Tall Oak by the Gorge (Black Diamond) Traditional Cache

Red Oak, I think, the leaves are too high to be sure. The more amazing thing here is the nearby Gorge. Don’t miss it! The bridge will give you good views and you don’t have to worry about cars or trains! BYOP.

The Northern Red Oak is the most likely tree here. Checking on leaves on line, I find it confusing, some Red Oak leaves have very shallow cuts in the margin others look like Pin Oaks. I thought Pin Oaks had fewer main lobes, but that doesn’t seem to be true. The important differentiation is that the Red Oak family have sharp pointed leaves and the White Oaks’ are rounded.

Some people are lucky enough to have Northern Red Oak trees growing native on their property, standing strong and tall, sheltering and feeding local wildlife, and putting on a fine show of russet-red in fall.  The rest of us have to plant them!  Plant this fast-growing shade tree on the south side of your home to cool it in summer, while in the winter its bare branches will let in the sunshine.  Sited to the west, Red Oak’s fall foliage will seem to ignite in the setting sun.  This long-lived legacy tree is also a regal choice for lining your driveway.  Wherever it’s planted, this gentle giant is likely to stand tall and proud for many generations to come.

The Gorge is carved by Willow Creek that flows into Cayuga Lake, from the top of the ridge between Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake.

It starts north of Mecklenburg Rd. NE of Enfield.

The cache is a tied in, camoed, “small” pill bottle that you have to push hard to open and close. Please make sure you recamo well. As usual it only holds a log with a rubber band around it, that is protected in a sealed plastic bag. Please make sure you return it as found, and report if anything is amiss.

You can park nearby at Kraft  Rd, or do as much of the trail, from either end, as you feel like.