Ithaca Gun Hill

  

My goal this afternoon was to hike part of Fall Creek here in Ithaca, NY. A good way to spend a hot and humid Fourth of July. It is also part of my overarching goal to hike the four major gorges that are in Ithaca before I relocate to somewhere new. However, today was met with frustration.

Fall Creek is the longer of the creeks that flow that cuts through the Ithaca area.  The watershed cuts through the Fall Creek Neighborhood downtown (aptly named) and continues eastward through Cornell's main campus, Dryden, McClean, and stretches all the way to Cortland, NY.  During heavy rainstorms, the marquee waterfall here, Ithaca Falls, becomes a spectacular to watch.  A great location to view the natural wonder is right across from the local Townie bar the Creeker.


However, Ithaca Falls and the Creeker share an uncharacteristic neighbor, especially for Ithaca.  The noisy neighbor is the old Ithaca Gun Hazardous Waste Site.  I happened to stumble into it while looking for a path to continue my gorge trek and I must say, it is a mess.

  

The empty shells are contributing heavy metal contamination to the local area. So, the next time you are thinking about enjoying a quick stroll or swim through the Fall Creek/Ithaca Falls area, just remember the mess that sits on top of that hill. Maybe one say it will be cleaned...