PA & NY 2023: Griffis Sculpture Park, Rim Rock Trail, Kane, PA

 

Moving on from East Aurora, the next destination on our New York State/Pennsylvania road trip was a two-night stay in Kane, Pennsylvania.  Our plan was to make two stops enroute to Kane including the Griffis Sculpture Park in New York State and the Rimrock hiking trail in the Allegany Forest in Pennsylvania.  We ended up making a couple of extra impromptu stops along the way and spied another location to return to the next day.

As we were driving south towards Pennsylvania, we unexpectedly came across a collection of quirky sculptures at the front of a rural property in New York State.  I wasn’t sure exactly where we were, but a sign next to the property indicated that Big Buffalo Vapors (“Home of Your Tax Free Vapor Supplies”) in Irving NY, was just a short distance away.  The outdoor pieces included what looked like a giant metal dragon, Sponge Bob Square pants next to multi-coloured metal aliens and more.  The loud sounds of barking dogs kept us in our car, so I just took some photos from the car as we drove by.

A bit further south, we came across the village of Ellicottville, NY, known for its proximity to ski resorts including Happy Valley.  The first indication of this was the Christmas tree made from the tips of downhill skis that sat prominently in the main square.  This seemed like such a quaint and sweet little village that we decided to park our car for a quick walk around the main drag.  We saw a sign for the first frame house, dating back to 1817 which was once used as the county courthouse.  Next to it is the picturesque St. John’s Episcopal Church and nearby, we spotted a community gazebo that seemed right out of the musical “The Music Man”.  Some of the shops on the main street including The Old West Co. are covered with wooden verandas that reminded me of storefronts in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Finally we arrived at our first planned stop, which was Griffis Sculpture Park, a 425 acres outdoor art museum situated on a huge property that includes open fields, wetlands, alpine meadows, ponds, valleys, tree-lined woods, hiking trails, wildflowers and other flora.  The park consists of two parcels of land between Rohr Hill Road and Mill Valley Road, divided by a private roadway.  It was created by artist Larry Griffis Jr., who filled the Rohr Hill Road site with huge 25ft-tall sculptures made from welded steel.  He gave the mostly humanoid figures names such as Oracle, Flat Man, Round Man, etc.  They stood looming into the sky and could be spotted from a distance as we approached.  There also seemed to be a giant goose or some sort of bird.  We stopped quickly to look at some of these works before heading to the larger section of the park which contained the bulk of the sculptures as well as a parking lot, toilets, and gift shop (open only on the weekends).

On the edge of an open field next to the parking lot of the Mill Valley Road section sits a series of three ultra-lifelike bronze sculptures paying tribute to a trio of extraordinary women.  Tracy Caldwell Dyson is an American chemist and astronaut who flew in Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2007 and is one of the most prominent women in NASA. There is also sculptures of 3-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas and novelist/feminist activist Cheryl Strayed who chronicled her 1,100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.  The three sculptures are by the Australian artist collective duo Gillie and Marc Schattner and are part of a larger public exhibit called #StatuesForEquality that consisted of 10 sculptures displayed near Rockefeller Centre in 2019, each depicting an iconic female figure.  The purpose of the exhibit was to address in gender inequality of sculptures commemorating nonfictional figures in New York City.  Other sculptures in the collection include Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman and Jane Goodall.  After that exhibition ended, these three works were donated to Griffis Sculpture Park.  The team of Gillie and Marc  is known for their “Dogman and Rabbitgirl” sculptures including one found in the Yorkville area in Toronto.

Starting at the Trailhead that would lead us deeper into a wooded area, we found a few more of the over 250 sculptures that are scattered throughout the property, each placed with the setting in mind so that the work blends in with its natural surroundings.  The sculptures vary in material, size, colours and subject matter.  It was too bad we could not find a map that listed their descriptions and creators.  There was just a small map that roughly indicated their locations, so it was a bit of a treasure hunt to find them.

Emerging from the woods into an open clearing, we found ten aluminum bathers situated around a small pond.  Five of them are lying prone on the grass while five more are perched at the edge of the pond in various poses as if ready to dive in.  A sign indicates that these are also the works of Larry Griffis Jr. who was obviously very talented and worked with multiple styles and materials.  I later read online that originally all ten sculptures were positioned upright around the pond, but some deteriorated over time and so the broken ones are left lying on the field.  This actually provided a more interesting overall perspective and was reminiscent of ancient ruins.

Continuing on, we found sculptures of giant insects and large Adonis-like male figures in various poses, mushrooms, strange hollow pod-like shapes that you can enter, and a fun metal sculpture of a Crusader holding a shield and flag while riding a red horse. Wandering into another wooded area, we came across what one website designated as the “Griffis Family Heads”.  These seemed to be busts of females wearing strange alien-like headdresses, but the facial features were quite specific, so it is possible they are based on real family members. Then we discovered the Castle Tower, a spiral structure with ladders allowing you to climb to the top observation deck.  The ramps were slanted and slippery, so I had to traverse up the various levels with care.

We saw so many wonderful sculptures as we made our way to the far end of the park.  There was the colourful yellow and red metal maze made out of found objects, a hooded figure that seemed to be from a Fantasy novel, a creepy giant claw reaching out from the ground by a pond and a couple of glamorously dressed female sculptures that contrasted with the many nudes that we passed by earlier.  Three new sculptures of silvery, long-haired hippy-ish male figures created by New York City artist Trevor King were installed late spring 2023, set in a meadow of yellow wildflowers at the top of a hill.  There was so much to see at the sculpture park that we were not able to get to all the works, especially in the first section near Rohr Hill.  I would love to return for another look if we are ever in the area again.

After leaving Griffis Sculpture Park, we moved on to our next adventure in the Allegheny Forest where Rich had planned a short but strenuous hike for us at the Rimrock Hiking Trail.  The trail started up on a ridge just above Kinzua Beach.  From the base, we had a scenic view of the Allegheny River and the Kinzua Beach Bridge.

The Rimrock trail consists of a steady uphill climb for 1.3 miles along a forested path surrounded by mature oak trees.  The 1.3 mile ascent is only moderately steep but unrelenting as we marched upwards for over an hour.  We were thankful for the bench that we found just past the halfway mark and for the fact that it would be downhill all the way on our return trip.  The goal at the end of the trail was to get to the Rimrock Overlook, which is reached by climbing up a series of stone steps.

The final portion of the stone staircase runs through an extremely narrow crevasse that actually cuts right through the middle of the giant sandstone boulders.  Once we reached the top, we emerged onto a platform with a gorgeous lookout with views of the Allegheny River, Reservoir and surrounding hillsides.  Looking over the edge of the outlook, we saw the steep cliffs, rock outcrops and the trail below.  The unique access to the outlook made this one of the most unique hikes that we have taken.

Following our hike, we made our final trek to Kane, Pennsylvania, where we had booked a two-night stay at the Kane Manor Inn with our friends Glen and Christiane who we would meet there.  Dating back to 1896 and called Anoatok (Inuit for “the wind-loved spot”) at the time, the manor is now named after the American Civil War general Thomas Kane who served as “Peacemaker with the Mormons” during the Utah War of 1857-58 and played a large role in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 and founded the eponymous community of Kane.  Built in 1896, the mansion was commissioned by his widow Elizabeth Kane, who was one of the first women in Pennsylvania to attend medical school.  Their son Evan was a pioneer of local anesthesia, so great achievements run in the family.   Kane Manor Inn is a three-storied Georgian Colonial Revival-styled, 18,000 square foot brick-framed residence erected on a sandstone foundation with at least four chimneys that we could see as we approached.

Our timing was good since we met our friends in the parking lot, as they had finished their morning mountain-bike ride just as we finished our hike.  Accessing the manor through the first entrance that we found after parking our vehicles, we picked up our keys and instructions at the desk for how to find our rooms.  Rich and my instructions indicated to go up the stairs and go to the “Blue Room” which would be the first room on the right of the stairs.  We missed a crucial word in the steps which was to take the “main staircase”.  We had ascended the first staircase that we encountered (noting how narrow it was for such a big house) and then could not find our room.

All the rooms had cute little cartoonish signs on them and the first room on the right of the stairs seemed to be a locked closet that did not fit our key.  The one next to it indicated a bathtub (??).  It took us several minutes of walking along the hallway to realize that we had taken the servants’ staircase.  The grand “main” staircase was further along and once we came across that, our Blue Room was exactly where it was supposed to be.  The room was huge with a four-post bed, a large wooden wardrobe, an armchair and bench-seating along the window and a non-functioning fireplace with a plant placed in the hearth (so that no one would try to use it?).  The "Blue Room was aptly named as it was definitely was blue, from the wallpaper to the armchair, the cushions and the tiles in the bathroom.  There was even a little “call-bell” on the wall underneath a wall sconce, but we did not try to push it.

Descending the main staircase on our way to dinner, we found the pretty “half-landing” with the Gothic-styled window and the large portraits on General and Elizabeth Kane facing one another on the two walls of the enclosure.  Continuing down to the ground floor where we first entered, we found a ground foyer and a 19th Century parlour where we could sit and read the books or play board games that were provided.

Many of the rooms have fireplaces which was apparent by the number of chimneys that we saw emanating from the house.  It is unclear how many are still in use. I was fascinated by all the beautiful table and floor of various shapes and design.  There was an enclosed porch that acts as a bar and an outdoor terrace that would have been nice to spend time on had it been a bit warmer.

We had access to a community kitchen where the guests could get tea, coffee or hot chocolate at any time and share in the use of a common refrigerator.  There was a cool antique Hotpoint Automatic Electric Stove (circa 1920s) that was probably mostly for show.  The actual kitchen where our daily breakfasts were prepared was in a second sealed off area.  We could choose from two different dining areas to have our meals before starting off each day.  I presume that in the summer months, the terrace would be an option as well.  Staying at the manor for two nights, we had breakfast in each of the areas.  One was bright and cherry and we scored a table right by large bay windows with a view of the terrace and grounds.  The other was a bit more formal.  On the wall next to a photograph of a younger General Kane than we saw on the stairwell was  a coat of arms with 3 fish pointing up ward and the words “Fide et Animo” (loyalty and affection) written underneath. 

Our breakfast on the first day included French toast with a home made strawberry compote, sausages, home-fried potatoes and a fruit salad served with juice and coffee.  The next morning we had a delicious berry yogurt, waffles, eggs and bacon.  Our meals were served on dinnerware with a Kane Manor logo emblazed on the dishes and bowls.  Once again, the crest with the 3 fishes were printed on these wares.  It is unclear if the fish are part of the Kane coat of arms but the fish icon is said to represent “Generous mind, virtuous for himself - symbol of Christ and spiritual nourishment.” We really enjoyed our stay at Kane Manor, reveling in the history of the place.

While the main attraction of Kane, PA is its proximity to the Allegany Forest and the trails for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, there is not much to see or do on the actual main drag of Kane. This wasn’t the place to go for shopping or fine dining but it made a good base to access several areas of interest within a short drive.  On our way out of Kane, we spotted a small drive-in with a small spaceship sitting on top of the sign announcing the movies, dates and times available.  The featured movies were quite recent including Grand Turismo and Equalizer 3, both released in 2023.

Less than 30 minutes drive from Kane is the Kinzua Bridge State Park, which is a 339-acre park with hiking trails and a tourist attraction that has an interesting history.  Found in the park is the Kinzua Bridge or Viaduct, once a 2052 feet-long, 301-feet high railway bridge that spanned Kinzua Creek.  Originally built in 1882 by the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railway’s president Thomas Kane, it was used by trains to ship coal, lumber and oil.  It was the world’s tallest and longest bridge at the time.

By 1900, the original bridge could no longer withstand the weight of newer, heavier locomotives, so it was rebuilt with stronger materials, only reusing the original bolts.  By the late 1950s, the bridge became part of the route for tourist sightseeing trains which ran from Kane through the Allegheny National Forest.  These excursions continued until 2002 when the bridge was closed for restoration after it was determined that high winds made the structure unsafe.  On July 21, 2003, when construction was well underway, a freak storm with winds of almost 100 miles per hour, classified as an “F1 Tornado”, touched down and caused 11 of the 20 towers to collapse in less than a minute.  Miraculously there were no injuries or deaths.  Imagine if the tourist trains were still running when this happened?!?  It was determined that those old bolts holding the bases of the tower together were the weak links that caused the bridge to give way.

Costing too much to rebuild the bridge after its collapse, the state decided to turn it into a tourist attraction to show the force and power of nature.  In 2011, the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk was unveiled, allowing tourists to walk out onto the 600 feet of remaining bridge up to the point of collapse.  At the end is a large platform that is partially made of frosted glass.  From there, you can look out onto the wreckage or peer down below from the glass portion if you are brave enough.

It was quite windy as we strolled on the Skywalk but when we returned to the gift shop and commented on this, the clerk said that this was actually a “mild day” relatively speaking and that once on a really windy day, she saw a small dog on a leash be blown into the air!  From the edge of the platform, we had an excellent view of the damage of the storm and the debris left in its wake.  Returning to the base of the bridge,  there is a second observation deck with a telescope to look through to survey the wreckage from a different angle.  Next to the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk is the entry point to the Kinzua Creek Hiking Trail which is 1.2 miles return, marked as steep and difficult in parts, and leads to the bottom of Kinzua Gorge with stunning views of the collapsed bridge.  The trail continues uphill to provide a view of the rest of the gorge and valley. Unfortunately we did not have the time to do this hike as we had other destinations on our agenda to explore.

In addition to the gift shop, the tourist site also features a visitor’s centre that acts as a small museum with family friendly, hands-on exhibits that showcase the flora and fauna of the area.  One machine illustrates the change of the forest over time while another features the call of wild animals including a porcupine, bobcat and more. The centre describes the history of the construction of the Kinzua Bridge including some of the components such as a roller bearing to relieve impact of the westly winds, couplings that connect the footprint of the viaduct, and rivet drivers for pounding in rivets that  joined the iron and steel.  Another exhibit highlights the region’s logging and railway legacy.  A large plaque describes local innovations including the Zippo Lighter, whose factory we would visit on our side trip to Bradford, PA.  That will be a topic for the next blog.