The Great Wall of Manitou (Of History and Human Energy Survival)

The Great Wall of Manitou

Sunset looking toward the Wall of Manitou from the West

And so, my dear Steemit explorer friends, we travel to the Great Wall of Manitou.

The Catskills to the East form a very distinctive escarpment that rises steeply above the Hudson River plain a few miles away. The Hudson itself extends for over two hundred miles pretty much North to South down to the Ocean. Many become aware of it when moving on highways heading northbound, but it was different for me.

The Fire Tower on Overlook

My First Experience

I first became aware of it while standing high up in a 60 foot fire tower after climbing up Overlook Mountain on a path that climbs about 1000 feet in 2.5 miles.

Kaaterskill High Point (center right) and Round Top(center left). Wierdly enough Round Top is the flat peak.

A storm descends on Indian Head. For the solitary climber it inspires awe every time with its gigantic and mysterious prominence.

In the evening silence broken only by the wind I could see for many miles.

It is possible for a trained observer with keen sight to beyond the Hudson Valley as far as the Berkshires in New Hamphire and the Green Mountains of Vermont; I have been shown them by veteran explorers although making them out on a photograph is nearly impossible.

*geographic extent of the wall

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Mountains as Walls

Like all species we humans move through the world governed by the need to conserve energy (eg. shelter) when moving around to obtain it (eg. food). A being which fails to do this does not survive. While the overt outcome may vary (eg. hypothermia, sepsis from a gut infection, or actual starvation itself) the underlying cause is simply the long term outcome of this pitiless summing.

Our necessity shapes our movement in a place, and with it our history. Paths follow streams in easy to travel low lying places become trails, trails become roads, commerce moves, wars are fought, habitations are built all in accordance with the simple imperative : "Try not to rise in elevation if you can help it".

For some time I established a small organic orchard on a hill in the foothills of these mountains. One must mow around each tree, put out compost to nourish it, spray it and so on.

As time goes by your paths begin to follow in the same line - and in particularly steep sections you tend to do as little as possible. No one tells you this; it is your body's silent prompting. And if trees die here (as some did), you feel a certain sense of relief and don't replace them.

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The First Journeys

On a much greater scale, so it is with the Great Wall of Manitou. Native tribes lived in the valleys, moved through the three great cloves( notches) deeply carved by the Plattekill, Kaaterskill and Dutcher Kill streams to visit settlements on the other side. When they climbed the flanks of the escarpment it was to hunt or to ward off enemies.
Early european settlers, too followed this rule and it was quite some time before the first expeditions were made into the escarpment...

cliffs on Plattekill mountain. Hidden among the trees they are probably at least 100 feet high.

*Please upvote if you enjoyed this post, and follow if you would like to go on more such journeys. I try to emphasize practical application of these experiences; I will explain in as great a detail as interests you.

And of course I very much welcome your comments and questions.

All Photographs (unless otherwise note) were taken by me with a Canon EOS 70D with an 18-55 mm lens