Ithaca Is Gorges......

Following our visit to the hemp farm, we stopped at Cornell University. For those who have never been there, it's big. As in "has its own zip code" big. Positioned on the side of a hill, it has old buildings, hilly roads, and Ivy League ambiance, and amazing views. (That....is at tree. Not a hair ornament.)

It also has a lot of natural landscaping. This little gorge is hidden in the middle of the campus, a beautiful, quiet spot that rarely has more than one or two people in it even though it conveniently shortcuts between buildings.

The building below is the Statler Hotel. It is also the Hotel School.  The students there must learn all aspects of the hospitality industry, including housekeeping, front desk, restaurant (front and back), management, supply.....it's endless.

And no visit is complete without shopping. Although, to be fair, it was a chilly day. Shirts were needed.

And lunch in a funky sandwich shop:  Required Ithaca Experience.

But the toughest part of a visit to Ithaca is narrowing down WHICH gorge you are going to hike. Buttermilk? Taughannock Falls?  We decided to keep it simple and just do the Cascadilla Gorge Trail (which, it turns out, is the official name for what I have always called "The Gorge"). Websites variously list it as being anywhere from 1 - 1.5 miles long, with a 400 foot drop. They all say that there are "a lot" of steps.

Parking your car at the top of a gorge and hiking DOWN is a rookie mistake (unless you are at Watkins Glen, where you are bused up to the top LOL), but that is what we did.  

I sincerely contemplated calling Uber at the bottom. But....I made it through Bushkill Falls, and that was WAY more than this, right?

So.....

Not too sweaty at the bottom.  It gets worse.

I opted out of the photo below. By this point, I knew if I got down there, I wouldn't be able to get back up.

Because we'd already dont THIS up.

And THIS up.

I don't need to describe the final condition of that bandana.  Those of you who have done mission trips just...know. 

But we were all smiling.  

In case any of you want to know, I counted 408 steps from the bottom to the top.  It's a motivational thing with me. 

DeeDee