I am sorry for the long delay in posting to RV-103. Gypsy and I have been busy enjoying the State of NY and I now finally have some time to sit down and write.
We have been doing some hiking in two local state parks, Letchworth and Stony Brook. I’ve written about Letchworth before when RV-103 was on her first mission, but this is the first time we ever did any hiking there.
Letchworth is known as the “Grand Canyon of the East” and earns that title. We took a seven-mile hike down the gorge and viewed two of their three large falls up close. We then looped around through the woods and back to where we started. While we were in the woods, we saw a fox, deer, and I even got a picture of a coyote! The wildlife is quite abundant here and the scenery is beautiful. We plan on returning soon to do some more hiking and exploring in the near future. Below are some pictures I took during our last visit there.
- Do you see the train crossing over the first falls?
- View from above the first falls
- Genesee River
- Second falls
- Another view of the second falls
- See the stone bridge?
- "Two paths diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost
- The coyote didn't like his picture taken...
- ...but the deer didn't mind.
- Time to take a break!
Stony Brook State Park is hidden away just outside of Dansville NY. Driving by the park entrance and over the little brook would never give you a clue as to how steep and deep the actual gorge is. During the late 1800’s, this place was a private resort and many people would travel to this place for privacy and relaxation. There are two trails, the Eastern Rim and the Western Rim. Each trail is only about 1 mile long, but very steep in places. As you climb up one of the rim trails (I recommend ascending the Eastern Rim and descending the Western Rim) you can overlook the gorge in various places. It surprising how quickly you rise in elevation. Thankfully there are steps in place at the most difficult places thanks to the Civilian Conservation Corps from the 1930’s.
As you descend the Western Rim, you can choose the trail that follows Stony Brook and wade in the water for refreshment, or you can take the upper Western Rim Trail to overlook the gorge again. We have done both and found each route has its particular beauty. Though it is only a two-mile hike, the steepness of the climb and descent will make it feel much longer. Stony Brook has three falls in the gorge, with the biggest being over 45 feet high.
Next up: RV-103 travels to the 18th and 19th centurys for some wine.
