City - Niagara Falls NY - Cave of the winds tour Postcard

Niagara Falls, NY - This is the Cave of the winds tour, located under the Bridal Veil Falls at Niagara Falls. You can visit the hurricane deck, where you will be pelted with tropical storm like water and 68 mph winds. When you buy a ticket, they give you a yellow slicker and sandals, that you can keep, or recycle later on. They used to have little booties you could put over your shoes, but they were very slippery. But the original tour looked nothing like this, originally there was an actual cave behind the falls. Officially guided tours started in 1841 through Goat Island and descended down a staircase closer to the falls. From there they went into the cave. The tour ended in 1920, when a rock fall sealed the entrance. It was opened again in 1924, but instead of going behind the falls, they went in front of it. However in 1954, the cave was obliterated in a massive rockfall, subsequent dynamiting of a dangerous overhang. Today, it looks like this, you go down an elevator and walk up and down a lot of decking. However it changes every single year. Due to massive ice build up, and the mess it can create, they take apart the entire area. All of that red you see, is removed before winter starts. And every Spring, a crew of like 6 people carry down all the wood (like $10,000 or more), and rebuild the entire thing by hand. They use no power tools, just saws and hammers. Working in the water, or near it. The water being 40f is rather cold when it hits you. There are no plans, and the stilts are just wedged in the rocks. The rocks move around after the winter, that's why you can't plan it. They build as they go, and it changes every year. You get to see the artistry of the carpenters. Today there is a platform for winter viewing, but its not as extensive as this. This one is from 2018.