Black Oak Road approaches Connecticut Hill from the north. At this point a long view to west opens up that include Cayuta Lake and the distant highlands of Seneca Lake.
Black Oak View
Autumn Ridge
Tag: Michael Stephen Wills
Autumn Road
A Long View
Here we have a vista of Bostwick Road descent off West hill into the Enfield valley and, then, in the distance, up Harvey Hill. Late autumn foliage graces the scene.
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Bostwick Road, October
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Last Hike
A sllideshow
Thank You for exploring the South Rim trail of Taughannock Falls State Park on the last perfectly sunny autumn day of 2019.
A sunny November Walk
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Autumn Oak Leaves, detail 
Acorn Still Life 
Chipmunk eating acorn 
The Brink 
The Why for the Bench 
Welcome Summertime Shade 
Left Behind or an Offering? 
Leaf Carpet on South Rim Trail 
Oak Leaves, forest floor 
Understory Autumn 
Hemlock Shadows 
Rock Elm, autumn 
Glimpse of Cayuga Lake 
Gorge View with Oak Leaves 
Glory on Gorge Road Cayuga Lake Bench View 
Taughannock Gorge, November 
Three Sisters, Taughannock Falls gorge wall. 
Into the Gorge 
Distant View with Hemlock 
Oak and Hemlock 
Gorge Road, early November 
Upper Falls 
South Rim Trail, early November 
Last Flower with Moss, early November
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Lone Elm
Among Hemlocks
A Rock Elm, late to turn in autumn, stands among a hemlock grove on the South Rim Trail of Taughannock Falls Park, Finger Lakes Region of New York State.
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South Rim Trail, early November
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 9
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
On our roundabout return from Finger Lakes National Forest we turned off Rt 79 at Mecklenburg onto county route 6 that becomes McIntyre Road in this stretch between two right angle curves. We turned off at the western curve with this fine autumn overlook toward Buck Hill.
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 8
Best Morning View
Mornings are best for the west side of Finger Lakes National Forest ridge facing west over Seneca Lake. Set deep between hills, lake water is not visible, the distant land is the west side of the lake.
An abandoned church converted to Community Center is the distant steeple, marking the hamlet of Logan. I played a bit with the vista, moving forward and across, forgoing temptation to bring the autumn foliage front and center as this was private pasture, was 50 feet in as it was.
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 7
on the trail
Perfection on a horse trail of Finger Lakes National Forest, Schuyler County, New York.
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 6
the long watch
The ancient wisdom of trees.
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Finger Lakes National Forest is a patchwork of ancient forest, gorges and marginal farmland abondoned for decades such as this emerging forest next to an actively farmed pasture.
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 5
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.
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 4
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.
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In this series of three exposures I whittled away at edges to achieve the final result in this third.
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Michael Stephen Wills Photography 