This weekend the Rose Scholars had the chance to hike the nearby Cascadilla Gorge together. Although I had walked on the Central Ave bridge over the gorge numerous times, I was unaware that there was a gorge trail open to the public. I enjoy exploring the beautiful campus, so I was very excited to see the gorge and waterfall. Under the guidance of Todd Bittner, the director of natural areas for Cornell Plantations, we learned about various aspects and history of the gorge.
Todd showed us a photo of the waterfall from a hundred years ago, shown below. There is a distinct difference between the historical photo and the current photo of the waterfall. Currently, the waterfall starts to fall underneath the bridge, but in the photo the waterfall is much more vertical and it starts to fall past the bridge.

The reason for this change is erosion of the rocks as the water constantly flows over them. The strong flow of water sweeps away the soft portion of dirt and stones underneath the rock and the rock eventually loses support and falls off with the water. It was interesting to see how much the waterfall has changed its shaped in the past century.

It was surprising to learn that the Cascadilla Gorge has been closed for 7 years out of the past 8 years for restoration. I am glad that the gorge is now open for the students and public to enjoy. Todd explained that the restoration cost almost 3 million dollars to ensure safety for people and preservation of natural biodiversity. I am thankful for the careful consideration by the Cornell Plantation to preserve the natural beauty of the gorge while making the trail safe for everyone. The 21st technology has allowed us to maintain the natural areas and enjoy the gorges for generations.
I think I will be visiting the Cascadilla Gorge again soon with my friends. If possible, I also want to hike down to the Fall Creek Gorge and see the Triphammer Fall that I always passed by during my freshmen year.