mercredi 21 septembre 2022

Austin Falls, JRWF, 21 Sep, 2022

I'm so happy the Forum is back on-line. Thanks to all the folks who rebuilt it and for the upcoming migration (hopefully the old threads make it).

I had a great opportunity this morning to take my youngest daughter for a short hike on the last day of summer. Austin Falls in the Jessup River Wild Forest was our destination. Pulling up to the old Rt. 8/30 bridge, we quickly got ready for the short walk on an "abandoned" highway.

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After walking around the barricade and dodging copious amounts of poison ivy, we took in the views of the mighty Sacandaga River.

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We were both surprised to see a very active logging operation going on right on the other side of the bridge (in the Speculator Tree Farm tract). We sat here for a while and watched them load huge hardwood logs on to the trailer for the journey to the mill.

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Eventually, we pulled ourselves away from watching other people work and headed up the old road. It was neat to see the old guardrails alongside the steep stretches of embankment.

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The road is an easy walk as it skirts the boundary of the tree farm (right) and the JRWF (left). The sound of the river was always in our ears.

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Soon, we arrived at the designated campsite along the route. It's actually a nice little spot right alongside the river. The old maps list it as a "picnic area".

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The neat thing about late summer hiking are the large amounts of wildflowers around. These New England Asters attracted a hungry bee.

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As if the roaring water wasn't an indication, a sign that let us know we arrived at our destination.

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A small herd path led down to the bottom of the falls and provided a great place to soak in the majesty of the falls.

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Pictures can't do justice to the power of the river and the sound and feeling of the crashing water.

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After a nice long break, we headed straight back down the way we came. The logging truck had passed while we were at the falls, so we took our time walking and daydreamed about the beauty of the forest. Any time I get to spend with my kids is special and I cherish these memories.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg 1a2 Bridge.jpg (145.1 KB)
File Type: jpg 1b2 Sacandaga River.jpg (145.8 KB)
File Type: jpg 1e2 guardrail.jpg (149.8 KB)
File Type: jpg 2a AF.jpg (115.7 KB)
File Type: jpg 2d2 AF.jpg (147.3 KB)
File Type: jpg 2g3 AF.jpg (118.0 KB)
File Type: jpg 3g loading.jpg (148.9 KB)
File Type: jpg 3f road.jpg (147.4 KB)
File Type: jpg 3a DCS.jpg (149.6 KB)
File Type: jpg 3e aster.jpg (98.2 KB)


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