Excelsior Glen trail guide/map collaboration

A place to discuss waterfalls. Including the parks that house them and the hikes to get to them.

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Matt
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Hey folks, I want to try something new. I'm creating the page for Excelsior Glen and well... I have yet to explore, map, and document this glen myself. Matt Champlin was there and nailed some great shots... so I'm building a page and doing some touch up work on Matt's copy.

One thins I'm really concentrating on these days is the mapping and trail guides. Primarily because it reduces the number of e-mails I get from people wanting me to give them personal help finding and navigating these places, but also because I really want to be as precise and detailed as we can be. Matt authored a general overview of the trail, stating there were FLT and creekwalk components. I want to take it beyond that.
You help would be greatly appreciated. And everyone who helps here will get credit on the final page. If this works, I would love to do this on further glens.

So, I was wondering, since a lot of you are big fans of this glen, if you would mind helping me with two components:
1. The map... I compiled a basic map from what I could decipher from sources around the web. I'm not 100% sure of anything on here, but it is a start. I made the map open, so we can all collaborate. Just sign into Google and begin to edit. Please let us know of ANY changes/additions/deletions you make.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 25e426606e

2. A trail guide. Basically a simple description of the trail. I prefer the maps and guides to cater to safety first. I like to mention that falls can be climbed, but if there is a trail, I prefer to describe the trail instead. The map too should reflect this policy. This is both to make these ventures less intimidating to people, and I also don't want any idiot climbing falls because they read about it online.
It doesn't have to be too detailed, just enough to get people started and get them to the falls. We should assume they are intermediate hikers for hikes in general, but also that this is the first time they are visiting.
Don't worry about forming complete sentences and making it poetic. That's my job (and Kelly's to fix my writing).

Here is the trail guide as started by Matt with a bit added by me. Please copy/paste the latest one and edit it as needed.

Difficulty: Moderate to Very difficult. There is a combination of creek walking and moderately strenuous trail climbing along the outskirts of the gorge. Less strenuous if you take advantage of the trails. Very difficult if you creak-walk and climb the waterfalls all the way.

Distance: The entire length from the road to the main waterfall is less than a 1/4 of a mile.
Markings: A Finger Lakes trail kiosk and trail register can be found at the first junction .1 miles in. Many segments of the trail are marked with white blazes on the trees.
Description:
At the beginning of the trail by the road, there is signage leading you to the Finger Lakes Trail which will skirt up the side of the gorge. If you are content with viewing the falls from above, you can take this trail which is easily identifiable the entire length.
However, if you wish to view the falls head on, you must head down into the gorge and creek walk to each of the falls, and then come back up the sides of the gorge in order to reach the next ones. There are well trodden trails in the gorge itself along the creek for certain parts of the walk, but more often than not you are in the creek itself.

go nuts.
Thanks folks!
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hobkyl
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Andy...this has your name all over it! :D
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bremer
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Just a couple small things to add -
(1)The FLX trail crosses above the main falls (at the crest of an 8 ft fall) and then continues to Jolly Road, where there is a trail sign and alternate parking. However, the last time I used this route the trail was getting a bit overgrown and had trees down; this also adds to the distance considerably. If you just want to see the falls, don't come in from Jolly Rd.

(2) the google map trail gives the appearance that the gorge trail and FLX trail are the same trail until somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd falls, but they are separate trails right from the register box near the 1st fall. Near the base of the 2nd falls there is a noticeable herd path on the north/hikers left slope that climbs above the 2nd falls, returns to creek level, and is then well worn all the way to the main falls. Anyone wanting to get above the main falls without climbing it or backtracking all the way can find a manageable, albeit tiring slope on the south/hikers right about 100 ft downstream of the falls and then eventually return to the car via the FLX trail.

Hope that helps some!
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hobkyl wrote:Andy...this has your name all over it! :D
:)
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bremer wrote:Just a couple small things to add -
(1)The FLX trail crosses above the main falls (at the crest of an 8 ft fall) and then continues to Jolly Road, where there is a trail sign and alternate parking. However, the last time I used this route the trail was getting a bit overgrown and had trees down; this also adds to the distance considerably. If you just want to see the falls, don't come in from Jolly Rd.
Agreed. There area actually some more smaller falls above the trail crossing too. They may be off of Cargill's land, but the creek is not posted. If one wanted, they could stay in the creek all the way to where it meets the top of Jolly Rd near the intersection with County 9.
bremer wrote: (2) the google map trail gives the appearance that the gorge trail and FLX trail are the same trail until somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd falls, but they are separate trails right from the register box near the 1st fall. Near the base of the 2nd falls there is a noticeable herd path on the north/hikers left slope that climbs above the 2nd falls, returns to creek level, and is then well worn all the way to the main falls. Anyone wanting to get above the main falls without climbing it or backtracking all the way can find a manageable, albeit tiring slope on the south/hikers right about 100 ft downstream of the falls and then eventually return to the car via the FLX trail.
Oddly, I've never seen the trail on the north side of the Emerald Falls (2nd). I've always climbed next to the falls on the south side and stayed in the creek to the 3rd falls. Same with the other trails that criss cross the glen that I've heard/read about - never seen 'em. :shrug:

Climbing the right side of Excielsor Falls (3rd) is also my preference. Not the falls itself, but into the trees just a bit from the falls. It's definitely not for a beginning hiker, but it is manageable if you take it steady, and there are sweet rewards at the top for those that can make it. First is a very nice natural stone ledge that offers a secure place to rest after making the climb, and it overlooks the upper 1/3 of the falls from just below the crest. In fact, the only way out from this ledge (aside from going back down) is to go right up through the crest of the falls. That's the 2nd reward -- the stunning, humbling, breathtaking, butterfly-inducing view down the falls. After going through the crest of Excelsior, you are greeted by a quick zigzag in the creek and another ~6-8ft falls with a very unique cubby hole in the rock wall across from the falls. There was a log that laid across the gorge from the brink of the falls into the cubby so you could get in there -- last time I was there the log was gone. Going upstream, there's another small cascade and then the falls where the FLT crosses.

I've been wanting to get in there and do some winter shots anyway, this just gives me another reason to go! I'll try this weekend if the weather holds. I'll do journals of both the trail and the creekwalk and post them here.
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Matt
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ok
good info... go ahead and update that map with the consensus. I prefer to outline the easiest route, but adding alternative routes (another color and properly labeled) is fine too. I don't mind mapping the route to climb the falls either, just in another color). I can't really make these changes myself, since I have no idea what is even close to correct.

As far as the written guide, as I stated, I have no clue about this glen, other than what I put on the map. So any step by step you can outline verbally would be extremely helpful.

Thanks.
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Matt wrote:ok
good info... go ahead and update that map with the consensus. I prefer to outline the easiest route, but adding alternative routes (another color and properly labeled) is fine too. I don't mind mapping the route to climb the falls either, just in another color). I can't really make these changes myself, since I have no idea what is even close to correct.

As far as the written guise, as I stated, I have no clue about this glen, other than what I put on the map. So any step by step you can outline verbally would be extremely helpful.

Thanks.

I added the as-far-as-i-know last falls at the top of the gully, added a rough estimate for the the FLT register, added the upper drop of the 1st falls, corrected the location of the 2nd falls (I think) and I also tentatively corrected the trail lines between the FLT register/trail split and the road. I will get more accurate measurements this weekend and firm those up. I added the red trail, which is the route I usually take through the glen. It is not recommended for winter/snowy weather without proper foot gear (crampons, Corkers, etc). I also added a blue trail to show the path down into the gully to see the 1st falls from below. Oh, and I moved the parking icon at the mouth of the glen down to the actual parking spots south of the guardrail. (it was in the middle of the creek! :) )

Basically, right at the edge of the gully at the road (behind the guardrail, where the FLT makes the 90 degree turn to head into the glen), you have the option of going down the drainage rocks into the creek to see the 1st falls from below, or you can take the FLT along the edge of the ravine first down, then back up a steep, narrow slope to the FLT register. At the register, you can go left on an unmarked trail which will take you past the top of the 1st falls where the boulder is wedged, then past the 2nd part of the 1st falls and on to the 2nd falls. Or you can go to the right, which is the FLT (white blazes). That loops back towards the road a bit, and then takes you up and around the southern rim of the gorge to above the main falls. (one time while I was there and parked at the roadside, I forgot to lock my car when I got out, and as I was hiking the trail up the hill that day, I waited til I came around that loop near the road and just looked down and used the clicker to lock it from there. I was standing literally right above my car at that point. If I'd left the sun roof open I prolly coulda jumped into the car from where I was.)

Don't know if you have this for your info in the write-up, but the main falls is a major attraction for ice climbers in the winter. I saw the ice on the falls after the spring thaw, and I can only imagine what it's like in the dead of winter with a fully frozen column. I DO hope to get pics of that this winter, and hopefully will see some climbers in action while I'm there.

HAHA! I just noticed that if you zoom in far enough on the mouth of the glen at Rte 414, it takes you to the Streets view, and you can actually see the FLT sign and white blazes on the rocks at that 90 degree turn, and you can see the dropoff where you'd go down into the creek to see the 1st falls. That's pretty slick.
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Ok -- I just changed the colors on the trails.... main FLT is green, unmarked side or spur trails and diversions are blue, and 'advanced' routes are red. I also corrected the info on the lower falls placemark where it stated the height of the lower falls as 90+ feet. No way. If that's 90ft, then Excelsior is 300-400ft tall. I'm saying max 50ft, likely closer to 35-40. Here's a photo I took of Ben in that notch below the wedged boulder this summer that defines the scale rather well.

Image

I also added a red 'advanced' line through the lower falls merging it with the lower falls blue spur trail -- this is a short but technically difficult climb up through the notch and under the boulder and should definitely be noted as such. It should only be attempted when there is little to no water flowing, and only by skilled/practiced climbers, or special breeds of British monkeys named Ben. I filled in the descriptions as best I could from memory -- I will be updating, correcting, and adding after I get there this weekend. The section I wrote about the FLT old trail vs. new trail... I'm almost certain that the trail lines on the map as it is now follow the old trail. Again, I will confirm that this weekend and adjust the lines accordingly. It's looking like Sunday's going to be cold and sunny, and Saturday's going to be warm(ish) and rainy. Hmm.. Undecided on which day to go. If anyone's up for joining me, let me know and we can make arrangements to meet up.
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