Despite the base trail being closed this week (reopening tomorrow morning, Saturday, May 16), there were plenty of sights and sounds to take in at Taughannock this morning. First, the scaling crew was not out yet during my run, but here's a post where I shared about their work during a prior spring season.
Instead of the base trail, I took a lap around the perimeter of North Point, seeing a heron along the way (cover image). On my way to the point, I passed under the Route 89 bridge. Check out these beautiful flower beds at the base of the bridge!
Beautiful flower beds
Fishermen quietly cast their lines in the quiet morning, and the lake was peaceful and still. Quite a contrast from what I imagine this afternoon will bring, with predictions of heavy storms, hail, and perhaps an errant tornado!
Looking west from under the Route 89 bridge
Perhaps the best part of the run was coming upon a Town of Ulysses crew working on a new packed cinder path abutting the road on the South Rim trail. This is normally a singletrack dirt path, and they've made it so much nicer. I tried to politely skirt their work area, but they invited me to be the first one to use the new path! So, I did. No ribbon cutting here, but it's so nice to see all of the little improvements to come together and make our park so incredibly nice!
New path on the South Rim trail, skirting Gorge Road