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Lucas Kill Falls

Buttermilk Falls, Cortina, Devil's Kitchen, Haines Falls, Hawkeye, Huckleberry Point, Johnson's Point, Kaaterskill High Peak, Poet's Ledge, Round Top, Viola Falls, Wildcat Falls
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mike
Posts: 1444
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 pm
Location: Ravena, NY

Lucas Kill Falls

Unread post by mike »

For over a year, I have been searching for a way below the first few smaller waterfalls of the Lucas Kill Ravine. After a half dozen trips, the only route below was next to the waterfalls. But, it required a long rope to be able to get down safely and back up. The chute down the first big drop had a 60 degree incline with a slippery ledge in the middle that was slimy and mossy.

Rich and I headed over to Lucas Kill Falls. When we arrived we discovered that the water was just a trickle from the drought this summer. Never-the-less we headed down the steep chute. Once below, we finally got a view of the third group of waterfalls. This drop was 50-60' high (just a guess). We were so disappointed that there wasn't a volume of water running over the waterfall.

We then hiked down to the bottom of the forth series of waterfalls. We descended about 150 vertical feet. We still had another 1,000' of vertical to the valley floor. But, without more ropes, we decided to come back at a later date when the water was running. Here are a few pics:

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3rd set of drops to Lucas Kill Waterfalls - about 50-60'

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4th set of drops to Lucas Kill Waterfalls - about 150' with several vertical drops

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More fungus pics

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Another foreign rock with garnet from the Adirondacks from thousands of years ago
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Sam
Posts: 71
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:17 pm
Location: Rhinebeck NY

Re: Lucas Kill Falls

Unread post by Sam »

Sounds like a lot of fun Mike! And nice find...how do you think that rock got down here in the Catskills? Deposit from retreating/advancing glacier from up North?
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mike
Posts: 1444
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 pm
Location: Ravena, NY

Re: Lucas Kill Falls

Unread post by mike »

Thanks Sam. The trip below the 3rd series was quite difficult. I don't think we could have gotten back up without a rope.

I have never seen it this dry before. Been there many times. Right now it is just a dribble.

The theory I have heard before is that after the last ice age, there was a very large pool of water backed up in the ADKs. When it broke it flooded the Hudson Valley. Some water flowed over the eastern escarpment. You can sometimes find garnet laced rock around the eastern escarpment. I guess the theory makes sense, but I am not knowledgeable enough to say.
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