Contemplation II repost
Climb down the cliff stair, 223 of them, to this quiet place.
Tag: Late Devonian
Contemplation I repost
Climb down the cliff stair, 223 of them, to this quiet place.
Click Me for this 2019 autumn wonder post.
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Icicles!!
Key words: steep, icy
Water drips steadily from seeps, places water follows hidden cracks to emerge from the darkness. In warm seasons these may be a patch of moisture enabling the growth of ferns, only becoming evident when air is cold enough to freeze slowly running water.
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Rim Trail icicles with lichen, moss and fern.
These macros capture the Moss, Fern and Lichen. These thrive in this environment.
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for a slideshow of this Waterfall of the Old Mill sequence
Falls by the Old Mill, early spring 
Place where Fish Kill was harnessed to power the Old Mill 
Fish Kill Waterfall at the Old Mill. 
Sedimentary Walls 
Icicles hang over Fish Kill 
Rim Trail Ascent 
Rim Trail icicles Rim Trail icicles with lichen, moss and fern. 
This macro captures the Moss, Fern and Lichen. These thrive in this environment.
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Up the Rim Trail
Key words: steep, icy
It is the Gorge Trail that’s closed for the cold months, November through April. The Rim Trail remains open for those who dare icy, steep paths Unlike Gorge Trail, Rim Trail climbs above the dangerous cliffs from which rocks are wedged free by ice to fall on the trail. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment.
Here is the steep start, climbing up from the Upper Park where a footbridge crosses Fish Kill. Kill is the old Dutch word for creek. Fish Kill mergers with Enfield Creek a few hundred feet downstream.
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Rim Trail Ascent
This north facing slope stays frozen into May. Here layers of the sedimentary rock shale, laid down in a shallow warm sea over 350 million years ago, are slowly pried apart. Hemlock tree roots wedge between rock layers, slowly growing. The action of ice, water expands in volume at the point of freezing, aids the process.
In places the rock face appears to be a hastily made dry stone wall, the rock layers are so disrupted by plant and frost.
Rim Trail icicles
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for a slideshow of this Waterfall of the Old Mill sequence
Falls by the Old Mill, early spring The falls run free of ice. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment. The falls run free of ice. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment. New icicles formed overnight from seeps through the sedimentary walls around the Waterfall by the Old Mill. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment. 
Rim Trail icicles
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Of Rocks and Seeps
fresh icicles
New icicles formed overnight from seeps through the sedimentary walls around the Waterfall by the Old Mill. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment.
Here icicles formed during the quick April freeze hand above Fish Kill. Kill is an old Dutch word for creek.
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Sedimentary Walls
Here a mix of frost and lichen mottle the rock layers.
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for a slideshow of this Waterfall of the Old Mill sequence
Falls by the Old Mill, early spring 
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Three Views, Falls of the Old Mill
A challenge of light
A day the falls run free of ice. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment. Here are three captures of the same waterfall, the first visitors to the upper park encounter and the most visited and photographed right off the parking area.
Fish Kill was captured at this point to provide power to grind grain. Today neither nature nor man control the flow. Kill is the old Dutch word for creek.
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Falls by the Old Mill, early spring
I have never counted the waterfalls from this one to the grand sweep of lower falls. The falls are uncountable because no two people could agree on how small a fall to credit.
Of these three versions, i prefer this one for the foreground inclusion of the enormous limestone blocks set to protect visitors from the drop. This scene is challenging photographically, bifurcated as it is by the bright sun over the fall brink. I prefer to shoot these falls early morning, for this reason, before the sun illuminates the area at all. Long exposures required demand a rock solid tripod, as it is just off the parking lot I use my studio Manfrotto for the work. Here all shots were handheld.
I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for a slideshow of this sequence of the Waterfall of the Old Mill
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Lucifer Falls Slide Show
Farewell for now
Pam and I visited Tremank for our last visit of 2017. It was a bright, warm October afternoon. Here is a slide show of our experience, the details shared in recent postings. Enjoy!!
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Brink of Lucifer Falls 
Lucifer Falls Overlook from the Gorge Trail 
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook 
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook 
Pam on the Cliff Staircase 
Unidentified Tree 
Luficer Falls Overlook, northeast 
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock 
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations 
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Geranium and mosses 
Pam examines the moss 
Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Moss 
Autumn foot Bridge 
Woman on Footbridge, Contemplation 
Over the bridge
In November the gorge is closed for the winter due to dangerous conditions under the steep, crumbling walls. Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Cliff Stairs IV
A Wall with Moss Padding
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
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
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for a slideshow of this sequence Lucifer Falls and Cliff Stair Views
Brink of Lucifer Falls Lucifer Falls Overlook from the Gorge Trail Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook Pam on the Cliff Staircase Unidentified Tree Autumn foot Bridge Woman on Footbridge, Contemplation Over the bridge
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Cliff Stairs III
“Red-shanks”
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
Scottish Highlands residents call these wild geraniums “red-shanks” for the deep red color of the stalks, seen in both photographs.
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 Unidentified Tree Pam on the Cliff Staircase Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with fern generations Cliff Stair Wall, autumn Geranium and mosses 
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 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Cliff Stairs II
read the sign
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
Click for a slideshow of this sequence Cliff Stair views
Lucifer Falls from Rim Trail Overlook Pam on the Cliff Staircase Cliff Stair Wall, autumn with hemlock
