Allegheny River Seasons

The Allegheny River is beautiful in any season. Here are a few shots from all four.

Late Spring

Spring rains can turn the river cocoa brown, filling the bed from bank to tree-lined bank. Trees along the river are most often cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum).

Early Summer

The Allegheny Valley can get a lot of precipitation in early summer. The result is a very green environment.

Late Summer

Late summer is usually relatively dry, but the green remains. Islands appear when the river is lower, and quickly sprout greenery.

Autumn

Busloads of leaf watchers visit the Enchanted Mountains annually to see the hills aflame with red, orange and yellow.

Autumn

A calm and peaceful river reflects the autumn color, even as fallen leaves litter the surface.

Winter

A cold, wind-swept river can still appear inviting.

Winter

A beautiful river, even in the "dead" of winter.

Zoar Valley

Zoar Valley is a natural area owned by New York State in the northwest corner of Cattaraugus County (and into Erie County). Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries have carved a gorge out of the shale and sandstone. The area is a popular whitewater rafting destination in the spring, and is a hiking paradise in the summer and fall. The confluence of Cattaraugus Creek and South Branch is a favored location for naturists as well as naturalists.

Cattaraugus Creek

Spring whitewater beckons rafters and kayakers from all around. Class II to Class IV rapids keep adventure seekers happy. Fishermen also show up for the salmon and trout.

Zoar Valley Cliffs

The cliffs rise to 400 feet above the creek bed, and are actively eroding. Zoar Valley is wonderfully beautiful, but care must be taken to avoid rockslides and treacherous water.

Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Valentine Flats is covered with these, blooming in the late summer through autumn.

Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

It seems wherever there are lungless salamanders there is moss, which provides a nice backdrop.

Common Morel (Morchella esculenta)

These are edible, but easily confused with inedible false morel (Gyromitra sp. and Verpa sp.).

Waterfalls

Above and below are two of the dozens of waterfalls found in Zoar Valley.

Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis)

This snake is ready to shed. It was under a rock in a dry section of creek bed (the rock was replaced shortly thereafter).

Waterfall

Ribbon Falls is ephemeral...a part-time waterfall.

Carpet of Periwinkle

Much of the floor of Zoar Valley is carpeted with the invasive common periwinkle (Vinca minor).

Another Waterfall

This waterfall is in a small tributary ravine off South Branch.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Frogs and toads are abundant in Zoar Valley.

Zoar Valley Cliffs

Here are a few more views of the many cliffs of the valley.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

This one was basking beside the creek.

Waterfall Beneath Hemlocks

This is a nice little waterfall shaded by eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis).

Forest

Parts of the gorge are less steep, allowing trees to take root.

Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea)

Also known as golden ragwort, this plant is common on the valley floor.

Zoar Valley

Zoar Valley, like the rest of the Enchanted Mountains region, abounds with scenic beauty and biodiversity.

Rock Cities

Rock Cities are massive outcrops of conglomerate beds found at higher elevations throughout the region. They were formed at the edge of an inland sea from sediments eroded from the ancient Taconic mountains to the east. The conglomerate basically consists of white quartz pebbles of various sizes embedded in sandstone. Pebbles from different time periods indicate the conditions under which they were deposited. For example, the Pennsylvanian (~325-280 million years ago) Olean conglomerate at Rock City Park contains well rounded pebbles deposited in a turbulent marine environment such as a shallow estuary. Devonian (~395-345 million years ago) beds like those at Thunder Rocks and Little Rock City contain flattened pebbles, suggesting deposition in a deeper, less turbulent environment. Conglomerate beds around Olean, NY are the only Pennsylvanian and Mississippian (together known as the Carboniferous period) deposits in New York State. As the beds crop out of the hillsides, water seeps into fissures, freezing and thawing to produce huge blocks. The water also erodes shale beds beneath them, causing them to break apart and slowly slide downslope with soil creep. This results in rock cities, with narrow street-like passageways and tunnels. There are numerous rock cities, located in Warren, McKean and Potter counties in Pennsylvania as well as Cattaraugus and Allegany counties in New York. There is even one in Chautauqua County. Three well known rock cities from Cattaraugus County are represented below.

Rock City Park

I tried to avoid the "postcard" views, but I couldn't escape this one from atop the rocks at Rock City Park. That the region is a dissected plateau is evident from the relatively level horizon.

Rock City Park

Located south of Olean, NY, Rock City Park is the largest and most famous of the area's rock cities.

Rock City Park

What appear to be saplings growing out of the rocks here are actually older trees with stunted growth. Some of the trees are 50 to 100 years old.

Rock City Park

Since the early 1900's, when an electric trolley line brought visitors from Olean, NY and Bradford, PA, Rock City Park has been a favorite picnic and hiking place.

Roadside Rocks

Many of the conglomerate outcrops are remnant or limited. Small formations like this one along SR 16 between Olean and Rock City, NY are frequently seen.

Thunder Rocks

Thunder Rocks is one of two larger rock cities (several smaller ones exist) in Allegany State Park. This rock city is more disjointed than others, because rather than outcropping, it forms a remnant cap at the top of a hill.

Little Rock City

Near Little Valley, NY, Little Rock City is a quiet little public space for a relaxing hike.

Little Rock City

The fissures at Little Rock City are impressive, though not as deep as those at Rock City Park.

Little Rock City

There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore at any rock city.

Enchanted Mountains

People often ask why the region is called the Enchanted Mountains. Technically, the region is an elevated and dissected plateau. True mountains are folded or crumpled upward by tectonic activity. While our landscape is being slowly thrust upward, it rises all at once, creating a plateau. The plateau in turn is eroded by the Allegheny and Genesee rivers and their tributaries, forming the deep, rugged valleys. From the valleys, the elevated portions look like rugged hills or mountains, rising to elevations of 2000 to 2500 feet above sea level (up to 1ooo feet above the valley floors). The term Enchanted Mountains was first used to help local tourism in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Olean was known as "The Heart of the Enchanted Mountains" (There is a clearing on a hillside above Allegany, NY, shaped like a heart, and called by the same name). An annual Enchanted Mountain Festival was held for a few years in the 1980's. I sold photocards and postcards locally in the 1990's with the name Enchanted Mountain Enterprises, and a few other local businesses used the term in some form as well. In the early 2000's "Enchanted Mountains" was adopted by Cattaraugus County's tourism agency, and is featured on their website and on all of their literature. It can be debated whether there are mountains or just really big hills here, but the landscape is certainly enchanting. Here are a few photographs that help lead me to that conclusion. These were taken on a July morning, around sunrise, from Mount Hermanns, overlooking the broad Allegheny Valley at Olean, NY.

To the West

The western sky can be just as beautiful as the eastern sky at sunrise. A lake of fog engulfs the valley.

Still to the West

As sunrise approaches, the western sky brightens, and the fog takes on wonderous blue-ish hue.

Sunrise

The eastern sky fills with orange and yellow light as the sun peaks above the horizon.

Enchanted Mountains

This image was used for a postcard titled Enchanted Mountains. Whether or not they are 'true' mountains, I think it was appropriate. This is the view to the northwest, and the city of Olean, NY is beneath the fog.

Reptiles and Amphibians 2

As I mentioned before, herps are my favorite critters, so here are a few more...

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

This old snapper has been kicking around Olean, NY's 'Stink Run' for a long time (the carapice measured 17 inches). I found it in a pool along Constitution Avenue. I hope this one has survived all the development going on in that part of town. A few leeches are tagging along on the carapice. Below is a close-up of the beautiful beast.

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

I encountered this one in late April, shortly after it emerged from the hole next to it, in the base of a roadside ditch near Hinsdale, NY. This snapper was less then half the size of the first one. It wasn't pleased to see me.

Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

When they feel threatened (from my experience, if you get within 5 feet of them) northern watersnakes are very aggressive. This one, a resident of Dodge Creek in Portville, NY, was no exception. It didn't take kindly to being removed from the water to be photographed. Once finished, however, it paused in its escape...as if to pose anyway (below). Northern watersnakes are non-venomous, but an anticoagulant in the saliva causes a bite to bleed a lot.

Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

Wood turtles are a vulnerable species due to habitation loss and overcollection. This one was encountered at a pond near West Clarksville, NY. They were formerly known as Clemmys insculpta.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

This green frog (R. c. clamitans) was hanging out in a drainage ditch in Cuba, NY.

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

I found this midland painted turtle (C. p. marginata) a few yards from the wood turtle pictured above.

Early Spring Wildflowers

These are some of the first flowers to peek through the leaf litter in the Enchanted Mountain forests. These were all found in Allegany State Park from early March to early April, a few years ago.

Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis)

The hepatica are the taller 6-7 petal flowers with hairy stems. They bloom in April and May. The smaller, five-petal blossoms in the foreground above are Carolina spring beauties. Below, the hepatica flowers emerge from a mix of forest plants, including christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides).

Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis)

Hepatica flowers can be white, like those in the previous photos, or lavender, like the ones pictured above and below. The above hepatica is keeping company with Carolina spring beauties (to the left, not yet open), and a trout lily (slender, mottled leaves to the right). A trout lily leaf is visible in the background below as well.

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

This species and its stinky cousin the Red Trillium (T. erectum) are fairly common in the woods near streams. They bloom in April and can be seen through early June.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)

The rather large (for an early spring woodland flower) blossoms can be found from March to May throughout the forests of the region.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

Sometimes mistaken for dandelions, these native flowers can be found on roadsides and in farmland as well as in clearings in the woods. They bloom from March to June.

Canadian Anemone?

I'm not sure what this is. It resembles Anemone canadensis, but the leaves appear to be different. Can anyone help me out?

Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)

These common early bloomers are found all over the woods in the region (and there are woods all over). They are among the first flowers to appear in early March, and blossoms can be found into early June. The one below is shaded by Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum).