the long watch
The ancient wisdom of trees.
leaf litter eternal
During the series of Part 4 I caught this shot of fallen leaves with alternating bands of sun and shadow from the surrounding young forest.
Today, there is a patchwork of private land and National Forest. This line of color marks the forest boundary on the eastern ridge side.
farmland reverted to forest
In the long history of this forested ridge two Iroquois tribes visited this unproductive land for tree nuts and hunting, unproductive in that the soil did not support agriculture. After the Revolutionary War, the British siding Iroquois tribes were driven away and the land given as one mile square blocks to soldiers, in payment for service. Those who settled this ridge cleared the land and farmed as best they could. During the Depression era, many of these farms were abandoned and others sold to the Federal government.
Today, there is a patchwork of private land and National Forest. We stand here just across a border with a private pasture featured in Part 3. This is land returning to forest.
In this series of three exposures I whittled away at edges to achieve the final result in this third.
Taughannock Gorge south rim trail passes close to Gorge Road at one point. Rock Elm is an understory tree that comes into its own late autumn.
Elms thrive in the understory, turning late to catch autumn sunlight.
A Natural Wonder
Wednesday last I enjoyed shuffling along a forest carpet along the South Rim Trail of Taughannock Falls Park. It is a lost pleasure now the first snow is with us.
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
In the long history of this forested ridge two Iroquois tribes relied on this land for tree nuts and hunting, the soil did not support agriculture. After the Revolutionary War, the British siding Iroquois tribes were driven away and the land given as one mile square blocks to soldiers, in payment for service. During the Depression era, many of these farms were abandoned and others sold to the Federal government.
Today, there is a patchwork of private land and National Forest. This line of color marks the forest boundary on the eastern ridge side.
I positioned the tripod against the barbed wire fence marking the posted property. A few barbs and sear goldenrod flowers just visible in the lower right corner.
No Pun Intended
Some sights from last post.
Moss on the edge of upper Taughannock Gorge cliff, with the falls in background far below.
The last flower of autumn, a single bloom of Ironweed.
An Autumn Revalation
After leaf fall abrupt emptiness of Taughannock Falls is visible from the south rim. Beyond, you can just make out the enormous carved limestone slabs that protect visitors from the constant infall from the gorge walls allowing them to approach the falls.
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
An open road, autumn morning, a hiking trail under a setting moon. Thirty miles of hiking trails thread these 16,212 acres. Some, like the Backbone trail, traverse farmland reverted to forest and meadow, popular for horseback riding.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 