0.3 miles, turn left on Monroe Dam rd. Continue for 2 miles. Turn right after crossing the dam and pass the Tail waters park. The spill waters parking lot is just past this.
A quote for your day: “The world would have you agree with its dismal dream of limitation. But the light would have you soar like the eagle of your sacred visions”. - Alan Cohen - American Author
Until the next trail,Susan
This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hiker's Path: Eagles and Sailboats at Monroe Lake
