On Wednesday, November 12, Eleven hikers and 1 dog met at Searsburg road for a hike in the northern section of the Finger Lakes National Forest. We hiked on the Interloken trail and the No-Tan-Takto trail. The group photo was taken by beautiful Teeter Pond. This area does not feature many ups and downs, but does have a lovely mixture of pasture and woods.The hike was a bit under 5 miles, and we finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Photos by Mark Sussman
Saturday, November 15
Black Diamond Trail from Kraft Road
Hike report by Margaret F.
24 hikers including new hikers Cathy and Vrinda and 2 dogs gathered at the intersection of Kraft Rd. and the Black Diamond Trail in Ulysses. The morning was cool and calm with hints of sunshine peeking through. For this out and back hike we headed north on the Black Diamond Trail and connected to the North Rim Trail in Taughannock Park. Hikers set their own paces and most turned around at the Taughannock Falls overlook. The fall scenery included the final days of foliage, glimpses of Cayuga Lake, falls overlooks at several points and calm falls woods. No hunters were seen or heard. A maximum mileage hiked by our fastest group was 6.5 miles. The group completed hiking at 11:30 AM, well before the afternoon storms rolled in.
Our Green Lakes hike does a figure eight around the two beautiful meromictic lakes and then uphill to the golf course. The walking is easy on wide well-trodden trails. On this late fall day—overcast, mid-50s, light wind–we met only a few other walkers and joggers. Green Lakes State Park can get very crowded on summer weekends. After circling the north side of Green Lake and the south side of Round Lake admiring the crystal clear blue (not green) water, we walked uphill to bathe in the old growth forest, then steeply uphill with views down to the lakes through the bare trees. We reached the golf course and had snacks in front of the fancy golf course restaurant lounging on the chairs provided. Here there are stunning views of Green Lake and the distant plains north of Syracuse. We can see our starting point (beach restroom building) far below in the distance. We retraced our steps and walked back on the other sides of the lakes. On the way we stopped briefly to enjoy looking up at the towering old growth tulip trees and the rare freshwater reef, Deadman’s Reef in Green Lake. Total time: 2.5 hours. 5.5 miles.
24 hikers and 2 dogs showed up for the trek on this cool, windy, somewhat overcast morning. The leaf-covered trails were relatively level save for a steep downhill on a section of the FLT followed by the final knobby climb back to the cars. We wound through forests young, old, and in one area gone, logging operations at least revealing a nice view as compensation for the newly scarred landscape. A skull hanging on a tree limb provided a curious diversion, but the group completed this 4-mile loop in just under 2 hours.
Nineteen hikers and two dogs on leash met at Dianne’s Crossing on Michigan Hollow road for this out-and-back toward the Pinnacles on the Abbott Loop. This was an atmospheric day for being in the woods. Aside from a few drops within ¼ mile of the cars on the out- and in-bound legs of the route, there was no rain. The woods looked like a Rembrandt painting. Although there was fog at the Pinnacles, spirits were high. This hike had 1003 feet of elevation gain, so not everyone got to the Pinnacles. Depending on where one turned around, this hike was anywhere between 4 miles and 4.75 miles, and it looks like it was a popular day in the woods – not just for our group but for many other hikers we encountered along the way.
Finger Lakes Trail from White Church Rd., Brooktondale
Hike report by Jim
Thirteen hikers and a single dog met on White Church Rd in the Town of Caroline for a hike of the current and former FLT footpath along Wilseyville Creek.
The morning was frosty, and the hills around us sheathed in various shades of brown and green. The fowl at the neighboring home who are usually vocal in objecting to our presence were noticeably quiet today.
Sale of the map sheets helps to offset the on-going costs of trail maintenance.
After the group photo we set off, crossing White Church Rd and entering the FLT. Here the FLT crosses an open field, the tall summer weeds now turned brown in the fall. The trail exits the field and enters some woods, with a couple of rolling hills along the way that stop once or twice to give a hiker a good view of adjacent waterways.
The FLT takes a solid left turn and passes along several open fields and through earth cuts from the days when this section of trail was an active rail line. Soon we reached White Church Rd at Coddington Rd, where the FLT follows Coddington Rd until it turns into the Eberhard Preserve.
Rather than road walk up Coddington Rd the main group turned around and retraced our path on the FLT. A few hardy souls in the group DID continue up Coddington Rd on their own for the remainder of the hike.
Reaching the FLT turn we had previously made, I led the group on what was the former route of the FLT prior to a trail re-route a couple of years ago. This section of trail will soon become part of the Coddington Valley Trail, which will connect the FLT to the South Hill Rec Way when it is completed: https://www.townofcaroline.org/…/project-south-hill-rec…
The group reached Ridgeway RD, where we took a minute to check the area on the opposite side of Ridgeway Rd where I expect the new trail will pass through eventually.
The group turned around and re-traced our route back to the FLT and from there back to White Church Rd and our cars.
For those hikers who are tracking their FLT miles for a 2025 FLT50 or FLT100 patch, I would count todays hike as 4 FLT miles. Since the group split up and had slightly different distances on the FLT, it’s up to hikers to measure their own mileage towards the patch.
Photo by Jim
Sunday, November 2
Monkey Run from Hanshaw Road
Hike report by Leigh Ann
What a brilliantly leaf-jewel shiny day for a hike! Thirty hikers and two dogs on leash headed south from the junction of Hanshaw and Lower Creek Road. We walked down to two “beaches” (that is, rocky places by the creek), up some steep stairs that were each about knee high. Then we travelled up and down through fields, small bridges, and creek beds until we got to the far end of the new section of trail the Ithaca Hikers built about a month ago. We returned without going down the steep stairs again, instead staying along the side of the fields at the top of the bluffs.
This difference in route on the way back meant we returned to the cars about 15 minutes early, having just hiked under 4 miles. Nobody seemed to mind coming back a bit early, and lots of people hung out chatting in the parking lot once we’d gotten back.
This Wednesday (10/22) 17 hikers met at Sapsucker Woods on a beautiful blue sky day. The group wandered through the woods and meadows, around ponds and over boardwalks enjoying the scenery and remaining fall colors. Hiking conditions were perfect over the dry, leaf covered trails. A few mallard ducks and Canada geese were seen floating on the ponds and blue jays were heard singing over the meadow. The delightful fall weather was matched by good conversation and camaraderie for the full 4.5 miles hiked.
Photo by Margaret F.
Saturday, October 25
Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia
Hike report by Nancy Lorr
16 hikers and 1 dog met at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia New York on a beautiful fall day. Some recent light rains replenished the falls for a beautiful display. We climbed the North Rim trail until we reached a side loop giving us a view of Dalibarda falls the tallest falls in the Glen. We continued on the North rim to the dam. After crossing the dam we walked back down a road on the South side until we reached a trail down to the gorge. Now that all 8 bridges on the gorge trail are repaired we were regaled with all the beautiful falls along the gorge trail. After a steep climb of stone steps down to the bottom of the trail we went to see cowshed falls before heading to our cars.
Seventeen hikers and one dog gathered at Stewart Park on a chilly, foggy morning for our annual Halloween hike, an urban walk through two of Ithaca’s cemeteries. Everyone hoped the fog would stay around long enough to make our climb through Lake View Cemetery appropriately atmospheric—and it did. We climbed the hill, looking at grave markers as we passed, visiting the mausoleum and paying our respects at Carl Sagan’s grave.
From there, we went to Sunset Park, where we could see the fog beginning to life on Cayuga Lake’s western shore. After pausing for some photos in this picturesque spot, we walked though Cayuga Heights to the Cornell campus. As we neared the City Cemetery, we turned right down Cornell Street past Llenroc, the mansion built by Ezra Cornell that’s been the home of the Delta Phi fraternity since 1911. By this point, the sun had come out. We entered the City Cemetery near the firefighters’ memorial, then wandered through the ground in a couple of loops before we emerged onto Dewitt Place and descended the trail that runs along the rim of Cascadilla Gorge. (The Cascadilla Gorge Trail itself has remained closed since last year, so we couldn’t do our usual climb back up the hill on that trail. Maybe next year!)
We walked through the Fall Creek neighborhood, looking at decorations residents are getting ready for trick-or-treat night. Because we were starting to run short on time, we decided not to stop at Ithaca Falls. Instead, we walked along the path that runs beside Fall Creek, then crossed Cayuga Street and returned to Stewart Park through Renwick Wildwood, arriving at our cars just a few minutes late.
Twelve hikers and one dog met at the junction of Curtis and Hill Roads in the Town of Danby for an out and back hike that included parts of the seasonal portion of Curtis Rd, the Finger Lakes Trail and the Abbott Loop.
Today’s hike took place entirely within Finger Lakes Trail map sheet M17. FLT map sheets may be purchased in paper or electronic formats at: https://fingerlakestrail.org/…/purchase-individual…/… . Sales of map sheets helps to defray the on-going costs associated with trail maintenance.
The day was cool and blustery as hikers arrived, some being delayed by a power outage in the city of Ithaca. Hikers set off on the unpaved portion of Curtis Rd, which runs between open fields and forested lands. The open fields often have good views across the rolling hills, for the price of some stiff winds on cooler days like today. Things were no different on this cool morning, with the fields being dotted by the many large hay bales spaced across the field. It was unfortunate to see that these fields are now for sale, so it is most likely that these views will soon be replaced by another development.
Curtis Rd enters the state forest, the last few driveways into private residences soon being replaced by a rutted seasonal road. Soon the road intersects the Finger Lakes Trail, and it was here that we turned onto the FLT into a westerly direction. The FLT here passes through many stands of pine trees, in a mostly continuously downhill trail section. The trail section was well-blazed and the footpath in places well-covered by recently fallen leaves. The deciduous trees are well along the process of color change, but around half of the leaves are still in the trees.
The FLT soon meets the Abbott Loop. The group turned southerly onto the Loop, still in a mostly downhill direction. This section of the Abbott Loop can sometimes be a little watery, but despite recent rains there was little evidence of mud. The roots and puncheons proved to be a little slippery from recent overnight rains but were no problem with some care being taken.
Soon enough the Abbott loop begins an uphill climb towards Hill Rd. It was here that the group hit its turn-around time, and so we all reversed course and retraced our route back to the cars. By the time we hit the open fields again it was clearly much closer to the high temps for the day and the sun was out, making the return portion of the hike much more enjoyable than our outbound portion
For those hikers who might be tracking their 2025 FLT miles towards an FLT50 or FLT100 patch. I estimate that today’s FLT mileage at around 3 miles, not including the various sections of road walks that were part of the route.
Photo by Jim
Saturday, October 18
FLT Watkins Glen West
Hike report by Mark Sussman
On Saturday, October 18, twelve hikers and 1 dog met to enjoy the section of the Finger Lakes Trail just west of Watkins Glen. It’s a beautiful and interesting section of the trail. The weather was mild and overcast, and we did get some light rain towards the end of the hike, but it was not an issue in the woods. The trail has some modest ups and downs, and passes some beautiful stonework stairs, a dam, a lake and a 4H camp that bring interest to the hike.
20 hikers and one dog headed up the Treman section of the FLT on this gorgeous fall day. The group quickly spread out with the early hill climbs. A great out and back hike that works well for hikers both fast and not so fast.
