Warriors Rocks On The Tiadaghton

Its been over 40 years since I was told the story of Warrior Rocks by the great Bear Hunter Roy Kryder and as many since I last climbed the remote mountain top look out.

Warrior Rocks is located high on Browns Mountain with an elevation of 910 feet above the creek between two great bends around Tombs Island on lower Big Pine, or as the Iroquois named the creek Tiadaghton, meaning“bewildered river”.

Warriors Rocks was used as a strategic lookout point for the natives before, during and shortly after the the signing of the six nations treaty at Fort Stanwix that was finalized on October 22, 1784, between the United States and Native Americans from the six nations of the Iroquois League.

The Tiadaghton Creek was the eastern boundary line of the frontier known as the Great Divide, a vast expanse of never ending mountains that was bordered south by the West Branch Susquehanna River across the Allegheny Front to the Ohio. A no white mans land, only reserved for Natives as their great hunting grounds.

In 1778 the Six Nations had enough of the white mans invasion and pioneering habits and they raided every home stead, fort and stockade within in the Great Divide killing possibly hundreds of settlers, this was known as the Great Runaway.

Warriors Rocks lookout has two locations, these pictures are of the southern point location of Warriors Rocks where I camped out for a few days.

A massive sand stone rock at a 45 degree angel.

This is where the Warriors camped at night.

This rock is 20 yards from the camping rock, this is where the smoke signal was lit.

This is the cave entrance at the camp rock, it's full of Porcupine dung and visibility is about 5 feet back.

The Natives sure had a knack for taking advantage of mother natures fine work of sculpting mountains and devising an escape proof plan for any foreign invader or runaway.

The plan was simple, look out scouts were positioned here at the rock to over see any intrusion into the gorge. If any white man or small garrison of militia ventured up creek, they were left go until out of sight,
then the Warriors lit a smoke fire to signal the northern post and the Warriors would surround them without any hope for escape.
 

And these are the northern look out location's about three quarters of a mile up creek.

The perfect vantage point for 18th century reconnaissance.

Hickory Tree growing on top of massive rock.

Here are some of the pictures I took of the water falls 

I encountered on the 6 mile hike to Warriors Rocks.

As I sit by my fire, I ponder what Big Medicine this place has in store for me? I feel Ghosts within the rocks. The wailing of a creature unknown to me breaks the silence of night, like a Banshee's Murder Song.

A warning or message perhaps? or just the cries of the spirits of a defeated people.