When your hiking in the mountains, its a great experience to get to the summit and be able to see in all directions. You can turn in a complete circle, 365 degrees, and nothing blocks your view. That's a pretty special feeling.
We have lots of hills in the Finger Lakes, but you won't find many of those 365 views.... unless you happen to hike down into a gorge. That's right! One of my favorite things about hiking in our neck of the woods is finding an actual hill within a gorge.
Usually, when you climb to the top, you'll be underneath the tall trees, so you'll have lots of visibility. Its not quite Mount Everest, but you'll be able to see what's going on below you in all directions.
Over thousands of years, and many glacial episodes, our creeks have shifted many times within their gorges. These high narrow hills are usually the result of a catastrophic event within that long history, and I figured there might be a common name for them. When I searched "hills within gorges" online, I didn't get a name for these landforms, but just about every page had a reference to Ithaca!
This is a picture of the path leading up to one of my favorite "mini 365s" at Upper Buttermilk State Park. I also know of two in Six Mile Creek Preserve, several at Robert Treman State Park and one at Lick Brook. Can you find a new one for me?
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