The Finger Lakes region experienced an epic rainstorm on June 9th – a local weather station recorded 1.8 inches of rainfall during some brief, intense thunderstorms. Here at Sunrise Landing, a rainfall like that means significant water moving through our hillside, down through the well constructed drainage system that Bob has developed over the years. The system is usually quiet during the beginning of the storm, and then, once the water has time to travel down to our level, our drainage pipes begin to flow. The culvert can be full of water traveling at a vigorous pace for a day or two after a big rainfall, as the high ground above us dries out, and sends the moisture from the storm downhill.
Many of you have heard me say that while I am the CEO of Work at Sunrise Landing, often pondering, “What can we vacuum or mop now?” – Paul’s title is: CEO of Play. His mind is full of contemplations like, “Is the wind strong enough to go sailing today? Or maybe a bike ride is a better plan.”
On the evening of June 9th, with the rain pelting down around us at Sunrise Landing, I was snuggled up on the couch with my Kindle. Paul’s eyes lit up and he said, “Hey – now would be a great time to go out and see how much water is flowing through the drainage system. Wanna join me?” I respectfully declined, but he donned two raincoats (“They both leak,” he explained) and went out for an exciting (his words) viewing of the system in full flow mode.
The next morning the storm was over, and the skies were clear. After the breakfast dishes were loaded into the dishwasher and the counters cleaned, I pulled out the vacuum to spruce up the main floor. Suddenly, Paul grabbed my hand and said, “The local waterfalls must look incredible with all this rainfall! Let’s go check them out!”
I hesitated, thinking: “Time to have fun, when the chores are not yet completed? Is he insane?” Then I came to my senses and realized that the CEO of Play had the right idea – we didn’t get rain like this often, and we couldn’t waste this opportunity.
We grabbed our sunglasses and raced to the car.
Our first stop was the always stunning Glenora Falls, only a few miles from Sunrise Landing Bed and Breakfast. The people staying in that home are the luckiest on earth, with such spectacular scenery for their backyard. Well, maybe 2nd luckiest, since our view at Sunrise Landing is slightly better! On June 10th, Glenora Falls was flowing with an incredible amount of water.
Next we headed south to Montour Falls, where there are several beautiful waterfalls for viewing. Shequaga Falls is almost in the center of town, and as we pulled up next to it, we saw another breathtaking sight.
Just outside of Montour Falls is Havana Glen Park, where we took a short walk up a stream to view Eagle Cliff Falls. While not flowing quite as impressively as the other falls we saw that day, the amount of water we witnessed was much greater than we’d seen at prior visits.
And as we headed back towards home we of course stopped in at the absolutely gorgeous (pun intended) Watkins Glen State Park to see how the rainfall had impacted the 19 waterfalls along the scenic Gorge Trail. Once we caught our first excited glimpse of how full the bottom of the gorge was, we enthusiastically made our way through the mudpuddles along the trail in our less than practical footwear (Birkenstocks). We realized that the water level in the gorge had been significantly higher earlier in the day, based on the trampled plants 10 feet above the waterline.
If you’ve been to Watkins Glen, and traversed the Gorge Trail, you will remember the most exciting section: Rainbow Falls, where you walk behind a waterfall. Experiencing it that day was amazing – it seemed like someone was spraying a firehose above us as we made our way through that narrow spot on the trail.
The beauty of the Finger Lakes area is something to behold, and the way Mother Nature accentuated our waterfalls that day was a special treat. But a trip to view the falls and gorges even during a dry spell is awe-inspiring.
Come visit us at Sunrise Landing soon, and while you are here, take some time to visit these natural wonders!
Mary and Paul (innkeepers at Sunrise Landing Bed and Breakfast)
