Zoar Valley...

[ironglows]

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  Some time ago, I mentioned a strange valley not far from where I live.  It is a beautiful area, but the valley is weird and creepy.  The valley runs between Springville and Gowanda, New York.

  I was brought up near Springville and graduated school there, so I am relatively familiar with it!  As I said, it is rugged and beautiful there, but I would not consider living there.  ..And there are few who do live in the valley.

  Tales of Indian hauntings (arising from old Indian fort ruins).  Strange happenings abound.

  City people come out to follow trails..some regularly get lost, or fall from the 150 to 400 ft cliffs.  A couple years ago a whole family of 4 fell, if I recall correctly, the 2 children survived.

  There was a family who lived there, until about 30-40 years ago, who were referred to as the "claw foot people".  They were unfortunately stricken with a genetic deformity, and decided not to reproduce, so the family line faded out...  I didn't personally know any of them, but I have friends who did.

    http://www.weirdus.com/states/new_york/fabled_people_and_places/claw_foot_people/index.php
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[ironglows]

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  As I said, Zoar valley is a truly rugged and beautiful place, and many come from the city and hike through, or drive the rugged single road which runs the length..and know nothing of the stories and legends which abound.

  Here is a video from Youtube, which somebody made during the autumn, which no doubt, is our most colorful time in the area where I live.

  The man directs attention to an area called.. Point Peter.  If one were in summertime, to hike the creek back into the gulch a couple miles, he may run into hippie types..bathing in the buff.  Curiously, Point Peter was named such, long before the hippies invaded in the 60s !

  In any case, here's the video...of autumn in western New York, Zoar Valley to be specific (3 min video):

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw8jBstIXMc&t=42s

[ironglows]

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  If you recall, after Lot left Sodom, he made his home in a cave in Zoar..  Strange things went on there....so I wonder but what that is perhaps, why the valley was called Zoar, in the first place.  here's a 3+ minutes video.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE4NPmqeuZw

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[Bob Riebe]

Beautiful area!

I can see how people die in an area with cliffs; in the nineties I used to do some informal rock climbing and one way North of Duluth I was climbing up a rock cliff when a rock fell and I found out that there was no way I could climb down and if those above me were not solid, well, I put my faith in God and made it to the top after which my father verbally ripped me a new anal orifice.

It was great to be younger and care free but then some times, God calls in your markers.

[ironglows]

  I have spent days working in Zoar Valley.  There are the cliffs, but they are in places have 2-3 feet of topsoil
  overburden.  This layer of topsoil can flake away and become undermined.

  Sadly, people die there, who should know better. This young lady lived in Springville..and Zoar Valley is at Springville's back door.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eQl5HdJ1Ukhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eQl5HdJ1Uk

[BUGEYE]

First, a parent should never have to mourn a child.  It breaks my heart when I see it.

Second, I would like to take a seat anywhere in that place and just look.  I think I could sit all day.

[ironglows]

First, a parent should never have to mourn a child.  It breaks my heart when I see it.

Second, I would like to take a seat anywhere in that place and just look.  I think I could sit all day.

  From Springville, the Cattaraugus creek meander to Gowanda and on through the reservation, to dump into Lake Erie at Irving, NY. (about 40 miles).  Zoar Valley however, runs from Springville to Gowanda, then tends to level off from there to the lake.