Day 5.027: The Normans Kill Landslide

We have been visiting Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy properties for some time and it never ceases to amaze me that we still haven't seen them all.  On Saturday, having lost Exile #3 to a better offer, the rest of us ventured out to the Normans Kill West Preserve.  It was quite a surprise.

The sign at the entrance was slightly disturbing.

No - not the DEAD END sign, the one Exile #4 is reading.  It tells the story of a landslide in May 2000 that formed part of the parcel of land on this side of the Normans Kill stream.

Thanks to Google Earth's historical imagery, I've managed to make this aerial time-lapse of the event including the business that was lost and the two next door that survived.



So, that's the history.  The flat area that was made by redirecting the stream following the breaking of the dam that was formed by the landslide now forms the preserve, along with some of the wooded hillside behind.

On Saturday, despite it being the middle of winter (if we can call it that), it was muddy.

Very muddy...

...in places.

Exile #2 thought these decaying fungi looked like tree-limpets:

The path winds down to the banks above the stream in the woods.

And then the vistas open to the reclaimed land and the 'newly' formed slope up to the road.

We had a rather nice walk - in spite of the mud:

and even made some music on the way: