Watkins Glen

Part I: Friday

Last week, my family visited Watkins Glen, on Seneca Lake with a couple of family friends. It's the third year that we've visited the Finger Lakes--in 2013, we visited Hammondsport; in 2014, Ithaca. We arrived at a B&B in Watkins Glen around 4 P.M. on Friday and I decided to go running and scope out the nearby Watkins Glen State Park, which was just two or three blocks from the B&B.

I had intended to explore some trails on the rim of the Watkins Glen gorge, but ended up running up hundreds of stone steps for the first three quarters of a mile. This path--called the Gorge Trail--made for some pretty serious running, despite having to navigate through hordes of tourists. I hadn't run up so many stairs since the time I ran up Chimney Rock in North Carolina, way back in 2010. But after that, I noticed a trail leading out of the gorge to the Indian Trail and took it.

The Indian Trail was more of a normal trail and it brought me to the top of the Gorge Trail. I ran down the Gorge Trail for a bit before crossing a bridge to the South Rim Trail. From there, it was up some more stairs and then right. I quickly left behind the casual tourists and saw virtually no one else for miles.

The South Rim Trail, as one might expect, headed along the southern rim of the gorge. Like the Indian Trail, it was a typical hiking trail. After a little while, it crossed under a railroad bridge and continued heading into the woods. There were a number of curious forks, but I continued following the white blazes along the most interesting-looking trail, which had plenty of twists, turns, and roots. Further on, it came to a quiet, secluded little lake with lots of plantlife. The trail narrowed to a few inches and became overgrown, but I noticed a trail with blue blazes heading up and away from the lake. It linked to a dilapidated road with no signs of civilization, just a thin carpet of fallen leaves. I followed it further on, took a side trail to the South Rim Trail, and followed it to its end. Then I headed back to the road, to the lake, to the railroad bridge, and to the stone bridge.

I continued heading east along the Finger Lakes Trail, which descended for a while before spitting me out on a highway near the B&B. Total distance: 6.3 miles.

Part II: Saturday

In the morning, I went with my mom out to the Gorge Trail, which we hiked in its entirety--about 3 miles according to official sources. This was the first time I went hiking since the Mocanaqua Loop Trail in May. I took about 150 pictures on the way and still have 130, but since it would break the blog to post them all, here are just a few:

 View from the trailhead

 Also at the trailhead

 The mouth of the gorge

Waterfall

 A spider eating a caterpillar

 Stairs

 Another waterfall; note the person for scale

Looking back. This could be a contender for the most amazing place on earth.

 Ghostly shot of me behind a waterfall

 Artsy shot of the water

 Rock walls

 Spiral Tunnel

 Suspension bridge

 Glen Creek

Glen Creek again

 The path

 The path again

Small waterfalls

 The creek again

 Flat part of the path

 Cliffs

 More stairs

 Small tunnel

 Fascinating holes carved by water in the rock

 Gorge

 Small funnel

 Glen Creek

 Dripping water that I call Jakob's Shower

 Falls

Bridge

 Another gorge shot

 Rock detail

 Falls

 Stairs

 I'd also be frowning if people we scribbling graffiti on me.

Trail

 Railroad bridge

 Stairs near the end of the trail

 Indian Trail

 Heading back down

 On the trail

Fantastic shot of the gorge

 Looking pensively into the gorge. Some of us agree that this style is much better than cheesily grinning into the camera.

 Water becomes much deeper

 Gorge shot

 Another gorge shot

Small frog that was jumping around on the steps

 Strange hole

 Dripping water again

 A waterfall

The parking lot

Before lunch, I explored the Cathrine Valley Trail. It was a very flat, packed gravel trail that started out near a school before heading into some marshes. I headed out just under two miles before reaching a highway and retracing my steps. A pretty trail, but nothing special. 4 miles total.

In the afternoon, I returned to Watkins Glen State Park to check out parts of the South Rim Trail and the Indian Trail that I had not yet seen. I also returned to the obscure little lake far beyond tourist land. I mostly stayed off the Gorge Trail, except for one bit near the end. But I did climb one huge flight of stairs with about 120 steps--I lost count around 80. 4.5 miles total.

Part III: Sunday

We left Watkins Glen early on Sunday, but I decided to get in one last run at the state park. I walked over there just after 7 A.M. and began running straight up to the top of the gorge. It was an entirely different place at that hour--dark and wild, untouched by mankind. I had the entire trail to myself, with only the ever-present roaring waterfalls for company. It would have practically been a crime not to stop and gaze at the scenery a few times. It was spectacular and the low light only made it more so.

Near the top of the gorge, there was one last tough climb of 180 steps--called Jacob's Ladder according to the brochures. Everything here seems to be named after me. At the top, I stopped and rested before heading back the way I came.

Going down was slower and more difficult than going up. Unlike going up, you can't just casually leap up the stairs two at a time lest you go out of control and fall hundreds of feet. I made it down with no incident, though I stopped a few more times, in awe of the scenery. Ricketts Glen can't hold a candle to this place.

Near the end of the trail, at the Spiral Tunnel, another runner suddenly burst out of the tunnel a few feet from me. Needless to say, I was pretty startled to see someone else on the trail at such an early hour. A bit further on, near one of the waterfalls, I passed a couple of hikers going up. Those three people were the only others I saw on the trail. I reached the parking lot a little while later. My Garmin says that it was 2.4, but the trail is advertised as being 1.5 miles one way.

We left Watkins Glen a couple of hours later, after a shower and some breakfast, and returned to Bloomsburg shortly after noon.