Moss Island
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Moss Island is an island in Little Falls, New York, located between the
Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...
and the
New York State Barge Canal New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. It is composed of an
igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...
intrusion of syenite, and became an island when canal locks were built so boats could avoid the falls. It is known for its large deep
potholes A pothole is a depression in a road surface, usually asphalt pavement, where traffic has removed broken pieces of the pavement. It is usually the result of water in the underlying soil structure and traffic passing over the affected area. Water ...
as well as being popular with local rock climbers. It was declared a
National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
in 1976. Efforts by the local community to turn Moss Island into a
New York State Park This is a list of state parks in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Also listed are state golf courses, seasonal hunting areas, and ''former'' state parks. In New York, state parks are managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Re ...
were begun in 2008.


Description

Moss Island is long and wide. It is bordered by the
Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...
on the north and the
New York State Barge Canal New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
to the south. It is covered in dwarf
oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
trees.
Glacial striation Glacial striations or striae are scratches or gouges cut into bedrock by glacial abrasion. These scratches and gouges were first recognized as the result of a moving glacier in the late 18th century when Swiss alpinists first associated them w ...
s are visible in some places. The southern cliff at its highest point is tall. The cliff has an adjacent road and spans about three-quarters of the island.


Geology

The cliffs of Moss Island are composed of metasyenite. Syenite is an
igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...
rock, similar to granite, composed of crystals of quartz (SiO2), alkali feldspar (a continuous mixture from KAlSi3O8 to NaAlSi3O8), and plagioclase feldspar (a mixture from CaAl2Si2O8 to NaAlSi3O8), with small quantities of muscovite (common, white or potash mica), biotitic (black mica, an iron rich version of muscovite), and hornblende (a black to dark green crystal mixture of calcium-iron-magnesium silicate, aluminum-iron-magnesium silicate and iron-magnesium silicate). The prefix "meta-" indicates that metasyenite is a metamorphic rock. After forming as an igneous rock, the syenite was subject to massive heat and pressure, which caused the minerals to rearrange, but not melt.


History

The first locks around the waterfall were created in 1793. A dry 19th century
Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
lock (Enlarged Erie Canal Lock #36) is located next to the southeastern service road. The current Lock 17 is one of the tallest locks of its type in the world and the largest in the New York State Barge Canal system. The lock uses a guillotine gate on its eastern side. In 1974, the New York State Thruway was planning to build a bridge over Moss Island, but after negative publicity, it was rerouted around the island.


Recreation

Moss Island is known for its rock climbing. It also provides access to disabled fishermen. The island connects to Lock 17, and its operation can be viewed from the island. A walkway next to the guillotine gate is available to cross the canal. Admission to parking, the lock and Moss Island is free. The island is known for its circular rock formations, and the opposing side of the island is a popular rock climbing cliff.


Rock climbing

Moss island is frequently referred to as an outdoor gym. With a huge range of very easy to very hard climbs, and a very short approach Moss Island is a convenient place to climb. From the base it's no more than a 5 minute walk to set up an anchor. The cliffs are clean and have great protection with over 100 established routes ranging from 5.1-5.13. Many more popular routes are bolted for top rope. Goat Crack (5.2), a slab, is a classic Little Falls route where many trad climbers do their first leads. The island has had several famous climbers climb here including Lynn Hill. Across from the island is an unmaintained cliff with a visible crossing crack Crucifix (5.8). Further down stream a former cement factory has the dihedrals, a face. This cliff is privately owned and not open to the public.


See also

*
List of National Natural Landmarks in New York __NOTOC__ The National Natural Landmarks in New York include 28 of the almost 600 National Natural Landmarks (NNLs) in the United States. Twenty-six landmarks are contained entirely within New York; the two exceptions are the Palisades of the Huds ...


References

* Childs, G., & Thomann, G. C. (2012). A Climbing Guide to Moss Island, Little Falls, NY. (Version ed., Vol. 1.3). Little Falls: Singletrack Publishing. * Juteau, R. (2010, March 16)
City to Stop Issuing Moss Island Rock Climbing Permits.
''Little Falls Times''. * Kellet, L. (2011, May 13)
'C.A.R.E.-ing' About Moss Island.
''Little Falls Times''. * Little Falls. (2011)
City of Little Falls: Activities
{{authority control National Natural Landmarks in New York (state) Erie Canal Geography of Herkimer County, New York Tourist attractions in Herkimer County, New York