52 Photos: Robert H. Treman State Park

HDR processing of the cascade just above Lucifer Falls.

Lush vegetation lines the trail.

I mentioned how the weather forecast changed my plans for a hike in the Ithaca area and ended up resulting in some nice black and white photos for last week's blog. The delay in making our way to Robert H.Treman State Park was worth it as the weather was gorgeous with temperatures in the low 70's. We left the house as early as a day off will allow and arrived at the park shortly after 9:00 AM. We hiked from the bottom up using the Gorge Trail and returned on the opposite side of the river on the Rim Trail.

Low angle shot framed by a fallen tree.

The southern Finger Lakes region, particularly around Ithaca, is well known for its gorges and waterfalls. The most famous of these is Watkins Glen that we covered in a posting from last fall. This particular park has a nice hike with several steep sections and, when taken from the bottom, one is rewarded with a final climb along side Lucifer Falls as it tumbles 115 feet.

Doug now has a wet t-shirt to deal with as he dries his feet.

About half way up the trail we came across an interesting area of the river where a tree had been uprooted and provided for some interesting shots. Doug decided he wanted to cross the river and walk a bit back downstream to get what he thought would be an interesting picture. Not wanting to discourage his budding interest in photography Amy and I watched as he removed his shoes and socks and waded across the calf deep water to reach the other side. Amy did get a bit nervous when Doug rounded the bend and did not reappear for several minutes.

Amy hiking the trail.

He made his way back without incident until he tried to figure out how to dry his feet to put his shoes back on. He decide that he could use his t-shirt to dry his feet and this was an excellent idea until he dropped his t-shirt into the river during his attempt to dry the first foot. I've often thought that taking a small towel on photo expeditions involving streams and waterfalls would be a good idea. Now I'm convinced.

Lucifer Falls from the Rim Trail.

Although the Gorge Trail on the way up offered the best opportunities for waterfall pictures from the river bed, the elevated views from the Rim Trail were also quite breathtaking. The view of Lucifer Falls from the Rim Trail is actually the best angle for this waterfall because all vantage points from the Gorge Trail are from the side of the waterfall and you don't really get a sense of scale. The stone staircase with people on it to the right of the falls in the picture shared here really gives perspective on the size of these falls.

Shot from a narrow crevice in the rock wall. Doug's idea.

If you ever find yourself in or around Ithaca, New York I highly recommend a visit to Robert H. Treman State Park. If you don't have the time to hike the trail, park at the top parking lot and it is a very short walk to the top of Lucifer Falls.