Today, I learned many new things about the formation of gorges in and around Ithaca. While walking along the Cascadilla Gorge trail, I was able to enjoy the beauty of nature at the same time learn about gorge formation, erosion, and climate within the gorge. Even though I am not a huge fan of geology, observing the process of decay and erosion in real life made the learning process much more enjoyable.

While walking along Cascadilla the trail, Mr. Bennett (our tour guide) talked about the straight lines in the rock formation along the sides of the gorge. I was surprised to learn that there were many naturally formed straight lines and right angles in the rock formation. Previously I always thought that all straight lines were part of man’s invention and not part of the natural world. However, according to Mr. Bennett, many horizontal and vertical cracks in the rock are perfectly straight and intersect with each other at almost 90 degrees.

The part of Cascadilla Gorge we walked is surrounded by human activity. For example, while we were admiring nature’s beauty, we also heard music, cars, and people talking from above. Thus, it was quite strange but at the same time amazing to experience the extreme intermixing of urban and natural life at the same time.

In general, I consider myself as a person who enjoys being surrounded by nature. It gives me a sense of ease and satisfaction. The main reason I decided to go on the hike today was to have this same satisfaction. However, this time I did not get the same satisfied feeling. Even though the hike was beautiful, it did not feel the same being surrounded by many people and having a bustling urban setting above. Instead, I found this hike to be more fulfilling in a way that allowed me to learn about my surroundings and the process it takes to create the beautiful nature that exists today.