Chasing Waterfalls
🥶 Icy Encounter: When Ricketts Glen's 21 Waterfalls Became a Winter Gauntlet
The Best-Laid Plans...
Ricketts Glen State Park is a pilgrimage site for waterfall enthusiasts. Its crown jewel? The Falls Trail, a legendary loop featuring 21 named waterfalls, cascading dramatically through a deep gorge. My plan was simple: spend the day capturing every single one. I had my gear ready, my lenses clean, and my tripod sturdy.
Mother Nature, however, had other ideas.
Snow in the Poconos
Driving through the Poconos on my way to the park, the weather quickly shifted from crisp autumn air to a surprise winter blanket. Three sudden inches of snow fell, turning the landscape—and my anticipation—into something far more challenging.
When I finally arrived on-site, the parking lot was completely covered, and I was the only car there. That's usually a photographer's dream for solitude, but combined with the snow, it was a massive red flag.
The Ranger's Warning
I headed straight into the Ranger Station. The ranger, seeing my intent and the conditions outside, cautioned me firmly. She advised me not to go past the fourth waterfall, Cayuga Falls, due to the very real possibility of hidden ice beneath the fresh snow.
Her warning was crucial, and upon hitting the trail, I understood why.
A Dance on Slippery Shale
The Falls Trail is notorious for its many ascents and descents via shale stairs. Shale, when wet, is already incredibly slippery. Add a fresh layer of snow concealing potential black ice, and the whole path transforms into a treacherous, icy gauntlet.
Every single step required absolute concentration. There are no fences or guardrails in many critical sections. A fall doesn't just mean a bruised ego—it means tumbling into the river, risking bodily injury against a tree, or worse, impacting the sharp rocks of the gorge.
I made the call to respect the ranger's warning and the conditions. The risk simply wasn't worth the reward of a few extra photos. I turned around after photographing the first three falls.
The Takeaway
While I was disappointed to only photograph four of the 21 waterfalls, this trip was a powerful reminder: The photograph is never worth risking your safety. Ricketts Glen is a wild place, and you have to respect its power, especially when winter begins to encroach.
I'll be back for the full 21—but next time, I'll be checking the weather forecast for sudden snow with a much keener eye!
Winter Frost at Oneida Falls (Landscape)
Rushing River at Oneida Falls
Icicles forming on a snow covered branch… a telling sign of just how cold it was!
“Cascade”
