A dozen Happy Hikers had perfect sunny Fall weather to descend into the Niagara Gorge for a close encounter with the mighty Niagara River. 
We hiked along the wild water from Whirlpool to Devil’s Hole State Parks, viewing the gigantic boulders alongside the trail, and a few natural caves in the cliff walls. We saw numerous fellow hikers of all ages, and a large number of fishermen as well, and even witnessed a catch that was about 2 feet long! The Devil’s Hole stairs were closed for repair, so we backtracked to the Stone Flats adjacent to the Whirlpool for a relaxing lunch.
Altogether we did about 5 miles on mostly flat terrain along with the challenging rock staircases. What a beautiful area this is, a WNY gem! 
— Submitted by David and Janet Kowalski