Category: New York State Parks

Charles Atwood Memorial

We learned so much from this new sign

MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

This year, 2023, an informational sign was installed next to the Charles Atwood memorial at the foot of the stone stairs leading to the Gorge Trail.

Charles Atwood The Father of Fillmore Glen

“From Botanist to Physician and Pharmacist: born in Summerhill, Cayuga Coun ty, New York State, Charles Atwood graduated from Cornell University in 1878 with a degree in Botany. He then obtained a medical degree in 1881 from the University of Iowa. He moved to Moravia, Cayuga County, to set up practice. In addition to being a physician, he was one of the first pharmacists to be licensed in New York State. A Passion for Plants. Although Dr. Atwood worked full time as a pharmacist, he retained his passion for botany. Atwood was very interested in the parcel of land that became Fillmore Glen Park, due to the rich botanic life found there. Atwood worked long and hard to establish Fillmore Glen State Park to preserve not only its plant life, but also the cascading waterfalls and unique geological formations.”

“Atwood’s Quest to Promote Fillmore Glen. June 1919: Dr. Atwood jointed the Moravia Chamber of Commerce and in October became the first representative to the Finger Lakes Association. April 1921: the Moravia Chanbmer of Commerce and the Finger Lakes Association pledged to name the local park after Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States, who was born in Summerhill. They planned a dedication ceremony for July. April, May, June 1921: Businessmen of Moravia organized a volunteer force to clear underbrush, remove dead trees and create walking paths for the July event. July 4, 1921: Ten thousand people came to Moravia to enjoy the dedication ceremony, band concerts, speeches, vaudeville acts, athletic events, dancing, fireworks and a parade. October 1923: With the Moravia Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Atwood submitted a proposal for the glen to become a state park. April 1924: The state legislature created the New York State Council of Parks. Dr. Atwood was appointed a commissioner for the Finger Lakes Region. June 1925: Fillmore Glen officially became a state park with 39 acres. Seven different parcels totaling 144 acres were added in 1926. The park has continued to grow to its current size of almost 1,000 acres. October 1928: After Dr. Atwood’s death in June, several hundred people attended the dedication of a memorial to honor the ‘Father of Fillmore Glen.'”

Reference: text in italics and quotes is from the new Charles Atwood Sign.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

First Emergence of 2023

Monarch butterfly and chrysalis

MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

Our grandchildren spent the day with us, the last week of their summer before school begins. This July I had improved on my Monarch collection from 2022, when 9 butterflies were released, by two (2) caterpillars for a total of eleven (11) raised over several weeks to the chrysalis stage. When leaving to pick up the children for an outing one chrysalis skin had turned clear, a sign the enclosed butterfly is close to emerging. We returned from an outing for lunch to find this chrysalis unopened, so we checked now and then for progress. Four hours later, just as their Mom arrived for them, the grandchildren and everyone witnessed this event. What luck!!

“Migrating monarchs soar at heights of up to 1,200 feet. As sunlight hits those wings, it heats them up, but unevenly. Black areas get hotter, while white areas stay cooler. The scientists believe that when these forces are alternated, as they are with a monarch’s white spots set against black bands on the wings’ edges, it seems to create micro-vortices of air that reduce drag—making flight more efficient.”

“Monarchs begin leaving the northern US and Canada in mid-August. They usually fly for 4-6 hours during the day, coming down from the skies to feed in the afternoon and then find roosting sites for the night.  Monarchs cannot fly unless their flight muscles reach 55ºF. On a sunny day, these muscles in their thorax can warm to above air temperature when they bask (the black scales on their bodies help absorb heat), so they can actually fly if it is 50ºF and sunny. But on a cloudy day, they generally don’t fly if it is below 60ºF.“

“Migrating monarchs use a combination of powered flight and gliding flight, maximizing gliding flight to conserve energy and reduce wear and tear on flight muscles.  Monarchs can glide forward 3-4 feet for every foot they drop in altitude.  If they have favorable tail or quartering winds, monarchs can flap their wings once every 20-30 feet and maintain altitude. Monarchs are so light that they can easily be lifted by the rising air. But they are not weightless. In order to stay in the air, they must move forward while also staying within the thermal. They do this by moving in a circle. The rising air in the thermal carries them upward, and their overall movement ends up being an upward spiral. Monarchs spiral upwards in the thermal until they reach the limit/top of the thermal (where the rising air has cooled to the same temperature as the air around it). At that point, the monarch glides forward in a S/SW direction with the aid of the wind. It glides until it finds another thermal and rides that column of rising air upwards again.”

This video includes an interview with Michael Wills about raising Monarch butterflies and this stage of the lifecycle. Video by Pam Wills using an IPhone 8

Reference: text in italics and quotes is from one of two online articles. “The monarch butterfly’s spots may be its superpower” National Geographic, June 2023 and “Fall Migration – How do they do it?” by Candy Sarikonda, September 2014.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Brink of Lucifer Falls

Cliff Stairs IV

A Wall with Moss Padding

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Pam examining thick moss growth on the sedimentary rock of Treman gorge. These layers of shale, sandstone, siltstone formed at the bottom of a broad, shallow sea over 380 million years ago.

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Pam examines the moss
Pam examines the moss

Towards the bottom of the 223 Cliff Stair steps moss takes over the Devonian shale of the cliff wall surface. Here, the cliff shelters the wall from sunlight 365 days a year.

Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Moss
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Moss

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for a slideshow of this sequence Lucifer Falls and Cliff Stair Views
Brink of Lucifer Falls
Brink of Lucifer Falls
Lucifer Falls Overlook from the Gorge Trail
Lucifer Falls Overlook from the Gorge Trail
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Unidentified Tree
Unidentified Tree
This geranium species (scientific name Geranium robertianum) are also called “Herb-Robert” for a reputed ability to ward off disease and, in the Scottish Highlands, “red-shanks” for the deep red color of the stalks, seen in this photograph. Robert H. Treman New York State Park. Source, “How to Know the Wildflowers” by Mrs. William Star Dana, 1989, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Autumn foot Bridge
Woman on Footbridge, Contemplation
Woman on Footbridge, Contemplation
Over the bridge
Over the bridge
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cliff Stairs III

“Red-shanks”

MichaelStephenWills12 Comments

This geranium species (scientific name Geranium robertianum) are also called “Herb-Robert” for a reputed ability to ward off disease.

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Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Geranium and mosses
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Geranium and mosses

Scottish Highlands residents call these wild geraniums “red-shanks” for the deep red color of the stalks, seen in both photographs.

This geranium species (scientific name Geranium robertianum) are also called “Herb-Robert” for a reputed ability to ward off disease and, in the Scottish Highlands, “red-shanks” for the deep red color of the stalks, seen in this photograph. Robert H. Treman New York State Park. Source, “How to Know the Wildflowers” by Mrs. William Star Dana, 1989, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Source, “How to Know the Wildflowers” by Mrs. William Star Dana, 1989, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Click for a slideshow of this sequence Cliff Stair Views
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Unidentified Tree
Unidentified Tree
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Geranium and mosses
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Geranium and mosses
This geranium species (scientific name Geranium robertianum) are also called “Herb-Robert” for a reputed ability to ward off disease and, in the Scottish Highlands, “red-shanks” for the deep red color of the stalks, seen in this photograph. Robert H. Treman New York State Park. Source, “How to Know the Wildflowers” by Mrs. William Star Dana, 1989, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Wild geranium leaves tinged with autumn color above a gathering of spent oak and elm leaves. Robert H. Treman New York State Park of the Finger Lakes Region.
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations

Cliff Stairs II

read the sign

MichaelStephenWills11 Comments

Each autumn, species of fern turns yellow towards a winter death. Here we see growing from Devonian shale, both the yellowed and desiccated fern fronds. Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

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Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations
Click for a slideshow of this sequence Cliff Stair views
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook

Cliff Stairs I

Pam pauses for a photograph

MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

On a day in late October 2017 Pam and Mike did a photography walk. Here is Pam pausing to pose during a descent into the gorge on the cliff staircase after visiting the overlook high above Lucifer Falls, Robert H. Treman New York State Park in the Finger Lakes Region.

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Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Pam on the Cliff Staircase

Grasses, hemlock saplings, goldenrod, spent leaves and ferns on the wall of the 223 Cliff Stair steps.

Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
Click for a slideshow of this sequence of Lucifer Falls view from the overlook.
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Pam on the Cliff Staircase
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Purple-flowered Raspberry

Among our Gorges

MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

“Rubus odoratus, the purple-flowered raspberry, flowering raspberry, Virginia raspberry, or Thimbleberry is a species of Rubus, native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Ontario and Wisconsin, and south along the Appalachian Mountains as far as Georgia and Alabama.”

Purple-flowered Raspberry Growing Within Treman Gorge

“Rubus odoratus is a shrub growing to 3 meters (10 feet) tall, with perennial, not biennial, stems (unlike many other species in the genus). Also, unlike most other related species this plant does not have thorns.”

“The leaves are palmately lobed with five (rarely three or seven) lobes, up to 25 cm (10 inches) long and broad, superficially resembling maple leaves. The flowers are 3–5 cm (1.2–2 inches) in diameter, with five magenta or occasionally white petals; they are produced from early spring to early fall. The red edible fruit matures in late summer to early autumn, and resembles a large, flat raspberry with many drupelets, and is rather fuzzy to the touch and tongue.”

We find Purple-flowering Raspberry in the gorges of the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York State where it finds partial shade, rich, slightly acid soil and moderate water. “It is locally naturalized in parts of Washington State and also in Europe, notably southeastern England.”

My photograph captures all flowering forms of this member of the Rose family. This specimen was blooming in August within the shade of Fillmore Glen in the Finger Lakes of New York State.

Reference: text in italics and quotes paraphrased from Wikipedia “Rubus odoratus.”

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Taughannock Gorge with the kids – part 2

MichaelStephenWills

Several possible sources have been proposed for the name Taughannock, all of which describe Native American origins. One translation suggests that the name is derived from a combination of Iroquois and Algonquin terms meaning “great fall in the woods”.  An alternate theory suggests that the name may refer to a Lenni Lenape (Delaware) chief named Taughannock who died near the falls during a battle.

A nice lady offered to take the photo….challenged to keep it straight.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, steamboats, railroads and Victorian hotels were built in the region to serve tourists who traveled to view the falls. By 1925 the hotels were failing due to a decline in tourism, and New York State began acquiring land to form a park.

Pollywogs!! Catch and release

J.S. Halsey built a two and a half story hotel in 1850, known variously as the Cataract Hotel or Taughannock House (or simply as Halsey’s Hotel) at the Taughannock Falls Overlook.

Visitors could reach the hotel by taking a train to Cayuga Lake, take a steamboat across the lake to Goodwin’s Point, then finally board a stagecoach to reach the hotel. The hotel site today is the location of the park visitor center and parking lot.

Enjoy!!

Taughannock Gorge with the kids

and ice cream!!

MichaelStephenWills16 Comments

The waterfall and gorge comprise an example of a hanging valley, formed where Taughannock Creek’s stream-carved valley meets the deeper glacially carved valley that contains Cayuga Lake.

The gorge has continued to retreat westward from Cayuga Lake as easily eroded shale near the fall’s base is worn away by the stream, which supports erosion-resistant siltstone and sandstone found in the upper portions of the gorge.

Pollywogs!! Catch and release

Annual freeze and thaw cycles also act upon small faults in the rock, causing large sections to occasionally break away, further expanding the gorge.

Taughannock Falls’ main cataract 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 waterfall is located along Taughannock Creek, which flows through a long gorge with cliffs up to 400 feet (120 m) high.

Enjoy!!

Lake Treman

formed by a 1930’s Dam on Buttermilk Creek

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Lake Treman from the dam.

Buttermilk creek flowing into Lake Treman.

Dam on Buttermilk creek that forms Lake Treman. Here is stunning Civilian Conservation Corp (1930’s) work in this 36-foot-high stone dam that is not only a spectacle to observe but also serves as part of the trail that encircles Lake Treman. The man-made lake’s wooded shores and placid waters are a stark comparison to the gorge’s rocky cliffs and surging water

August 2023, Buttermilk Falls New York State Park, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved