TRIP REPORT:

Scott, James, Ed, Sam, Casey, Camdan, Renee and I caravanned to the trailhead and snowshoed our way up the hills towards Little Rock City. Thanks to Natureguy Bob, we were able to drive right up to the old CCC camp parking area, which is about 2 miles north (downslope) of the main collection of house-sized rocks.

While the roads to the park were well-plowed, the 1/4 mile from the last farm to the parking area was not plowed, however it was safe to drive due to previous truck and snowmobile traffic that had flattened the snow. Unfortunately the lot itself was not plowed and had only one set of tracks through it, making parking in the lot almost impossible for non-4x4s. Thus, we parked on the side of the road adjacent to the lot and the trailhead.

We snowshoed uphill for about 1 mile uphill following yellow blazes before Sam and Casey realised they had forgotten some necessary baby-related items (i.e. diapers) and they decided to head back out to return home. The remaining 5 pressed on about another mile, huffing our way to the top of the hill where we reached a confluence of trails, the yellow meeting the white (Finger Lakes Trail, right?) and then the red-blazed trail that winds through the avenues of rocks.

Ed chose a large, sun-exposed rock on which we had lunch and base-camped wile individuals set off on mini explorations of the rocks. We spent about an hour admiring the geologic handiwork before parking up for a continuation of the trail loop that would lead us back to the yellow-blazed trail and to the trailhead.

Unfortunately poor communications and a series of bad decisions led to the separation of the party from James and what was planned to be leisurely hike along an extension loop became an all-out search mission.

Long story short, thankfully we found James near where we had last seen him, which supports the hiking bylaw to "stay put and stay dry" when you become lost!

After the hike, Scott, James, Renee and I drove to Ellicottville and had dinner at Double Diamond, who offered not only good food but a fine section of microbrews. Thanks to Scott for taking one for the team and being the driver so that the three of us could enjoy some pints!

GEOLOGY LESSON:

In 2004 I asked about the geology of the rocks, here's what BHCer Martin had to say:

">From an article that appeared in the November 18, 1996 Buffalo News...

I formerly thought that such rocks as these and similar ones at Olean's Rock City and Panama Rocks near Jamestown were carried south and dropped here by glaciers, but University at Buffalo geologist Parker Calkin has set me straight. These rocks were part of the almost 400 million year old Cattaraugus sandstone, sediment laid down at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This thick layer of highly compressed stone contained tiny stress fissures created by the enormous weight of less solid mountains being deposited on it and then worn away.

Then when glaciers filled the lower valleys about 20,000 years ago, what geologists call periglacial (for near glacier) forces acted on this slab which now protruded like a diving board from its hillside. Ice formed in those stress cracks, its expanding and contracting forces enlarging them. Meanwhile ice and water further undermined its foundation until finally these house size chunks broke off to form this seemingly urban collection of buildings and open basements and alleys.

HTH,
Martin "