My most difficult hike

In my chase for waterfalls in recent times, I somehow missed one that is relatively nearby, the waterfall at the end of the Lenape Ridge Trail straddling the towns of Port Jervis and Greenville in the western-most section of my county, Orange County, NY.

And judging by the looks of the waterfall when I got there, although the waterfall is tall and nice as waterfalls go, it is difficult to get to since it is down a deep crevasse obscured by tree branches that not many hikers consider it much of a highlight as to post on social media.

The waterfall is at the end of a 1.4-mile out-and-back trail (2.8 miles round-trip) with an 800-foot descent and so not many hikers descend down it knowing they will have to climb the same 800 feet back on the return hike. The waterfall is on one side of a railroad track and therefore is probably in an awkward spot for families to picnic, what with children running around in a fairly active commuter railway line and potentially inhaling a passing locomotive’s diesel fumes.

On the other side of the tracks is a neighborhood concealed by a wall of trees. I imagine there has to be a secret passage or footpath in the woods from the neighborhood to the railroad tracks (and therefore the waterfall), but I’m not so sure about the legality of crossing the railroad tracks to get to the waterfall. (It is illegal, for example, to cross the railroad tracks on Schunemunk Mountain, a continuation of the same rail line at Lenape Ridge.) Still, the absence of litter is suggestive of there being no such secret passage or footpath as neighborhood teens I imagine would otherwise frequent the waterfall and leave marks of their presence there.

So, in the end, I honestly do not know what to make of the waterfall. Should I invite others to go? It’s a rather steep climb for a waterfall that is barely visible…

I realize I cannot fault anybody but if the railroad tracks weren’t built right where the waterfall was at, I’m sure volunteers will turn up chopping trees and cutting branches for a more enjoyable look at a waterfall that families can swim in after an easy stroll from the flat grounds of where the neighborhood decided to crop up …