Students in Ms. Fagan’s ADK Sciences class left campus this week for an exhilarating end-of-year field trip to go cliff jumping at the Flumes. The Flumes are a series of natural rock formations and swimming holes along the Wilmington section of the Ausable River. This area is unique in how the water has carved smooth channels and chutes in the rock over thousands of years. The river has created small waterfalls and natural slides that widen into calm swimming holes.
Luke Lalonde ’26 jumps off the cliff into cold water. Photo provided.
Under a beautiful blue sky, but a rather chilly spring afternoon of 40 degrees, the group took a short walk from the parking lot to the Flumes. This area is a favorite among visitors for swimming and jumping off the cliffs. After a safety discussion, students started taking turns jumping into the freezing-cold water. The cliffs range from 10– to 20-foot drops, where students were jumping. “It was way more exciting than I thought. When I first saw the jump, I didn’t think anything of it, but once I jumped and was in the air, I honestly got scared. I had so much adrenaline from how high it actually was,” Luke Lalonde ’26 said.
Elliott Murch ’27 jumps off the cliff into cold water. Photo provided.
This was one of the best field trips the ADK has gone on this year. “This had to be by far the most fun trip we have done. This is something I will never forget and am so glad I got to do it,” Cooper Plotts ’26 said.
Several of the students went for a couple of jumps. “I’m so glad I went twice, even though the water was cold, I got over the fear of jumping, and the second time was even more fun,” Lalonde stated. Others braved their first jump and then called it a day.
This trip combined an appreciation for the Adirondack region’s beauty and some extreme outdoor fun. It was a great way for students to connect with the outdoors. By the end of the day, the group was energized and cold. They returned to school with stories of bravery and some great videos and photos from Ms. Fagan.
