Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to take a study break and explore one of Ithaca’s many gorges with other Rose Scholars.  Right off the bat, I was incredibly surprised at how close Fall Creek Gorge is to us on West – literally a 5-10 minute walk!  Being out in nature really helped me de-stress, and I enjoyed talking with my friends while appreciating the beauty around us.  We stopped at several places along the way and Todd Bittner shared some really interesting information about both the formation of the gorges and the gorges’ place in Cornell history.  I love learning about history so I especially enjoyed that part of it, and I learned a bunch of cool new facts.  For example, many of the trails around the gorges near Cornell were put in place originally because they connected student and faculty housing, which was mainly down in what is today Collegetown and downtown Ithaca, with campus, since most if not all people walked to and from work or classes.  Additionally, I learned about Ezra’s Tunnel and the important function it served during Ezra Cornell’s time.  I really liked that he shared a variety of information pertaining to the gorges – geography, history, and some gorge safety as well – so I felt that I had learned a lot about such a beautiful and integral part of our campus.  I will definitely be hiking more around the gorges and utilizing the trails around Ithaca!!