Potholes Nature Preserve

How many times have your started out hiking and ended up inside an album cover?

Last Saturday started with intentions of an afternoon helping a friend with his maple syrup operation near Waynetown.  A week earlier Montgomery county-based outdoor writer Don Bickel had invited Yours Truly and a friend to visit his family’s sugar camp and assist in boiling down a couple hundred gallons of the sweet treat.  I was very excited about the trip because I have written several articles about the process for various newspapers and magazines.   Its fun to see watch the progression from sap to syrup but most importantly, I usually get a sample to take home.

Unfortunately, the lines of communication got crossed and we were greeted by a locked gate at the sugar camp.  Judging by the muddy vehicle tracks in the lane, we had just missed the crew.   The blame was squarely in my corner since I hadn’t followed up the invitation with a phone call to verify our plans.  As it were, it was still fairly early and the day was cold but pleasant so we set out to explore the world.

The potholes

Before moving onward, I should note that Don mentioned this has been the best maple syrup year in recent memory.  Though the Parke County Maple Syrup Festival has just concluded, it seems likely that the commercial camps scattered throughout west-central Indiana will probably stay in production for another week or two.  If you are looking for a fascinating day trip that kids ages 4 to140 will enjoy, make plans to visit a sugar camp before the season ends.

We headed out on the road as sightseers and eventually ended up in Attica.   We drove around this historic canal town for a while then rambled west to the area of Big Pine Creek and Potholes Nature Preserve.  This corner has mentioned the preserve a time or two so we shall dispense with the details.  Suffice it to say that the scenery was spectacular in winter and we had the entire area to ourselves in spite of the pleasant Saturday afternoon.

After shooting dozens of photos of the waterfalls, canyon and trails of Potholes, we drove along in the picturesque creek valley, stopping for a short visit at an abandoned 1800′s resort that was built around several natural mineral springs.  Since the area is privately-owned, I won’t admit that we walked around the overgrown grounds for 45 minutes.  However, judging by the looks of things, I’d say that many people do likewise.

Now thoroughly muddy and hungry, we drove out of the valley on a gravel road and intercepted state route 55.  I had almost turned southbound towards civilization when something caught my eye to the north.  Off in the distance, highlighted by the setting sun, were a tremendous number of windmills.

These weren’t the typically water-pump windmills that stand rusting and creaking around old barns throughout the Midwest.  These were brand-new electricity-generating windmills that rose above even cellular phone towers to harness the prairie wind.  These things were enormous and I was instantly intrigued.

I turned north and as we drove, I became even more impressed and awed by the immense size and vast numbers of the spindly towers, their three-bladed propellers turning in the north wind. More impressive was the fact that after 20 minutes of driving we still hadn’t reached the area.

Finally, north of Boswell in Benton County, we pulled up to the base of the first tower.  There were uncounted numbers, perhaps 50, stretching to the horizon, all facing north as they harvested the cold wind that crashed down from Canada.  Each gray tower is composed of a single massive round support stalk, topped by a movable cab the size of a small bus.  The three blades are like glider wings attached to a central hub and at the peak of rotation, reach approximately 150 feet into the air

it’s hard to describe the feelings inspired by these alien-looking structures as you stand on the windswept prairies of Benton County. Their sinuous design, whirling blades and sheer size jutting above the barren landscape seem like a photo illustration, an album cover by Pink Floyd perhaps, that you are living inside.  It’s both a strange and wonderful feeling.

There are many of these wind farms in various planning stages across the state but I will go on record saying that I wouldn’t want one of them in my back yard.  The windmills are certainly noisy and I’m not sure of their effects on birds and wildlife.

But, having said all that, they are spectacular.

IF YOU GO-

If you want to see the windmill farms of northern Indiana, the best starting point is near Benton Central High School alongside U.S. 52 in Benton County.   Evening is perhaps the best time for unusual photos.

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