Barberville Falls

[L_G_D]

Thought I'd start out with my first waterfall post by filling in a couple in Rensselaer County, since it doesn't have any yet

First up, a really good one, Barberville Falls. This is on Poestenkill Creek (or just the Poesten Kill, since kill means creek or stream in Dutch) and is ~60 feet or so. Long the scene of high school keg parties and hot summer days crowded with people beating the heat, it's now owned by the Nature Conservancy and access is no longer a sketchy sneak in.

Thing is, I had to reach waaaayyyy back into my film archives to find a picture of this one. Apparently, familiarity breeds contempt and I haven't given this one much photo time compared to smaller waterfalls that are miles further away from home. Oh well, maybe I will get over there some time with good light and do it justice.

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New pic I just took a couple hours ago:

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Here's a google map.

Russell Dunn has this one listed in his Hudson Valley Region Guide on pages 91-93.

[backpacker]

nice shot
Looks like a falls worth re-doing

[Matt]

thanks for posting. Eventually I will get these on the list.

[L_G_D]

Forgot about Virtual Earth, here's a link, nice shot from the air:

Click here.

[George]

It's my honor to post the first waterfall in Rensselaer County, my home county, on these pages. Barberville Falls are a 90 foot falls on the Poestenkill that have been purchased by the good folks at the Nature Conservancy. A well maintained trail leads to views from both the top and bottom.

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Barberville Gorge.jpg (254.74 KiB) Viewed 13361 times

There are other trails along the creek and ridge that are part of the preserve, but these are separated from the falls trail by inholdings of private parcels. And therein lies the only problem with an otherwise spectacular place. Check out the No Tresspassing sign at the top of the falls:

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What in God's name is this owner thinking? That someone is going to make a life-threatening traverse to look in his back window? That someone is going to climb 90 feet of slickrock to raid his birdhouse? Put the sign on a tree instead of bolting it to the rock. The only explanation for this is the old joke - why does a dog lick himself? Because he can.

And now the unfortunate ugly. This is a reminder that you are in rural Rensselaer County, where the family trees don't have many branches:

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Don't get me wrong, this is a beautiful place, and if you are in the area you should visit. But why can't we just get along?

[Matt]

Hmmm... I wonder how long that sign has been there... and how many winters it will last?
Great photos and info. Thanks for sharing.

[L_G_D]

From what I remember, that posted sign has been there a long time, or it gets replaced a lot. That's why I took the shots above from further to the right, where it's less obvious and obnoxious. I would guess the land owner up on the top of the hill got a little fed up with people climbing the falls and causing a nuisance, since that used to be the big party spot back in the day.

[George]

Nice pics LGD. Sorry I jumped your claim on being the first to post in the county - didn't see a link from the Waterfalls page. Keggers by the falls, huh? Personal experience? I'll bet it kept the rescue squads busy, just like Poestenkill Gorge does now.