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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I wont be able to make it this weekend (though I want to in order to hammer out this guide). Thanks a great deal for the major map correction (I'm loving this collaboration thing). It really puts things into perspective for me. That last falls.... Hmmm I don't think I have a picture of it.

I was looking at some historical records for Watkins Glen tourism for some of the heights and names Sullivan falls, or Empire Falls is what the large waterfall here is often referred to.
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hobkyl
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Sorry can't make it either. What a year its been...my dad had a disabilitating stroke in March, my girlfriends mother had a heartattack in August and my mother had one and had triple bypass surgery yesterday. So between being at the hospital for her and staying with my dad...my weekend and next several weeks are tied up.
“There’s an inconsequentiality to our lives that living in the wilderness shows up. Mountain are real, they set their limits, they set ours. They expose us, make us vulnerable and strong at the same time. “
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spec
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Matt wrote:I wont be able to make it this weekend (though I want to in order to hammer out this guide). Thanks a great deal for the major map correction (I'm loving this collaboration thing). It really puts things into perspective for me. That last falls.... Hmmm I don't think I have a picture of it.

I was looking at some historical records for Watkins Glen tourism for some of the heights and names Sullivan falls, or Empire Falls is what the large waterfall here is often referred to.
No problem on the corrections. I'm enjoying it!

I will add Sullivan to the aka's in the description on the google map.

That last falls: I posted a pic of it here last fall from my point-n-shoot with ben standing in front of it. (last pic of this post) Depending on time/safety factors while I'm there this weekend, I'll try to get some better shots. I'd bet it's quite pretty all covered with snow and ice, I'm just concerned about the trek gettin' up there! :)

I've said before, I don't need much encouragement to go to Excelsior, so whenever you're planning on going drop me a line and I'll be there. I definitely do not recommend anyone going alone their first time through the glen. FLT? Fine. But not the glen.

(and yeah, the collaborative thing rocks!)
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hobkyl wrote:Sorry can't make it either. What a year its been...my dad had a disabilitating stroke in March, my girlfriends mother had a heartattack in August and my mother had one and had triple bypass surgery yesterday. So between being at the hospital for her and staying with my dad...my weekend and next several weeks are tied up.

Understandable, Kyle. I'll keep you guys in my thoughts and prayers.
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spec
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I'm going to be scratching my trip this weekend. I don't want to do this one alone for safety reasons, and both people who said they'd go have backed out. One of them was going to be running GPS for me. (I don't have one) In addition, there's no snow on the ground after the warmer temps the past few days, so my goal of getting snowy waterfall pics (for myself as well as this month's contest) is washed out too. All in all, today isn't off to the greatest start! Definitely will try again either later this week or next weekend. Hell or high water, I will have the data for trail corrections by the end of next weekend. If it wasn't so cold, I'd go today anyway, but it's a little too chilly for a 'just' a walk in the glen without a goal, plus we're being threatened with snow down this way and through the Montour area as well..... dangit.

So yeah -- anyone free next weekend and wanna join me? Right now, weather looks to be right around 30 degrees, and partly cloudy. It _is_ a full week away, so it could actually be 70 and sunny by the time the day comes.
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spec wrote: If it wasn't so cold, I'd go today anyway, but it's a little too chilly for a 'just' a walk in the glen without a goal, plus we're being threatened with snow down this way and through the Montour area as well..... dangit.
So today ended up being a freakin' beautiful day after all. I had already re-committed to other things and couldn't get away when I realized that the weather wasn't going to turn as predicted. :angry:
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Matt
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no problem.
Should the page have two written trail guides? one for the FLT and the other for going up the glen?
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Matt wrote:no problem.
Should the page have two written trail guides? one for the FLT and the other for going up the glen?

I was wondering about that myself. Perhaps sections for detailed descriptions of each trail (FLT, through the glen, and that other longer spur trail that crosses to the north rim from the FLT), then a "suggested loops" blurb/list that outlines a few different possible trail combos? i.e. "If you're content viewing the falls from above, you can take the FLT to the top of the gorge and return the same way. If you're looking for a good workout, take the FLT to the North Spur Trail(*), continue on that until the base of Excelsior Falls, join the gorge trail for the climb, then return to the road via the FLT. If you're looking to get heads on views of all the falls, your best bet is the gorge trail to the base of the big falls, then you can return by reversing course, climbing the falls and catching the FLT, or taking the North Spur Trail back to the FLT."

(*) or whatever that trail gets called in the end

Also, there IS cell service throughout almost the entire glen. I think that's something that may be important for the safety conscious to know.
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