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 http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/statepar...kettsglen.aspx

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.