GEOLOGY DAY
July 26th / Forty Road Trailhead / 12-3:30pm / FREE / Pre-registration Required
Geologist Ray Vaughan will lead a much anticipated hike through the soaring canyons of the Zoar Valley gorge along South Branch Cattaraugus Creek, one of Western New York’s most dramatic stratigraphic geologic columns. We’ll explore the predominantly shale bedrock that formed hundreds of millions of years ago when Western New York was under a shallow inland sea. The hike will take us past a shear zone where an ancient fold serves as an example of how bedrock responds to tectonic stress. We’ll also learn about the evolution of the gorge since the last glaciers retreated from our region some 13,000 years ago.
HIKE LEVEL: Moderate but long 4-mile round-trip creek walk hike that requires stamina and sure-footedness. Pre-registration required as spots are limited. Registered hikers meet at Forty Road parking area in Gowanda at 12:00 p.m. Return time estimate 3:30 p.m. Hikers should wear water shoes and be prepared to walk in water and ford the creek at least four times in up to thigh-deep water (bring hiking poles for this if desired). Please bring a sack lunch, water, and snacks, and anything that makes you comfortable – hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, etc. (Swimming is not permitted.) We will bag and carry out any litter we find along the way, as a way to give back to the environment and the organizations that gave special permission for this outing: The Nature Sanctuary Society of WNY, The Nature Conservancy, and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. This outing will be rescheduled or canceled with notice if the creek water level is deemed too high/rising for safe crossings.
This event is listed within:
