My trip to the Cascadilla Gorge was educational and refreshing. The weather was warm and balmy in Ithaca – apparently a rare occurrence for this time of year. It was a nice respite from my studies, that have been pretty demanding over the past week due to an organic chemistry prelim I had a few days ago.

Todd Bittner, the Cornell Botanic Gardens Director of Natural Areas, provided a detailed tour of the gorge. The waterfalls were not enormous, but the scene was beautiful. Many deciduous trees and lush greenery surround the stream and the water passing through eddies among the rocky layers was fun to watch. Especially interesting was the stratified patterns in the bedrock of the gorge. Soft rock (shale) would alternate with hard rock (sandstone) layers, depending on the sediment being carried over through water bodies or glaciers during that time in history. The soft layers are differentially eroded at a faster rate, contributing to the formation of natural “steps” along a path of water, and this eventually led to the formation of the gorges. Bittner compared them to Jenga blocks because the horizontal layers also hand significant “joints,” or cross cuts, that were caused by tectonic plate interaction. As a result, many chunks of sandstone would fall away.

I also learned of the modern history of the Cascadilla Gorge. The gorge used to be used as a source of water power one century back. Slightly downstream, a dam fourth feet high was used by a local mill. The gorge was given to Cornell University, and after an expensive plan, the area is now used for recreation and outdoor classes. The amount of effort put into the gorge was evident, and due to the continual erosion of the soft rock, continual maintenance is paramount to allow the community to continually enjoy the gorge safely.

After the tour, the group went to the Apple Fest which was coincidentally happening at the same time. I had some decent hot cider which I enjoyed, minus the bees it attracted!

-Hana