Winter In Letchworth

          Waking as early as possible after a restless night, Dominic and I made it to the closed Parade Grounds Entrance and a dead end road that met up with the train tracks above the Upper Falls.  Without hesitation we parked the car and moseyed to the viaduct until the echos of the Genesee River were within sight 240 feet below.  The mist from the falls had froze among the gorge walls and overhanging trees creating a smooth glassy view that nobody could forget.

Upper Falls Birdseye View (Atop Viaduct)

       
          As we made our way through the desolate park I took a fresh regard as I had never seen "The Grand Canyon of the East" covered in snow.  The lack of tourists made this trip all the more enjoyable as we did not have to avoid their company or their high dollar sports cars.  There was a solitary makeup of the park this day that gave off such an overwhelming gratitude for the land and water; one that makes me think of the future and how I want to live my life protecting, preserving, appreciating and recognizing the importance of nature and all that it brings to us whether it be implicit or explicit, internal or external, physical or mental.

Great Bend Overlook

Upper Falls Viaduct

Lattice Bridge Loop

Mon-AM: 1:03, 1316’ ~ Lattice Bridge Loop

(1,191’)

            After a night of tossing and turning, I was abruptly woken by the repetitive buzz of my alarm.  Austin and I began our run on Route 19 to a bright pink sky.  The sunrise was at our front while we scorched out 6:00 miles.  We crossed Lattice Bridge and watched the beaver swim up river in the direction that we were headed.  Around the 4 mile mark was a spring where we cooled off and drank.  The water was cool and quenched our thirst.  We were ready for the next 5 miles.  We attempted a few different paces but decided that we felt as good as we could feel around a 6:40 pace until the last two miles where we tested our turnover and ran all out to the Welcome to Houghton sign.  As we entered the college we noticed a sprinkler and without any communication, we ran through it.  Austin impressively knocked out a 5:00 last mile.  Breakfast tasted wonderful. 

Moss Lake Hiking Trip

       Today a few friends of mine and I went and hiked the 83-acre glacial kettle lake known as Moss Lake Bog, located in Caneadea, NY just outside of Houghton, NY.  Moss Lake is unusual from other lakes or ponds in that it doesn't receive enough water to overflow the bowl or "kettle" in which it sits. Water only leaves the lake through ground seepage or evaporation.  The lake is home to an uncountable amount of catfish.  Along with the catfish are carnivorous plant and over 75 species of birds have been spotted.  The bog is protected by the Nature Conservancy and was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1973.  


Below are some picture that were taken along our hike. Enjoy and comment!

  Sunset, Moss Lake 

 Peat Moss atop the water, Moss Lake

     Dock to the water, Moss Lake

 Sunset in woods, Moss Lake

 The entire bog, Moss Lake

 Signs, Moss Lake

 Sunset on shore, Moss Lake

Moss path, Moss Lake

Letchworth Hiking Trip

       Today I was involved in a hiking trip for my Backpacking class here at Houghton College.  We left Houghton, NY at 9:00 am and arrived at Letchworth State Park with packs on our backs and boots on our feet.  It was a chilly 30 degree morning but ended with a vibrant sun overhead that heated us up enough to remove a few layers and our gloves.  All in all we had a great time, enjoying fellowship with classmates and new experience shared with laughter and discussion over music, gear, and new and exciting hobbies.


Below are some of the majestic shots that were taken along our 5 mile hike. Enjoy!

Misting Snow & Ice Upper Falls Letchworth

 Iced Trail Letchworth

 Railroad & Iced Trail Letchworth

 Middle Falls Letchworth

Rock Climbing, Tyler Kempney

Rock Climbing, Tyler Kempney

Rebellious, Tyler Kempney