Finally found some...sort of.

[fashionzombie]

I have posted a couple times looking for quicksand locations and have been going out to many different locations. Some over two and a half hours away to find nothing. I live right next to a decent sized forest preserve but since I live next to it I have been there quite a few times, but never looking for quicksand. I thought, what the heck I'll go and check the park right next to my house. I could not believe it when I found the most promising area of any area I've been. And this whole time, after exploring everywhere, right next to my house.

Well it was the most promising area but it was not in fact quicksand. The park is along a river and splitting off that river, through the park, is a long creek that curves and bends and twists A LOT. At the widest area of the creek closest to the river I found a large flat area of mud going across half of the creek. I didn't know if this is because the water had just dried up there or what, but I didn't care. Sadly this area is right along the hiking path and the park is pretty populated. So I came back later that night. It was the deepest mud I'd found but only thigh deep. Still my heart was racing and I messed around simply because I was happy that I at least found this. As happy as I was, it was almost a curse as well. Before I went to the area at night, the moment I stepped out of my car it began pouring rain and it has rained for four days straight. When the rain started I heard it was going to be a long storm so I thought I should explore the area before it's flooded.

I came back two days later. This time I found some rubber fishing pants so cleanup wouldn't be a hassle. I was correct, the area had flooded and now the creek was much deeper. I decided to keep exploring along this creek and found a second promising area. This area was along the shore of the creek. I tested it with my walking stick and my walking stick sank all the way to the handle. (My walking stick is over 3 feet long) This area was much better than the first but still not the quicksand I was looking for. It was in fact past my waist but only after a lot of work. You see the mud in this area, as was the mud in the first area is only so deep, after that it becomes thick sand. Eventually in this new area my feet touched the sand as I was thigh deep. So I decided to make it deeper by creating a on the spot, makeshit mud pit.

I pointed my feet downwards and began twisting them and moving them up and down. This help to get me a little deeper into the sand but it was still to thick. Then I had an idea. Since I was next to the creed I decided to create a little depression to let some of the creek water into the spot I was sinking. Then I built a little damn out of mud to stop any more water. I got in and out of the pit so the water would be able to get to the sand under the mud. It worked. The sand started to loosen and I was able to sink past my waist. The water had also diluted the mud to make it really easy to sink. I tried some different things to get deeper such as sitting down in the mud pit, going in with my knees bent and pointed downwards. This helped me to sink to my shoulders but I was technically cheating because I was either kneeling or sitting. Also, when I reached my shoulders, I was not yet even close to the spot I could sink no deeper yet it was impossible for me to get deeper, even after trying to pull myself down. I assumed at this point that I had become buoyant and could not go any deeper.

When I explored this second spot it was still raining so the entire park was empty. I know nobody probably cares but I just thought I'd share my story. Also, I am not going to mark this spot on the google map that everyone is contributing to since it is only waist deep and I don't think anyone should waist their time with mud so shallow. The reason I decided to finally try and explore the park next to my house is because I had run out of places to explore everywhere else. However, just recently I found a dozen new areas to explore that are about an hour away. I am going to spend as much of next week as possible checking them out and if I find anything I will be sure to mark it on the google quicksand map.

[Nessie]

Congratulations! I did catch the not-so-successful experience you posted at Deep Sinking so I am pleased to hear that you did not give up and that you have made significant progress!

There is in fact nothing wrong with waist-deep. I like it deeper than that too, but waist-deep is still a pretty good find. If you work it right, it can be nice. It feels bottomless enough if you go in at an angle. Nobody's there, the experience is for yourself only, and you're all you need to please...no need to call a layback descent "cheating".

Call it "creative", "innovative", or, perhaps, "working with reality".

However, just recently I found a dozen new areas to explore that are about an hour away. I am going to spend as much of next week as possible checking them out and if I find anything I will be sure to mark it on the google quicksand map.

There really is no more to mud-hunting than exactly what you are now doing. It just takes time.

Enjoy your new mudpit.

Nessie

[akmudfan]

It sounds like a great spot to sink though !!!

I havent found anything too great here ,,, too many people around !

[fashionzombie]

More progress. I went to the McHenry area. Specifically the Fox River Forest Preserve. I found another area that was high thigh deep. There was no sand or gravel under the mud, just more mud. The thing is the mud under the soft mud was rather thick and I was unable to get any deeper than my thigh. I got completely stuck though and had to dig myself out. The area was secluded and I'm sure if I hadn't spent all my time and energy getting myself out I could have found a deeper area....maybe.

If anyone is interested or would like to try further exploration of the area or if anyone knows of any nearby areas it would be helpful. I check the McHenry area because the Chain O Lakes is near by and there are so many rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds I figure there must be something by one of those areas.

The area I was at was in the Fox River Forest Preserve. You go in the preserve and start down one of the trails that takes you behind a large warehouse or repair building. If you look at a map you'll see this trail goes around a small creek that branches off of the Fox River itself. You'll see the trail comes to an end when it becomes a bridge over this little creek. Well to get to the area you have to go through some bushes just after you pass the large building. Be careful, if your not past the building you will run into a bunch of thorn bushes. The area is totally thick with bushes. I found a small area to fit through. Once through these bushes you should be at the creek. Look up and down the creek and you should see some logs and twigs that were made into a path across the creek. If you can't see it, it is back behind where you should be. (backwards from the large building, remember your supposed to have walked passed it) Cross this makeshift walkway and you'll come to a thin forest. Start walking up the creek and away from the river. Eventually you will come to where the creek ends and creates a small pond. If you look around that area towards the river you should see some VERY tall grass that has space to walk between. This is where I found the mud and the area is large which leads me to assume it could get deeper.

I found the reason I got so badly stuck was because of my boots. I took them off and it was easy to get out however because I was barefoot I got a cut on my foot because of all the roots and such from the tall grass. I was unable to wash my bleeding foot because I couldn't find a water fountain and had FORGOTTEN TO REFILL THE GALLONS OF WATER I BRING WITH ME!!!!!!!!!! Big mistake and I shall never forget again.

[Nessie]

I found the reason I got so badly stuck was because of my boots. I took them off and it was easy to get out however because I was barefoot I got a cut on my foot because of all the roots and such from the tall grass. I was unable to wash my bleeding foot because I couldn't find a water fountain and had FORGOTTEN TO REFILL THE GALLONS OF WATER I BRING WITH ME!!!!!!!!!! Big mistake and I shall never forget again.

I have yet to find the perfect footwear. Advice in this area is that you really do need something because of...yeah...cut up feet, OWWWW!

But it certainly pays to keep it as light as possible. Neoprene socks worked pretty well for as long as they lasted but they were HARD to pull on (which is why they were HARD for the bog to pull off, but I did get so tired of tugging on them). However, they're also HARD to find in stores too and kind of expensive. I had two pairs of rubber-soled shoes with thin canvas tops, but the bog kept pulling 'em off.

My latest thing is "aqua socks". They often come with loops behind the heels and they're thin but tight. I loop shoelaces through them and tie 'em around my ankles as tight as I can without cutting off circulation. If you try to wear 'em without tying 'em on...yeah...bye bye to half of the first pair before a month was out.

I wonder if I got some thick socks, and ran shoelaces through 'em...?

Still working on footwear,
Nessie

[henrybauer]

Nessie, Look into getting SCUBA boots, they fit real snug on the foot and are rubber sole.

[Nessie]

Nessie, Look into getting SCUBA boots, they fit real snug on the foot and are rubber sole.

(Nessie Googles "scuba boots").

Hmmm, those have some promise for certain mudpits! Even that little sole can get stuck, though, so it'd have to be the thinnest, lightest sole they make. If they made the same thing but just as a sock, it'd be totally awesome.

Nessie