St. Helena TrailFall in Letchworth
Each fall is different and this one is no exception. First, it looked like the colors would come early and a few early frosty mornings got the season going. Then, Indian summer kicked into gear and daily temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nightly temperatures above 40 or even 50 slowed things down considerably. All in all, we're probably back to the average schedule. It feels like the slow down will take a little bit of a toll with leaves drying and falling before colors peak but we will see. I try not to judge and guess but rather be there and watch.
With the Internet giving people an easy snapshot of the progress of the season from their couches I feel too many people do not benefit from this information but rather miss out. They sit, and wait, and sit, and wait, and then the peak comes when they are too busy or a rainy and windy day throws a monkey wrench into the planning. Isn't it better to be out and about as much as possible? Yes, maybe you will catch the peak or maybe not, but you won't miss fall altogether then, will you?
In Western New York, Letchworth State Park is a very popular destination especially during the fall season. The colorful foliage lining the high banks of the Genesee river is hard to resist. The whole natural splendor is also extremely easy to see. Just by driving the park road and stopping at the official viewpoints everyone can get a high dose of colors. It's almost too easy!
And then of course, for those more adventurous, the park offers quite a few hiking trails. The trail heads are well marked but I feel; the trail map is lacking detail and information. There are many small waterfalls throughout the park that are not marked and overall the long and narrow layout of the park made it challenging to provide a detailed map. Maybe the best approach is to hike them all!
Colors on Genesee River BanksHigh Rocky Cliffs in Color
Anyway, on this particular visit we decided to venture off the beaten path at least a little bit and parked by and followed the St. Helena trail #13. This trail takes you from the top of the gorge into its very bottom where the Genesee River is more of a creek at this time of the year. Right from the start, the season was showing off! Leaves crackling under our feet, and more yellows over our heads created a nice tree tunnel to walk through.
As from the top, even down by the river the views wee mostly devoid of red short of an occasional splash on a tree in a hurry. The colors were a nice mix of green, yellow, and some starting orange. While a little more red will further spice the scenery up I always enjoy some remaining green. In my opinion, it makes the other colors jump out so much more and become so much more vibrant.
I've included the second photo here for couple reasons. First, the group of trees created a nice central focal point on the cliff wall, surrounded mostly with rocks and spotlit by sun. Second, isn't it unbelievable where trees can grow? There is nothing deceiving about the angle of the wall in the photo, it's an almost vertical cliff!
At this particular spot, we've also observed erosion in progress. It felt like someone accelerated geological time by a factor of a thousand at least. Every few minutes a large chunk of the wall peeled off and came crashing down into the river below with a huge loud splash!
The last photo shows the Genesee River gorge from a non-traditional angle. Instead of the wide views from the top showing the gorge below here the gorge is captured from the river bed. At this time of the year, the river is a rather narrow creek following the deepest parts of the gorge leaving most of the other flood area open to vegetation.
Genesee River Bed in AutumnLetchworth Gorge from River Bed
Genesee River Bed in Yellow - Not the traditional view of the Genesee River Gorge in Letchworth State Park
Have fun this autumn season of color and get out as much as you can!
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