Rickett's Glen Adventure: 22 Waterfalls in the Fall of 2011

[daleeman]

Hay all,

Looking to see if anyone has any interest in going to Rickett's Glen for the last weekend of Sept or the first of Oct 2011. Weather, leaf color and timing are always a guess. Working on a date.

Personally I hope to go the last weekend in Sept to try to catch the colorful fall leaves with the waterfalls. There are a growing number of posts on the web about Rickett's Glen. The official Park site is Dead Link Removed

If you’re interested, pipe in, do some research with me and lets go shoot. . I had to cancel my trip last year there due to family things but my interest this year is tenfold.

Lee

 

[ChuckP]

I went there once around 25 years ago but never made it back. I remember it was a great place. Trail was a little slick at times. I wonder what the weekend crowds are like in the fall? Tripods and view cameras and crowds sometimes don't mix well.

 

[kswatapug]

Gorgeous spot! I stumbled across it in autumn of 2005 and spent four days there. Color was unconventional in the northeast that year due to very heavy rain. Both me and my equipment were fairly waterlogged by the time I left, but I came away with a few keepers.

If I recall correctly, it was supposed to be a National Park, but WWII broke out and the nation's priorities changed and the plan was abandoned. Eventually it obtained state park status.

 

[daleeman]

Yes, Rickett's Glen was to be a national park. I remember reading this. I love these images from you two they get me excited to see more.

Love them slick trails, direct evidence that the falls are bound to be flowing. Being a working man I will be glad to share the weekend with others there, I just have to be early on the trails to get there first. Starting to happen many places I go to shoot.

I've booked a room at Rickett's Glen Hotel September 23-24. I'll take off from Dayton Ohio after work on the 22nd and make a drive most of the way in and crash along the way when I get too tired of driving so I can be there early Friday morning the 23 of September. After talking to the folks at Ricket's Glen Hotel, the peak of Fall is an elusive thing. Sometimes fall colors are in the middle of Sept, sometimes the middle of October but usually in-between depending on the weather, rain, heat and such.

Rickett's Glen Hotel looks like a nice place to base from. http://www.rickettsglenhotel.net/index.html , they do lunch and diner but not breakfast I found out.There is also camping sites and cabin rentals at the state park and other places in the area to overnight.

If anyone else has other images and or experience there please chime in.

Lee

 

[jgjbowen]

See www.photographamerica.com. The current issue is on Rickett's Glenn

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I haven't camped in the park for about 15 years. Wow, it's been that long? Don't know if I can come due to kids and work. I get closer, we'll see.

 

[DWThomas]

I've made visits there off and on since the mid-1950s, it's definitely a cool place. My only disappointment in recent times was that a stand of old growth hemlock in the section of the park below Rt. 118 appears to be in bad shape, dying off. That used to be the "Evergreen Cathedral" where you could walk on a thick soft carpet of needles and stare straight up at trees that seemed to go upward forever. The falls themselves, and the rocks surrounding them offer never ending possibilities.

Ganoga Falls (94 feet high), taken on Ektachrome (32) with my Argus C3 in 1959:

Scan of a 4x5 shot with B&J Press circa 1963:

35mm Plus-X in my A-1 in 2007:

More here and here, plus a few in the midst of WPPD 2007 endeavors.

That early fall looks as though it could be pretty hectic this year; I certainly couldn't commit this far ahead of time, but it could be of interest.

If you do the full trail, decent hiking shoes are highly recommended.

 

[daleeman]

I haven't camped in the park for about 15 years. Wow, it's been that long? Don't know if I can come due to kids and work. I get closer, we'll see.

Chris,
Would love to meet up and take on a few waterfalls. got any images from 15 years ago? ~ Lee ~

 

[kswatapug]

I camped in the campground there when I visited and was on the trail as dawn broke. The weekdays were fairly quiet, the campground mostly empty (maybe due to weather as well as midweek), and I was fortunate to be on site after the major rain had knocked the leaves to the ground. I had a full day's work in relative solitude before the weekend crowds arrived and ground the leaves into bits. The little country store near the park has great sandwiches and the biggest apples I've ever seen (see attached jpeg of my niece holding one).

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I did not photograph regularly back then so, no images from RGSP. If anyone plans on camping, there is no electricity at the primitive campsites on the south edge of Lake Jean. Running water is a short trek through the campground to the bath houses. Even number sites in the 50's and 60's (IIRC) border the lake.

I really would like to join and this is probably wishful thinking, mostly. It really would be a last minute thing if I decided to come so I don't want anyone counting on my being there. But don't count me out either.

 

[daleeman]

Change in dates. Now Oct 14 - 16. This is to better capture the Fall colors along the water falls. Sue is now able to join us, she is a great Naturalist and expert Birder. Hope you all can join us.

Lee

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Well, I'm not working that weekend. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[daleeman]

Well, I'm not working that weekend. We'll have to wait and see.

Chris, it will be good to meet you if you can come. Lets drum up some others to get interested.

I picked up some information and advice on the place from some folks on a seperate URL
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=55936.0

This gave the advice to move the trip to October and the 14-16 fits in the middle so its the best odds of a colorfull fall by dates at least.

Lee

 

[Christopher Walrath]

For those coming, dress layered and light. And make sure you have room to haul the layers you peel off. Comfortable and sturdy footwear. It's a graded trail. Meaning, elevation drops about 1,400 feet over the space of two miles IIRC, and that's questionable.

Again, no promises for attending. But I owe this to myself if I can at all make it.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I put this in the Mid Atlantic group as well, Lee. We'll see if anyone else chimes in.

 

[daleeman]

Oct 14 - 16. Get it on you schedules. Little more than two months away and best estimates by the locals for full fall colors and 22water falls.

A second thread with some wonderful images are on the LL discussion board.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=55936.0

Love to see many APUGers show up and enjoy this gem of a place.

Lee

 

[Christopher Walrath]

PM sent. But I really owe this to myself. I'm in. And if the weather is passable (nights no lower than 50 and no rain or not much anyway) I'm camping.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

So, that's Lee and me. Who shall make three. Rick?

 

[daleeman]

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who were touched by Irene as the storms devistated so many lives. It was tough watching all the news on the TV for several days.

I noticed that the winds and rains made it all the way back into North Eastern PA and wondered if it changed the progression of the fall leaves. I believe it has but do not know for certain.

Anyone have any other update?

 

[jorj]

I've been to Ricketts Glen a few times - love it. I've been trying to see if I can swing that weekend. If I can, it'll be with the rest of the family for the weekend. Checking our "regular" B&B for availability now.

I'm in "downstate" PA, and things look pretty much the same after Irene as they did before. Weather is a bit cooler, so it's possible that it will advance the change in colors - but I wouldn't worry about it. Even if we miss the color in Ricketts Glen, the falls are beautiful.

 

[daleeman]

Jorj,

Hope you can make it. Be great to see you and your family, this place sounds like a little bit of heaven on earth.

Thanks for the update on the park. Hitting peak time any where is never anything but a gamble. Throw in Irene and one can be grateful there are still trees standing, much less colorful leaves. Hope you can make it.

Lee

 

[jorj]

Sadly, not going to make it - Irene saturated the ground well enough that the remnants of Lee flooded the house. The ground water level just fell below the level of our basement floor today, but not by much; pumps still running full steam ahead. So, going to be spending my Rickets Glen time and money on rebuilding the dim room and replacing the supplies that I lost in the flood...

Hope you all enjoy the falls! Maybe next time I'll be able to make it.

 

[daleeman]

Sadly, not going to make it - Irene saturated the ground well enough that the remnants of Lee flooded the house. The ground water level just fell below the level of our basement floor today, but not by much; pumps still running full steam ahead. So, going to be spending my Rickets Glen time and money on rebuilding the dim room and replacing the supplies that I lost in the flood...

Hope you all enjoy the falls! Maybe next time I'll be able to make it.

Jorj,
You are certainly in my thoughts and prayers after Irene and dealing with your loss and extra efforts. Certainly can not be easy. Keep them pumps running and your spirits as high as possible. I can only imagine having to deal with that issue.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

So, Dale, what part of the trail are we thinking here? I know the three highest falls are on the western part of the loop. Descending here from the park down to 118 is a little over three miles and a good descent from the park.

Whatcha thinking? Three weeks to go.

 

[daleeman]

Jorj,
How is the clean up going?

Chris and others, any chance we can chat on the phone Sunday eve? We should all have each other's cell and emergency POC information so we can look out for each other.

My cell is 937-294-3117

Lee