Taughannock Falls State Park

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Taughannock Falls State Park /təˈɡænək/ is located in the Town of Ulysses in Tompkins County, New York, in the United States. The park is northwest of Ithaca near Trumansburg, New York. The name Taughannock comes from the Algonquian-speaking Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians, referring either to chief Taughannock or the word taghkanic (great fall in the woods).

The main cataract of the falls is a 215-foot drop (66 m), making it 33 feet (10 m) taller than Niagara Falls. It is the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. The water flows through a long gorge with cliffs up to 400 ft high (120 m), characteristic of the area’s gorges that give rise to the common “Ithaca is Gorges” bumper stickers and t-shirts. The waterfall and gorge comprise an example of a hanging valley that developed in a very similar fashion to the one at nearby Watkins Glen State Park. None of the local gorges were “carved by glaciers.” In fact all of the gorges are post-glacial valleys carved by the streams that still run through them. It is the valleys over which the waterfalls hang that were eroded (over-deepened) by the advance of the Pleistocene ice sheets.

Visitors can reach an excellent view of the waterfall by walking along a 3/4-mile-long trail (1.2 km). The gorge trail is open all year long, unlike the rim trails which are closed to the public in winter. Visitors in autumn can enjoy the picturesque colors of the surrounding trees.

The Park offers hiking and nature trails, camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and a boat launch, as well as ice-skating, sledding, cross-country skiing in the winter at Rice hill just north of the park.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taughannock_Falls_State_Park
http://nysparks.com/parks/62
http://www.taughannock.com/

Good Morning – August 1, 2021

Andy | August 1, 2021

Good morning! Happy August 🌻 !

I guess you could say happy 😊 although truth be told, I’m a little sad summer vacation 🏊🏻‍♂️ is in its closing hours ⏳, having gone by too quickly but it was much needed week of relaxation.

Mostly cloudy and 67 degrees at the Taughannock Falls State Park. 🌥 Light breeze. The dew point is 57 degrees.

I sit here, kind of grizzled looking, wearing my mud, ash and pancake batter smeared Don’t Tread on Me t-shirt. 🐍I did not bother to shave today.

Nine nights, 500 miles later summer vacation winds down. 🏖 All good things must come to an end. I was up fairly early this morning, before seven 7⃣ and made pancakes 🥞 topped with blueberries, this time just store bought ones.

Had a nice fire 🔥 last night, it roared for a while but there was plenty of wood left over for the next camper as I haven’t had many fires this week. Just been too tired 😴 after I got back to camp at nine 9⃣ most nights 🌃 and cooked dinner. 🥪 Just grilled cheese and ham last night with slices of bell pepper and some beer 🍻 before watching the fire burn down and lights out. 💡

Hurried a bit to get the table, tent 🎪 and tarp down before the rain 💦 but despite clouds early it cleared out for a while. 🌤️ Rain soon, I see it on the radar. ☔ After camp was mostly down, except for the flags 🏳️‍🌈 and the burying the eight days of poop 💩 in the bucket shitter, I paused ⏸ for a few minutes in the hammock. Broke camp by ten 🔟.

Sad 😔 to see it wind down but all vacations must come to an end. Still have four weeks to Labor Day so there is time to go to Mine Kill and the Potholers 🏊🏻‍♂️ before summer is done. 🍂 Plus that autumn trip down to West Virginia most likely or maybe just Pennsylvania and the Allegheny National Forest. I’m not fully decided.

I so really crave that small town lifestyle 🚜 🐽 🐮 🌳 but I know where the money 💵 is – the city. 🏢 Back to working downtown, catching the city bus 🚍 to work most days. But there are future trips and I know my tight budget is helping me get closer to where my heart ♥ is. If I can stay the course, I’m really looking at ten, maybe 15 years📆 at the most before I can truly get the life I want to live. 🔫 🐸🐖🌲🐮🔥