"The Indian Ladder Trail, a popular local tourist attraction for generations, is under threat of never opening again. The two-mile footpath was etched into the soft limestone on the cliff side of the Helderberg Escarpment after the last Ice Age, more than 13,000 years ago, when glaciers scraped across upstate New York. It has long been a place of interest for both nature lovers and history buffs, providing picturesque views of both the Hudson and Mohawk valleys. Hikers who have traversed the trail are rewarded by small caves and cascading waterfalls within and above the nooks and crannies of its surface. However, the very same properties which created the natural masterpiece have also led to a string of incidents in which hikers have been injured. Limestone is susceptible to water erosion and often leads to rock falls. State officials closed the Indian Ladder Trail indefinitely last summer after injuries from falling rocks left a local woman paralyzed."