Twin Pillars
Columns of living trees grace the steps leading from Bridge Number Six (6).
Fillmore Glen, New York State Park, Cayuga County, Moravia, New York
How Many?
Count the Cascades and respond via comments
Tag: Flowing Water
Thank You CCC
Remembered this All Saints Day
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Tree Army
The United States Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp number SP 33, inaugurated May 1, 1934, Marathon New York, worked four years (1934-1938) to improve Fillmore Glen State Park.
Bridges Five (5) and Six (6)…..
We can see the work to maintain the CCC work continues today by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Look closely to see the cable flowing from the south gorge rim (to right) by which the limestone, out of sight along the gallery, was lowered for this project. There are building supplies at Bridge Five and Six, both left in these photographs.
…the gallery and Bridge Six (6)…..
Fillmore Glen, Cayuga County, Moravia. In the Finger Lakes Region of New York State
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Bridged
No Fracking Here!!
Happy Halloween (USA)
A faint organic whiff of Paleozoic Era generations follows hikers enjoying the Gorge Trail, an odor luring contemporary treasure seekers thankfully spurned by the December 2014 New York State fracking ban. Thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s leadership, the ban protects public health, drinking water, the environment, local economies based on agriculture, tourism and small businesses. The ban on fracking sets the New York State apart for its climate leadership by leaving fossil fuels in the ground while the state simultaneously leads the nation in expanding renewable energy.
A plentitude of waterfalls…..
…bridge number 5…..
Fillmore Glen, Cayuga County, Moravia. In the Finger Lakes Region of New York State
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Deep Time
A 400 Day Year
layered rock
We walk the Gorge Trail surrounded by the remains of two mountain ranges (the Taconic and Acadian) as high or higher than the Himalayas. Humbled by the fullness of time the mountains persist, now as this layered, fractured, water and frost battered rock. When the first grains flowed here the Earth’s day was 22 hours, a year 400 days, the Moon’s relative closeness moved tides higher. Four billion years ago, the first formed Moon was only 3.8 Earth radii, 15,000 miles, away. Today, a half billion years after the Cambrian, the distance averages 30 Earth radii (250,000 miles) and increasing at the almighty’s pace through the daily round of tides.
notice the right angles of fracture…..
…the angles record the changing directions of pressure of the continent against Africa as tectonic plates shifted.
Fillmore Glen, Cayuga County, Moravia. In the Finger Lakes Region of New York State
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Southern Exposure
“Happy Birthday” to Grandson Samuel Jack Wills who is seven today
two of them
On the south rim, Fillmore Glen, New York State Park, Moravia, Cayuga County, New York
unframed…..
…and framed.
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
High Dynamic Range
Moth-like I was drawn to the bright light
Geek Warning
A challenge in photographing Finger Lakes Gorges and the potential for an interspersement of bright light against shadow. A strategy I used in this series from Fillmore Glen is to choose the time of day carefully. The gorge is anything but straight forcing me at time to forego a shot or to carefully compose. Here I was drawn in by the golden reflection of Slippery Elm leaves on the flowing water of Dry Creek.
without…..
Moth-like I was drawn to the bright light. Using the tripod, I took two shots. One exposed to the gorge depths, a second more to the bright light beyond — while still not fully adjusted to it. Using a High Dynamic Range (HDR) tool, the two exposures were combined into the following.
…and with HDR.
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Slippery
Fillmore Glen Autumn
Ulmus rubra
The Slippery Elm (scientific name Ulmus rubra) gives Fillmore Glen this characteristic golden glow. The species has various traditional medicinal uses. The inner bark has long been used as a demulcent and is still produced commercially for this purpose in the United States with approval for sale as an over-the-counter demulcent by the US Food and Drug Administration. Sometimes the leaves are dried and ground into a powder, then made into a tea.
Reference: Wikipedia “Slippery Elm”
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
To the Brink
Take the Leap, or Not
On to Cowsheds Waterfall
The bed of Dry Creek bends before the fall. Fillmore Glen, New York State Park, Moravia, Cayuga County, New York
around the bend…..
…and over the brink.
Fillmore Glen New York State Park, Cayuga County, Moravia, New York
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
River Bend
Fillmore Glen Autumn
waiting for the people to leave
Patience was a virtue as I set up along Dry Creek where it bends before approaching Cowsheds waterfall drop-off. Fillmore Glen, New York State Park, Moravia, Cayuga County, New York
with…..
…and without hikers.
I say “without” with reservations. A moving hiker was blurred out in this 3.2 second exposure at f/22. I hid the blurred figure with a cut and pasted pristine pixels from the second exposure. The “without” take is earlier than “with.”
A minute and 50 seconds transpired between exposures. In that time, Pam rested her hiking pole against the wall.
Copyright 2022 All Right Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Wonderland
Fillmore Glen Autumn
Do you have a preference? If so leave me a comment. Thanks!!
The bed of Dry Creek bends before approaching Cowsheds waterfall drop-off. Fillmore Glen, New York State Park, Moravia, Cayuga County, New York
with…..
…and without cascade.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 