Day 5 - Niagara Falls

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Introduction to today's journey

MUCH of northern North America was covered in a layer of ice during the last ice age. With the summer temperatures not warm enough to melt the ice, it gradually accummulated to between one and two kilometres thick. The southern extent of the largest ice sheets came down to where the Great Lakes are presently located, carving out the enormous basins the lakes now fill. The ice age has long gone, and rivers connecting the lakes are gradually eroding them until they will largely disappear. The most dramatic case of this river erosion is at Niagara Falls, at the mouth of Lake Erie. The falls move back about a metre per year, and in a few thousand years will dramatically drain the lake behind it.

Today's journey leaves New York City, travelling across New York State towards the Canadian border. Crossing the Appalanchian Mountains, with a brief stop at a glass blowing factory in Canning, We continue until reaching the shores of Lake Ontario where the Niagara River flows out. There we explore Fort Niagara before heading upstream to watch the sunset over the American Niagara Falls.

Today's Journey

Reduce to summary only...

Distance travelled today: 744 kilometres.

Total distance travelled to date: 814 kilometres.