The early morning hours were downright cold. Thermostats strived for 40 degrees but seemed to hover at 39. Fog had rolled into the valleys as if to stake claim on unchartered territories, enveloping all into a white dew-filled cloud. Steam-like vapor rose from the lakes as if Mother Nature had heated a pot of herbal tea. The passing thought tantalizing as such would warm the souls of expectant travelers who headed toward Deer Haven Park for “A Walk In The Park” tour.
The enduring breeze flowing across the Visitor Center’s parking area consistently snapped the unfurling edge of Old Glory into attention; its chill commanding visitors to bundle tight within their jackets. By the time the tour bus began loading, the temperature teased at 50 degrees.
The first leg of the journey consisted of a brief ride deep into the park. Tour guide Ron Donk set about sharing the land’s history beginning in the 1700s, prior to the Revolutionary War. As the bus slowly made its way down the entrance road, the centuries quickly passed until Ron was revealing the saga of the property’s 1941 upheaval.
As history was unveiled, participants kept eyes peeled for any wildlife. Roughly two miles later, a substantial group of brown whitetail bucks and does were spotted. Ears perk and rotating in various directions with eyes focused on their guests, the deer held their ground as if freeze-framed for a portrait. The bus halted long enough to observe, purposely not so long as to disrupt the whitetail’s daily jaunt. Such is the park’s standard of taking a light footprint, acknowledging, and appreciating without invading.
Soon the walkers arrived at their drop site. Upon disembarking, the breeze had abated, the sun was warm and welcoming. Transient geese that had seemingly gleefully taken reprieve at the park’s 60-acre pond serenaded the skies. Their perpetual banter escorted the walkers onward. Enchanting.
A 1941-built red ceramic building, created for and once housing black powder silk ammunition bags presented itself. Upon inspection, its interior remains produced wonderment and awe-filled gasps. A short distance further and the group viewed the VanRiper family’s blacksmith shop foundation — all that is left of this once thriving business located a stone’s throw from where the family’s house and barn once stood.
The “Q” area appeared looming in the distance. Walkers met face-to-face its intimidating triple fencing, still intact from their instillation in the mid-1950s. Situated in the park’s clandestine northeast corner, this site was able to receive munition shipments away from the public eye. Within two years after its creation, it was dubbed the “Q” which was the highest level of security designation given by the Atomic Energy Commission. It was noted that roughly 250 Military Police from the 295th M.P. Company guarded the area 24/7. The multitude of security measures once used here had visitors’ jaws dropping. Each statement trumped the one prior, leaving the group awestruck at the plethora of information for this one-square-mile site which is still off-limits to civilians today.
Moving on, the group had the privilege of walking through a 1941 originally built personnel bomb shelter as well as being made privy to the amazing construction background on a munition’s igloo. Once the estimated 1,000-pound igloo door was opened, the group entered the vastness of its interior where antiquated military warning and procedure standard signs still graced the walls.
Rounding out the walk was the fascinating beaver area where freshly downed log debris, stumps and trails were visible. The decades-old beaver dam is an extraordinary construction site; the beavers’ architectural skills noted as second only to that of humans.
A captivating two-hour tour incorporating a roughly two-mile hike on what turned out to be a beautiful day. A “Walk In The Park” offered a history and wildlife education bar none highlighted by time spent in nature — a combination worth so much more than the sum of its parts and pleasantly found beyond the fence.
Dee Calvasina, www.deecalvasina.com, is the author of “Beyond the Fence, The Amazing World of Deer Haven Park” a writer, speaker, and monthly columnist for the Finger Lakes Times who supports the conservation of military history, nature, and wildlife at DHP.