Waterfall Views and Mountain Hues

(2024 Heartland Ep 13)

We left New England enjoying the warm, hazy days and cool nights of mid-August. 

We endured several days of heavy rainfall as we crossed Vermont and New York. While camping on the St. Lawrence River, we watched big ships and wondered if any would be traveling nearly 2500 miles across the Great Lakes to Duluth, MN, a stop we made earlier this summer.

The next night we camped close to where the St Lawrence flows out of Lake Ontario.  Our campground was covered with large puddles and the ground was squishy everywhere.  We left our shoes on the back step of Pap to avoid tracking mud into the camper!

Fishes and Falls

The next morning, we visited a fish hatchery nearby on the Salmon River.  The hatchery was opened in 1981 to raise king and silver salmon and trout. 

^{_{Salmon River Fish hatchery: stream where fish are directed to fish ladder, room where eggs and milt are harvested, developing fish are raised in indoor tanks and then transferred to outdoor tanks before being released}}

Millions of eggs are collected from adult fish, hatched, raised and released throughout New York’s Great Lakes and the rest of the state.  Egg harvesting takes place in the spring and fall, so it was quiet during our visit (mid-August).  We were reminded of hatcheries visited on past trips to Alaska and Oregon.

The Salmon River Falls were nearby, and we decided to check them out. 

The falls were amazing!  Swollen from the recent rains, we could hear the falls nearly a mile away.  We carefully walked down a steep trail towards the base of the 110-foot falls but had to turn back to avoid being soaked by the falls’ mist cloud!

More Waterfalls

Our travels continued south into Pennsylvania, enroute to Ricketts Glen State Park.

Passing through Nicholson, PA, we stopped at the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct.  Completed in 1915, the half-mile long viaduct was the largest concrete bridge in the world at the time and regarded by some as the ninth wonder of the world.  The impressive structure is nearly 300 feet tall and still in use by Norfolk Southern freight trains. 

22 Falls at Ricketts Glen

If you have a wish to see waterfalls, Ricketts Glen SP is the place for you.  In just over five miles of rocky, steep trails you can view 22 named waterfalls.  At 94 feet, the park’s tallest waterfall isn’t the size of Niagara (or Salmon River) Falls, but it and the other falls are beautiful.

Our 3.5-mile waterfall hike went past 18 of the falls (the others are on a side trail that we didn’t take).  It was raining when we started, so we carefully descended nearly 500 feet down steep slick stairs and across large boulders. The falls were various sizes, and we stopped at each to enjoy the peaceful tranquility. 

^{_{Various photos of our hike to 18 waterfalls at Ricketts Glen SP}}

The rain had stopped by the time we reached the bottom of our descent. We paused for a snack and enjoyed talking with other hikers, comparing the falls and reviewing trail conditions.

The return part of the trail was a little easier.  Conditions were drier and, for us anyway, it always seems easier to climb a steep trail and stairs than the opposite.

The park has other trails and a nice lake. It is well worth a visit if you travel through central Pennsylvania.

Harper’s Ferry

We drove southward from Pennsylvania into Maryland, then a tiny bit of Virginia and finally West Virginia. 

We visited Harpers Ferry National Historic Park at Harpers Ferry, WV.  The town is at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet.  It is interesting looking around the well-preserved historic area. 

We learned the town was the northernmost point of the Confederacy during the Civil War.  It is also where abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal armory in 1859, hoping to start a slave rebellion.       

Driving the Shenandoah Skyline

Some of our favorite vacations over the years have been driving the Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina.

This trip we camped several nights at Matthew’s Arm campground at the northern end of the drive.  We hiked several short trails that took us along the Appalachian Trail.  The views of nearby valleys and distant mountains were nice, but not spectacular due to haze from fires in the far west.

We stopped for lunch at Big Meadows, midway on the drive, as we continued south.  Maintained by periodic burning, the 136-acre meadow is the largest open area in the park.  It is covered with a variety of flowering plants as well as blueberry and blackberry bushes.

We recalled a trip with our children 35 (!) years ago when we picked blueberries and made jam at our campsite. 

Further along we passed the trail to Bearfence. Over the years we scrambled over large, exposed boulders to a magnificent view of the distant mountains and Shenandoah Valley.   One rock scaling adventure in 1993 is captured above with a photo of our children and nieces.

We spent a night at Lewis Mountain Campground, a new campground to us. The next day we ended our tour of the Skyline Drive with a hike to Turk Mountain.  The 2.2-mile trail was steep with a 690-foot elevation gain. It ended with a short rock scramble to an outcropping with wonderful valley views.  We caught up with a group of college students who passed us earlier and learned about their plans for the future. One of them took our picture to prove we made it all the way!

_{Photos taken at Turk Mountain viewpoint}

Skylines to Blue Ridges

At the end of the 105-mile Skyline Drive the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway begins. 

We stopped at several favorite landmarks as we drove south on the parkway and made an early morning stop at picturesque Mabry Mill.  The iconic landmark was built more than 100 years ago and was both a sawmill and grist mill. It is one of the most visited sites on the parkway.

Our final stop on the parkway was at Puckett Cabin.  We marveled at the story of “Aunt” Orelena Hawks Puckett, who lived in the cabin during the latter half of her 102-year life.  She had a long career of midwifery, where she assisted at the births of more than 1000 babies.  What an impact she had on the people in that area!

A few miles beyond the cabin, we left the parkway to begin the two-day trip home. 

Our original plans were to spend more time in New England before returning home in late September or early October. Because of hazy conditions throughout the east, we moved more quickly than expected though.

Accustomed to longer trips, we wondered if we were going home early for some reason.  We found out soon enough.

A few days after our return, intense weather struck our area.

After two evenings of considerable rainfall, the small creek in our back year rose above its banks. The creek flooded our backyard and continued to rise until it crossed the road next to our house. This has happened only one other time in nearly 40 years.

Although the rising creek never hit the house, rising groundwater began to seep into our semi-basement downstairs room. The sump pump we installed years ago (and tested right before our trip) had failed.

After an emergency late evening trip to Lowes to purchase a drill-powered pump, we drained the sump pit and began the timely process of drying out the room over the next week.

Had we not returned earlier than expected, water would have covered floor of the room. Carpet and furniture would have been damaged, and we would likely have had to deal with mold and mildew.

Giving Thanks

We are thankful!

God is our refuge and fortress in whom we trust for safety and protection – during our 2024 Heartland travels, trips in the past and journeys yet to come!