Tinker Falls - Cortland County

[Tigershark]

Thank You.

[cbobcat49]

http://newyorkoutdoors.wordpress.com/20 ... ique-area/

[Matt]

Tinkers creek is a small, small fraction of Labrador hollow. If they want to make it so disabled people can view it, then I think that's fine.

[Matt]

The [e]Labrador Hollow Unique Area[/e] is nestled in a valley on the Onondaga/Cortland county line. For years, it's offered visitors an Adirondack-like, forestry feel and picturesque waterfall in one part and an expansive, bio-diverse wetland and pond in another.

The area's 1,474 acres is a favorite spot for hikers, birders, nature lovers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts, including members of a hang gliding club who take off from a special spot high up on its eastern ridge.

[e]Now add to that handicapped accessibility. Lots of it.[/e]

Earlier this summer, the state Department of Environmental Conservation finished up a four-year, $150,000 project in the wetlands/pond area that included a massive upgrade of a previously decaying, half-mile-long, mostly pine boardwalk. The boardwalk is now made of durable, plastic/wood composite material and is more wheelchair friendly. It loops from a parking lot, through the vegetation-rich bog to an observation deck at the north end of Labrador Pond, and then back to the parking lot.

"It's great for the kids, because you can have a baby and you can take the stroller down and around the boardwalk . . . getting in and out is easy," said Melissa Knapp, of Tully.

DEC workers also improved the boat launch area on the pond's eastern side, along with a 300-foot board walk for handicapped accessible fishing, spending about $25,000. The pond contains, perch, bullhead and bluegills.

The final phase of work building of a[e]handicapped accessible, 1,200-foot-long path from the Route 91 to an observation area within view of Tinker's Falls will be complete in a few weeks.[/e]

Workers this summer backhoed sections of the stream bed down from the falls, removing jams from logs and other debris, and widening the path alongside it. Huge limestone rocks were put underneath some parts of the path, and workers added stone and stone dust that will quickly pack down to firm it up. The estimated final cost is $100,000.

Dave Sinclair, the DEC forester overseeing the project, said the grade of the path is no more than 5 percent in any spot to accommodate wheelchairs.

Glenn White, 67, of East Manlius, who frequently hikes in the area and helps keep the trails free of branches and fallen trees, is impressed by the DEC's work particularly on the boardwalk and renovated path along the creek leading up to the falls.

[e]"Nearly every spring the path would wash out from the force of the run-off in the stream," he said of the Tinker's Falls path. "The last three to four years, people were sliding, slipping, falling on the trail. This is the way to do it. This is good."[/e]

Not everyone agrees.

"I'm not coming across as anti-handicapped, but this (the stream project) could have been done more thoughtfully," said David Amberg, a biochemistry teacher at SUNY Upstate Medical Center, whose property is adjacent to Labrador Hollow's northern border.

Amberg said the DEC workers could have achieved the same goal by more modest improvements, such as hand-cutting the path and reinforcing it with stone.

"They bring in this large backhoe," he said. "It's overkill. I was blown away."

Amberg said the DEC's approach showed a lack of sensitivity to the wildlife (salamanders) and plants (ferns and wild flowers) along the creek bed.

"They just gouged out areas of the gorge," he said.

Sinclair said the creek project was too big to be done properly by hand, and that the work was carried out when the stream was at its lowest level the best time environmentally, and from a logistics standpoint to do it. He said the path will be replanted with dogwood and elderberry, two shrubs common to the area, and that the wildflowers will return.

A two-space parking lot is also being finished on the same side of the road as the falls to accommodate drop-offs of wheelchair-bound nature enthusiasts. The main lot is across the road.

Sinclair said the decision to improve the area's handicapped access came about in the mid-90s, with the passage of the American Disabilities Act. He said the DEC encouraged its staff to look for opportunities.

"We saw it as a site that lent itself to provide handicapped access to a unique ecological area that in the past hadn't been open to everybody," he said. "I guess you can't please everybody."

http://www.syracuse.com/sports/index.ss ... thispage=1

[bish]

Matt,
Thanks for posting that article re: Tinkers Falls. It's been somewhat of a hot topic locally. I, for one, believe that making this spot handicap accessible makes sense. Very few waterfalls in the area are currently accessible or could feasibly be made accessible. This one is close to the highway, with a low slope of grade approaching it. Labrador Pond is a local gem with it's new walkway and this compliments it very well. For those who want to continue up the hill further, by the way, there is a steep trail leading to the old hang glider jump off site at the crest of the hill with great views of the Pond and valley floor 600 ft below.

[bish]

Took a ride over to Tinkers Falls tonight to see what the fuss was about regarding the new handicap accessible trail.
I didn't think it was as bad as made out in recent letters to the paper. They did have to get into the stream in a couple spots with equipment but they certainly didn't drive a bulldozer up the whole length of the creek. A handicap parking area was also built on the same side of the street. The new trail stops a little short of the falls but still gives a nice view of it. Seems like a reasonable compromise.

The others I met on the trail seemed in favor of it . Here's a few pictures.{informative only, not suitable for framing}

[Matt]

Looks good to me. I'm all for handicap access.
When were there there was a part in mid-way down the trail where it slimmed down to inches, slippery, muddy inches. The stream will recover from the little damage that was done, and so many more people can enjoy the improved Labrador area.
Thumbs up from me!

[GovMule]

Hey Bish. I was there on Sunday too ! Here's a few shots. The trail is fantastic. Particularly for those who might never get to see waterfalls otherwise.