The Curious Sojourner: Carpenter Falls

Sunday evenings, when I was a kid, was usually reserved for television with a bevy of family shows. Among my favorites was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler. Perkins was twenty-five years older than Fowler, and frequently the show seemed to suggest that the latter was doing most of the active work on the expeditions into the wild. I remember one comedian quip in Marlin’s voice, “I was making coffee, while Jim was wrestling an alligator.” Jim Fowler later insisted that it was erroneous to think that it was the case, instead saying that because there was only one camera filming the episodes.

Nevertheless, I could not help but think Marlin and Jim while we explored the Carpenter Falls near Skaneateles Lake. Carpenter Falls is a ninety-foot drop on Bear Swamp Creek, less than a mile before it empties into Skaneateles Lake. The creek cuts a deep gorge, making it and the falls hard to access. The access point for the falls is from Appletree Point Road, off NY41A. A small parking lot with no information has two paths running from it. The path seemingly offering the most direct access is treacherous, and near the falls, has a rope that acts as a makeshift handrail. While we could have attempted the dangerous steep descent into the gorge, returning via that path was not feasible. We returned to the parking area, less than a quarter of a mile, to take the other trail, a less direct path but more manageable. Although it was still step and a tumble into the gorge and creek was not out of the question.

Carpenter Falls

Once we accessed the creek, the only way to get an unobstructed view of the falls was by traversing the slippery rocks protruding from the creek. With only tennis shoes, Angie declined to get closer. Ever the one to try to get a better photograph, I hopped from rock to rock to get closer. Although the angle of sun made a great shot difficult, getting close and having the roar of the water ringing in my ears was great fun. Angie photographed me as I carefully navigated the rocks. In the middle of the creek, I was reminded how treacherous nature could be. Wedged between some rather large rocks, I espied the carcass, little more than the skin, of a red fox. What happened, I wondered. Did it get caught in the torrents of the water, or did its body simply wash into the creek? We, and our cats, lead sheltered lives I concluded.

Fungi growing on a log in the middle of the creek

After our adventurous trek, we wandered down Appletree Point Road toward Carpenters Point on the lake. The lightly used road took us by the adjacent farm fields. It was a pleasant walk on the last day of spring. Wildflowers and birdsong marked our post-falls exploration. There was no direct access to the lake without violating someone’s property, but it was a different way to experience the lake area.

Secluded and rural, the walk stood in contrast to the one through the gorge at Watkins Glen, where there where far more falls and people. This walk offered challenges but also time to reflect and enjoy as well.