After spending several weeks in the dry (read: non-humid) climate of central Oregon, I returned to my Taughannock trails over the weekend. While running the trails, the humid air had me soaked in just minutes. I was not alone, either. Throngs of visitors packed the base trail and the overlook and the rim trail were more heavily trafficked than normal.
Heat and humidity notwithstanding, change is on the horizon. The days are getting shorter. Nights are getting cooler. The humidity will break (I keep telling myself this). As I write this, school is about to start up again in Trumansburg. Kids and parents alike will begin the sprint to Halloween, Thanksgiving and the holidays beyond.
I was not bothered in the least by the crowds this weekend. In fact, I loved them. I loved seeing people see this waterfall for the first time, or for the hundredth time. I loved the smell of food cooking over campground fires. I loved seeing people lounging in hammocks next to their elaborate tents. I know that everything will change at Taughannock in the coming months. Water volume will ebb and flow. Visitors and campers will return to their hometowns as summer vacations end. The trails will become relatively empty. And yes, snow and ice will envelop the park after colorful leaves impress us with their vibrancy.
Autumn, winter, spring and summer.
The cycle repeats itself.