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Exploring The Ausable Chasm: The Oldest Natural Wonder In The U.S.A.By Habeeb Salloum
Back past the Gatehouse Entrance we walked a short distance
to stand on the lookout to gaze in wonder at the work of Mother Nature. Below,
down the deep narrow gorge, the rushing and roaring water of the powerful Ausable River was spellbinding in its appeal. Looking upward from under a
bridge,
Descending down a stairway, we were soon on a natural stone walkway deep down in the channel. One has an eerie feeling when gazing upon millennia of geologic history etched in stone by the forces of nature. As we moved along the narrow walkway through a maze of river-sculptured breathtaking rock formations, I was awakened from my thoughts by my colleague behind me musing, “It’s a panorama of colours- one astounding view after another! I think that the guides are speaking the truth when they say that the Chasm is an ‘Adirondack scenic wonder’.
At ‘Table Rock’, we had two options after we ascended a
series of stairs to the top of the Chasm then crossed a bridge over the Gorge.
Later, as I sipped my drink in the ‘Chasm Café, I reminisced about this nature wonderland for which through the years visitors have searched for words to describe. By way of word of mouth, diaries, letters, poems and media stories, its fame has spread far and wide. Artists with their brushes have tried to capture its beauty on canvas while on the screen Hollywood films have spread its enticement. As well, statesmen and the elite of society have come to glory in its wonder. I felt elated. I too had joined this illustrious crowd. Facts About Ausable Chasm: For Additional Information, Contact: |
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“Soon you will be walking through a work of nature that
will take your breath away. You’ll love it!” A young man who had just come back
from exploring the Ausable Chasm responded when I asked him, “How did you like
the Chasm?” He continued, “No wonder nature lovers from all over the world come
annually in the thousands to gaze on this oldest natural wonder in the U.S.A. I
am glad I came.” After his remarks, I knew that I was in for a treat even before
I began my venture into the awesome Ausable Chasm.
Travellers like this young man have every reason to praise
this deep gorge, which some travellers have called the ‘Little Grand Canyon of
the East’. Carved by the Ausable River, rising in the Adirondack Mountains and
winding its way northeast to Lake Champlain, this extraordinary Chasm is one of
the most unique scenic spots in the entire Champlain Valley. Once a part of the
floor of an ancient sea, which marked the northern and eastern boundaries of the
Adirondack Mountains, the Chasm, at the dawn of the world, was made up of layer
upon layer of mud, sand and ooze that eventually became Potsdam Sandstone.
3.2 km (2 mi) long, from 6 to 15 m (20 to 50 ft) wide and
from 30-61 m (100 to 200 ft) deep the canyon is dominated by the mighty 500
million year old Potsdam sandstone cliffs. The prehistoric Ausable River,
plunging 50 torturous miles from its headwaters at Mount Marcy began its
masterpiece during the Cambrian age. Finding a fault in the bedrock, it
continued for countless centuries, carving downward through this original fault.
Today, the work of the river continues, cutting deeper and deeper into the
sandstone bedrock. The gorge is perhaps more awe-inspiring in our times then
when Samuel de Champlain first explored the Champlain Valley over 400 years ago.
Located near the town of Plattsburgh, in New York State,
the Chasm, with its rapids, waterfalls, and curious rock formations, is one of
America’s oldest and most popular tourist attractions, drawing travellers since
1870. Visitors can explore this dramatic geological wonder on foot or by
floating on the legendary waters of the Ausable River on a thrilling scenic
raft, tube or kayak. A privately owned gorge, fees are charged for access to the
walking paths and the river rides through the lower end of the gorge.
Leaving
the entrance to the Chasm our group of 12, before beginning the exploration,
followed the guide along the upper edges of the canyon to photograph a formation
deep down in the Chasm resembling an elephant’s head. At the first quick glance,
I thought that the resemblance was slight, but when I looked at the photo a few
minutes later in my digital camera, I could not believe my eyes. The resemblance
was uncanny. It was as if a brilliant artist had carved an actual elephant
head image.
we could see upstream in the distance the 23 m (75 ft) high Rainbow
Falls at the southern end of the gorge. One could see that its tumbling waters
dropping down and crashing into the Chasm were creating a thunder-like noise
that echoed throughout the gorge.
At a huge three-part hollow called the ‘Cathedral’, carved
over eons in the sandstone by the river's currents, we stopped awhile to view
the majestic sandstone canyon walls oozing with streamlets of water and
sprouting moss. As we moved along, vistas of majestic rock formations carved by
the forces of nature could be seen on both sides of the Chasm. In places the
peculiar quiet and mystic atmosphere of the Gorge held us spellbound. It seemed
to me that we were walking in a world of make-believe at the bottom of the
earth. 
One was to take a scenic raft adventure to the end of the Chasm; and the other
was to take a shuttle bus back to the Gatehouse Entrance. It was raining that
day and we did not want to chance the roaring waters. Hence, we opted to
return.