July 2, 2002
Field Trip
After the close of the meeting on Tuesday at you are invited to join us on a field trip through the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The Finger Lakes region is identified by the fan shape group of long thin lakes in western New York. This region was sculpted by glaciers during the Pliestocene. The Finger Lakes were created when the Pleistocene ice cap melted and filled the deep glacially scoured valleys of the region. Narrow waterfall filled gorges were formed as water drained from the adjacent hillsides down steep valley walls into the lakes. We will explore 400 million years of Earth history and examine the ancient sea floor exposed in beautiful Watkins Glen State Park. Faculty from Cornell will be on hand to interpret the geology, biology, and hydrology of the area. The geology of the region also plays an important part of today's local economy. The hillsides above the many finger lakes are perfect for growing wine grapes and the finger lakes region is know for its Vineyards. Our field trip will continue with a visit Wagner Vineyard for a tour, wine tasting and dinner at the Ginny Lee Cafe overlooking Seneca Lake. Buses will leave the Cornell Campus at ~11:30am. Once we arrive at the park (approxiamately 1hour from Cornell) we'll split into a few groups and spend several hours exploring the earth system science within the park. Watkins Glen State Park includes 19 waterfalls over the 1.5 mile gorge along with beatiful plunge pools and bridges. Bring your walking shoes and plenty of energy the gorge trail is 1.5 miles and includes an elevation gain of 500 feet. The buses will head back to Cornell around 8:00 pm.
Watkins Glen State Park
One of the 19 waterfalls in Watkins Glen State Park.	Another view of the Watkins Glen gorge.
Wagner Vineyard The Wagner vineyard and microbrewery.
Barrels of wine at Wagner Vineyard.	The Wagner deck with a view of Seneca Lake.