Ausable Chasm, New York - March 5, 2009
Closed the past 139 winters, one of Northern New York's oldest attractions is now open year round.
"I don't know many other places where you'll see a 45-foot chunk of ice in the middle of the river," says Chuck Fries of Ausable Chasm.
Winter transforms Ausable Chasm into a magical world of crystals and ice.
One of the highlights-- 80 foot tall Rainbow Falls.
"There's 150-foot icicles and sections of wall completely covered in ice and the sun hits it turning it different colors; blue, green, golds, every spot is a little different," Fries says.
Winter tours of the chasm cost 25 bucks. That gets you a guide and a pair of snowshoes or cleats for your feet.
Most tours are private-- the groups no larger than six people at a time.
And unlike summer tours, the majority of the visitors here this winter have been locals.
Many are repeat customers-- seeing the chasm as they've never seen it before.
"Every time they're amazed," Fries says.
Icicles cling to the sides of 200-foot tall cliffs.
"This is all sandstone and it's what makes the chasm so unique," Fries explains.
Come spring, the ice will come crashing down.
Ice occasionally creates a dam across the river.
In 1996 that fueled a flood that wiped out bridges, trails, and railings.
"Seeing this river at flood stage is wild-- chucks of ice rocketing through," Fries says. "It creates a giant whirlpool. Trees disappear underwater and pop up hundreds of yards downstream."
It's a place where Mother Nature frequently unleashes her fury, and this tour allows you to get up close and personal with it all.
A new world discovered in Ausable Chasm.
Guided tours of the chasm are offered every day of the week but you do need to call ahead for reservations. Click here for more information. Keagan Harsha - WCAX News
Click here to see more Destination Recreation stories.
