Manitou's at Skytop (in the city of Syracuse) #1

 A few weeks ago I took a hike in Skytop, an abandoned  stone quarry, adjacent to Syracuse University off campus housing  and its former ski jump. It is bounded by SU, Rte 481 and Drumlins golf course. It is known for its bike trails. Here are some trail maps from TrailForks-- Skytop Main Loop     and  Skytop lot South Entrance. 

I have gone back a few times since and even walked most of the area with my friend Pete. On a subsequent hike I saw what i thought what may be manitou stones and sacred stone stone structures, but did not have my dowsing rods with me to confirm this. I went back Labor Day and one of those sites turned out to be a very intricate stone structure, with several Manitou Stones, a few of which were very large.

It is always a gift and surprise to find an intricate stone structure that has weathered modernity, Skytop is even more so. There are numerous stone walls made by farmers located throughout, no doubt partially made up of stones that once constituted ancient stone structures as well as field stones. There is a humongous stone quarry probably a mile or more in diameter nearby with all its roads for trucks. Then there are the mountain bikers who have have carved out numerous trails and built jumps and other structures out of stone--no doubt some sourced by stones from the stone walls, and......

WOW! To still be standing after such an onslaught is incredible.

Unfortunately, the vibe is not the best. A rock quarry is a very damaging to our Mother. My head felt as though it had nasal congestion for much of the time I was there.

A Large Manitou Stone

What caught my eye was a large Manitou Stone 2-3feet high and 8-10 inches in width.

The Manitou stone appears to be part of a larger stone structure because behind it was an elevated stone circle with a dimpled, or hollowed out, center.  In the picture below my backpack rests in the sunken area.

The grouping was very reminiscent of another large Manitou stone and related stone structure I found a few days earlier at High Tor. Labor Day Weekend 2020--Manitou Stones Abound

While much of the stone structure (circle) was covered with earth and flora it contained two almost as large  Manitou Stones that had toppled over.

The stone mound also covered an earth chakra. In the picture below my backpack is located over it.

 There were several Manitou stones within and around the stone structure. A few are pictured below.

I am still amazed that such an intricate stone structure has been able to withstand the onslaught of farming, a large scale quarry operation, bikers who used stones to make jumps and other obstacles for their pleasure, and.....

I guess  some things just persevere. I feel so blessed to have discovered the amazing work of telluric people from long ago. I hope to go back for more hiking and surveys.

Blessings,

madis