Lick Brook
After all these years, there are still some Ithaca-area waterfalls we haven't
seen yet. So we have been setting out to rectify that.
First a side-tangent. On Friday we went to the
Cornell Plantations
and walked around the Mundy Wildflower Garden. On the walk we detoured
to the vet school and viewed the Poisonous Plant garden they have there...
it is disturbing how so many plants, including ones you eat somewhat often,
are considered poisonous.
Back on task. On Saturday we went to the
Sweedler Preserve at Lick Brook which is yet another gorge near Ithaca.
We parked at the top and walked down the "gentler" white blazed finger-lakes
trail. At the bottom there were copious wildflowers, and we even ran into
a bunch of old people on a wildflower tour. At the bottom we found
the first waterfall:
Around the base of the falls someone, possibly space aliens, had
been making mini rock sculptures:
Now we took the blue-blazed trail up along the creek. It was steep, almost
to New Hampshire proportions. Here's another waterfall along the way:
They were very insistent you didn't leave the trail:
There is a big amphitheater carved by the brook, but it is hard to see
from the trail. You can barely see the waterfall feeding into it:
Further up, there are a lot of more moderate waterfalls:
After finishing there, it was such a beautiful day we decided to
go back to Buttermilk falls and walk around Treman Lake. Which we did,
but much to Kristina's annoyance the only picture I took there was one
of a sign:
Behind where the sign is, there is a neat and ancient-looking dam that you
get to walk across.
And after all that hiking, we were glad to get home.
Back to Spring Adventures...