Jogging Mcdowell

Les MacLean was born December11, 1953 to Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Shaw and Eleonora Monti MacLean Jr., the second of two children, in Madison, Wisconsin. His love for nature began, as a small boy, in Cacapon State Park, West Virginia, where his father attended seminars. This is where he saw his first deer, hiked his first trail, and crossed his first stream. While he was growing up, the family lived in East Lansing, Michigan, and Iowa City and Solon, Iowa. On May 22, 1973, Les graduated from Solon Junior-Senior High School. He attended the University of Iowa for his first year of college where his father taught journalism. Following his father's untimely death, on February 20, 1974, he transferred to Utah State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in wildland recreation, June 6, 1981. During his sophomore year, he visited Alaska with Denali and Katmai National Parks in his itinerary. He saw numerous grizzlies, dall sheep, moose, caribou, and more, along with two wolves but only had a super 8 movie camera at the time. He was married from 1974-1979, divorced, no children. In the spring of 1988, he visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In August 1990 he visited Mammoth Cave National Park. He received his master of arts in education (journalism) from Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska in June 1994. From summer seasons 1991-1999, he worked in, and around, Glacier National Park, for Glacier Park Incorporated, as a kitchen steward, executive steward, and groundskeeper. During that time, he wrote songs and played them at lobby shows, firesides, and open mics. He also composed, and presented, the slide shows "Home in The Mountains" and "Glacier Dynasty." Montana's governor saw one of his slide shows and enjoyed it. From October 20th to December 30th, 1992, he worked at the Grand Canyon. He now lives in Naperville, Illinois. During that time he made 7 return trips to Glacier, visited Missouri Headwaters StatePark and National Historic Landmark, and Shenandoah, Theodore Roosevelt, and Acadia National Parks.He also made a return visit to West Virginia's Cacapon State Park, June 2013, his first visit since he was 11 years old. He now has a goal of visiting Alaska's Lake Clark National Park and California's Channel Islands National Park.

A large eight-point white-tailed buck, in a dignified walk, crosses a winding trail. A white-tailed doe stands in front of a mist-strewn river. White, wing-shaped blossoms of Dutchman's breeches grace the trail's edge. Great horned owls hoot in the morning twilight. A coyote sings in dawn's early light.There is more to a mid-western forest preserve than a place to walk your dog or have a family picnic! McDowell Grove Forest Preserve, in Dupage County, Illinois, is no exception! Fortunately, I live only a short jog from McDowell in my condominium home in Naperville, Illinois, not far from Chicago, our nation's third largest city. In combination of exercise, and seeking out solitude and photo opportunities, I have spent several years doing pilgrimages through McDowell Woods. My adventures, and discoveries, along with photographs of her wildlife, wildflowers, autumn colors, and forest and prairie landscapes, and a brief human history, are all combined in the book "Jogging McDowell: Discovering Chicagoland Wilderness". There are also quotes from famed author Henry David Thoreau and legendary singer-songwriter John Denver.This is the wilderness in my backyard, Jogging McDowell.