ithacahikers

Wednesday, October 7

O.D. von Engeln Preserve, Freeville

Hike report by Jim

Thirteen hikers and one dog met in the parking lot of the O.D. von Engeln Preserve for a hike led by Claire. This is hike # 44 on our list of regular hike locations: hike #44 – ithacahikers.

The weather was cool but sunny as hikers arrived at the parking lot.

We started the hike promptly at 9:30, which caused a few late arrivals to have to run to catch up to the main group.

The preceding evening had low temps in the high 30s, and the footpath was covered by the first layer of dead leaves which crunched underfoot as the group hiked. Falling acorns hit the forest floor at times along our route.

The group completed most of the outer loop of the Preserves trail system ( see trail map here: Malloryville-Swamp-Preserve.pdf ) before we bushwhacked a short distance off the trail system to the near-by former railbed. We followed the rail bed in a northerly direction, following the edge of the Preserves property, crossing over a couple of old railroad trestles along the way before we returned to the northern end of the Preserves property where several unofficial trails exist but where, per the signage, hiking is allowed.

Re-entering Preserve property from the rail bed, we followed those winding trails through the woods until we turned off the footpath to follow along the crest of a fairly substantial esker. This esker led to an old but still solid beaver dam, which the group crossed without incident.

Once on the opposite bank of the pond above the dam, we followed the edge of the pond before returning to the trail system. We took those trails along the edge of the Preserve property back to the railbed and from there back to the trails in the lower end of the Preserve.

Once back on the official Preserve trails we continued the outer loop we had started the hike on until we reached the Esker trail that runs up the center of the Preserve. The hikers followed the Esker Trail to its northern end and then retraced our original route on the outer trail back to the parking lot.

Saturday, October 10

The “Chunks” Hike, Stone House Rd., Enfield

Hike report by Nina F.

A gorgeous fall day brought out 26 hikers and one dog to hike what Ithaca Hikers call “The Chunks,” a relatively new hiking route that begins at the parking lot along Stone House Road in Enfield. This hiking route came about after late property owner, Margaret Bald, left her historic stone house and 140 acres of surrounding lands, located at the junction of Stone House and Woodard Roads in the town of Enfield, to the Finger Lakes Land Trust in 2022. After acquiring the property, the Land Trust created a loop trail through what is now known as “Margaret’s Woods” and a connector path to the Finger Lakes Trail. There was a ribbon cutting in 2024 to officially open the new hiking area. Ultimately, this Land Trust property will be taken over by the Office of State Parks and Historic Preservation and absorbed into Robert Treman State Park.

Jim named this hike The Chunks after pre-hiking it with Leigh Ann some time ago, who commented that the various portions of the hike: the loop through Margaret’s Woods, the access trail toward the state park, the CCC trail, and the loop through upper Treman, each has different qualities and attributes to them. Leigh Ann described the hike as being broken up into various ” chunks,” each chunk bringing its own unique attributes and qualities to the overall route. The route features a mix of scrub trees, maples, hickories, gullies, streams and a fabulous view of the 115 foot Lucifer Falls in Upper Treman State Park.

We did all the chunks Saturday, starting with the loop through Margaret’s Woods. After walking the loop, we crossed back through the parking area (where we ditched outerwear in our cars as the day, and our bodies, warmed up) and took the connector trail to the FLT into upper Robert Treman State Park. At the end of the connector trail we crossed the small bridge over Fish Kill Creek and followed the FLT all the way to the Lucifer Falls overlook, where we turned around and headed back. The hike ended at 11:30. 

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, October 11

Finger Lakes Trail in Danby State Forest from S. Danby Road to the Tamarack Lean-to

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Twelve hikers and two dogs on leashes met up for this hike. Given that the remains of Hurricane Isaias were moving through the area, we lucked out during the hike. There was a little light rain at the beginning and end and no moderate rain. The wind was enough to make a few trees creak in eerie ways appropriate for October. This hike goes from South Danby Rd. east to the Tamarack lean-to and back on the FLT. It’s delightfully chill and feels pretty flat, even though it has almost 600 feet of elevation gain across its 4.1 miles. We encountered a few people who had camped out at the Tamarack lean-to or a few hundred feet west of there, all of whom were packing up before the heavier rain arrived. Amazingly, we returned to the cars before the heavier rain arrived. This was about 12 minutes early, just before the rain was set to pick up again, and no one minded. 

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, October 3

Lindsay Parsons Preserve, West Danby

Hike report by Nina F.

Twenty hikers, including two Ithaca Hikers first timers, met on a gorgeous fall day to hike the diverse, winding trails of Lindsay Parsons Preserve in West Danby. This hike has a variety of landscapes, including rolling fields, cattail-filled beaver ponds and long stretches of woodland. At the outset, we added an additional loop leaving from the southern end of the parking lot to walk around “the goldenrod field” to enjoy the pretty fall colors as well as ensure the hike was a solid two hours. From there we took the typical route that Ithaca Hikers follow, starting on the Blue trail at the northern end of the parking lot, past the entrance with the kiosk into the expansive fields. After walking through the fields, we stopped for a few minutes at Coleman Lake to enjoy the view. From there we traveled the red trail to the yellow trail, past another lovely pond, entering the woods and connecting with the orange trail. We crossed the railroad tracks that run through the preserve, and went up a brief incline to catch the purple trail, which makes a loop and deposits you back on the orange trail farther along. From there we crossed back over a different stretch of railroad tracks and continued through more woods until finally coming back out to the red trail. One point of interest was a fire hydrant in a seemingly very unlikely place (in the middle of a preserve) that caused us all to wonder what it was doing there. Finally, we followed the fields back to the blue trail and exited by the kiosk where we entered. The hike lasted two hours.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, October 4

Watkins Glen State Park

Hike report by Sarah S.

19 hikers and 2 dogs met at the corners of White Hollow and Punch Bowl Roads to hike the Finger Lakes Trail down to the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park.  The weather couldn’t have been more perfect on this October morning.  Leaves had started showing their colors, acorns were falling (hard hats, anyone?), and we started the hike with temperatures in the low 50s.  Though chilly to start, the sun filtering through the trees quickly warmed us up.  Many hikers donned extra orange, which was really helpful when making sure everyone was accounted for! 

After the customary group photo, we headed North-East on Punchbowl road following the white blazes of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT).  After about 10-15 minutes we veered left along a nice forested trail (with lots of roots) along the gorge.  We came upon a hidden picnic shelter and wound around a small marshy pond.  This part of the FLT is beautiful, technical, and has a magical fairy like quality to it, especially in the early morning sunshine. 

The FLT eventually came back out to meet a wider path which revealed the train trestle at the far end of Watkins Glen State Park.  We were not fortunate enough to see a train cross today, but did hear the whistle of one as we were setting out (along with engine sounds from the Watkins Glen International Speedway).  We marched on, pausing at the one mile bridge to work out logistics for our fellow hikers with dog friends since Dogs are not permitted on the Gorge Trail.  As we wandered further down the path, we were mesmerized by miniature stone towers set upon a group of stone tables off to the right.  

A short distance further, we encountered the Suspension Bridge on the left.  We waited a few minutes for everyone to catch up, made our way across the bridge, turned right, and right again and filed onto the Gorge Trail. 

We spent some time taking in the views and snapping pictures.  There were even some Ithaca Hikers who had never been on the Gorge Trail before–what a treat to experience it for the first time!  Some of us ruminated about how no matter how often we walk the trail, there’s always something new to experience, whether it’s the angle of sun, a new plant, or simply entering the trail from a different direction/spot than usual.  

We traversed up stairs, walked through tunnels, behind Rainbow Falls and across more stone bridges and finally emerged from the Gorge at the One Mile Bridge, pausing again to make sure everyone was accounted for.  

From the One mile bridge, we turned right, reuniting with the FLT and heading back the way we came.  We retraced our steps back under the railroad trestle.  Instead of taking the FLT back down along the Gorge, we stayed on the wider, more level path.  We came out to an old parking lot at the end of Punch Bowl Road and finished the hike to an overcast sky in the low 60s.  Strava reports we hiked a little over 5 miles with an elevation gain of 1316 feet.  

Thank you to everyone that came for making this a great hike for a intrepid first-time leader!    

Following the hike, 8 hikers met up at Grist Iron Brewing Company for some lunch.  Little did we know, there was a Fall Festival in full swing, with food, helicopter rides, games, and local fare & wares. Two of our hikers bravely participated in a Steinholding contest! A full stein weighs about 5 lbs., and must be held at arms length, with no bend in the elbow for as long as possible without spilling.  

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, September 23

Finger Lakes Trail South of Boylan Rd., Newfield

Hike report by Jim

Five hikers met at the junction of Boylan and Hulford Roads in the Town of Newfield for an out and back hike on the Finger Lakes Trail.

This is a modified version of hike # 55 which I altered after pre-hiking the route described in the linked hike description because I didn’t like the current state of the footpath between Connecticut Hill and Boylan Roads after that section was logged a year or two ago.

Today’s hike was planned for a short FLT hiking window between the early antler-less deer season last week and the start of bow hunting season on October 1^st.

Today’s hike took place entirely on FLT map sheet M16. Map sheets in either paper or electronic formats may be purchased through the Finger Lakes Trail Conference at Purchase Individual Maps – Finger Lakes Trail Conference. Sale of the map sheets helps to defray the on-going costs associated with trail maintenance.

I arrived at Boylan Rd to find the town highway department grading the length of the dirt portion of Boylan Rd with graders, tractors with rakes and rollers. The other arriving hikers were able to park along the wide grassy shoulder of Hulford Rd without incident.

After a short road walk on Boylan Rd the hikers turned southerly onto the FLT. The Trail first crosses an open field, which had been mowed in the recent past, so the grasses there were very short. The footpath enters the woods and remains under canopy for the remainder of the hike except for a short previously logged section near Cabin Rd and a couple of small meadows which the Trail skirts the edge of.

Trail conditions were generally good, with dry footpath, no stream crossings and only a few smaller blowdowns lying across the Trail which were easily stepped over or around. Temperatures were pleasantly cool, the sun was out during the hike, and we were greeted by cooling breezes as we returned to the open fields bordering Boylan Rd.

Elevation changes are minimal throughout the hike.

The logged portion near Cabin Rd has grown up since the last time I hiked this Trail section. Immediately after that area was logged, the affected hillside had the appearance of a moonscape. A couple of years after that logging operation, the Trail now passes through a mowed area surrounded by small saplings that conceal any remaining logs or other logging debris.

The hikers arrived at Cabin Rd without incident. Randy O and Nancy L suggested that we take a few minutes to look for some mushrooms they had observed in the area on their last hike there. The group only found a couple of very past-their-prime mushrooms.

After turning around and beginning to re-trace our route the various hikers opted to stop and look at various fauna, trees and other natural things that the group was passing by. We noticed an apple tree still bearing fruit, and several hikers availed themselves of an apple or two before resuming their hike.

By the time we arrived at Boylan Rd the highway department was wrapping up their roadwork, leaving us with a much-improved seasonal dirt road surface compared to what had been there previously.

For those hikers tracking their FLT miles for a 2026 FLT 50 or FLT 100 patch, today’s hike included 3.4 FLT miles.

Saturday, September 26

Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia

Hike report by Nina F.

Twenty hikers and two dogs met at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia for a fall hike in a gorgeous state park. We made a quick stop for a photo at the bottom of The Cowsheds Waterfall, before ascending a set of stairs to head up to the Gorge Trail. Walking this direction allows for the best views of the gorge and waterfalls. At the top of the Gorge Trail we headed to the North Rim Trail and took a right for an out and back/lollipop portion along the Waterfall Loop Tail for a final waterfall view, before descending down the North Rim Trail back to the parking lot. The North Rim Trail is lovely in its own right, with tall Eastern Hemlocks along the winding trail. The hike was two hours and we were just shy of four miles.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, September 27

Dryden Rail Trail from Dryden Village

No report was submitted for this hike.

Wednesday, September 16

Trail Maintenance day

Report by Jim

This fall we tried something new by scheduling a trail maintenance day on a Wednesday instead of a Saturday.

While we did have seven hikers meet for today’s work, we will be returning to scheduling future regular trail work for weekends in order to get a bigger turn-out.

Because of today’s smaller turn out I chose to not split the group up as I normally do and instead focus on one section of the Cayuga Trail.  The hikers focused on pruning back the very overgrown part of our trail section between Route 13 and the new bridge that Ithaca Hikers assisted Cayuga Trails Club in building a couple of years ago. Because our spring work day earlier this year focused on a trail re-route, today’s trail section has not been cut back in a year, and it shows by the amount of overgrowth.

We also re-blazed today’s section of trail as there were many very faded blazes or long trail segments missing blazes. I mis-judged how many hikers are needed for that task; in the future we will have at least two people re-blazing the trail on our work days.

After the group returned to our cars we met at Shippers and Brewers for lunch.

Today’s hikers agreed that we will hold another trail workday this fall when there’s a hike that has been cancelled so that we can try to complete some of the tasks we couldn’t finish today.

Saturday, September 19

Sims-Jennings Preserve at Cayuga Cliffs, Lansing

Hike report by Nina F.

Seventeen hikers and two dogs met to hike at Sims-Jennings Preserve in Lansing. Although there was only one first-time hiker with the Ithaca Hiking Club, we had many people who don’t join us often or hadn’t hiked with the group in a while, so it was especially nice to see some less familiar faces. It was a lovely day, with mild temperatures, abundant fall colors, and plenty of sunshine.

Sims-Jennings has several interconnected trails featuring a mix of landscapes and views. We started with the relatively flat out-and-back section through the woods, which crosses a small bridge over a pretty stream. Next, we walked around the large fields, which were absolutely stunning in their fall colors. We also saw numerous monarchs and enjoyed several views of Cayuga Lake from the top of the fields.

From there, we took the small loop overlooking the gorge and lake before finishing with the larger loop, which is quite steep—first downhill and then back up! Hikers had the option to depart before the final loop, but most stayed for the longer route. We wrapped up the hike at 11:45.

Sunday, September 20

Black Diamond Trail from Gorge Road

No report was submitted for today’s hike.

Wednesday, September 9

Fischer Old Growth Natural Area, Newfield

Hike report by Kathy K

4 hikers met on a muggy day for an excellent hike through the trails that weave around in the beautiful woods of Fischer Old Growth Forest- passing by big trees, across small streams, up and down medium hills, walking by a field, ….

We hiked the beginning part of the red trail to the memorial, then over to do the yellow loop, back to do the red loop (counter clockwise), then repeated the yellow trail in the other direction, finally back up and to the blue trail through the field, and to the cars. In 1 hour 50 minutes. (repeating the red loop in the other direction instead would have been right about 2 hours)

I’d recommend this for people looking to hike on their own too, or with visitors etc. (keep an eye on hunting however- it’ll be happening there next week for instance).  It’s close to downtown Ithaca. The trails are well marked once you get down the field, you can make it longer or shorter by choosing your route, repeating sections if you want a longer hike. 

Saturday, September 12

Shortened Van Lone Loop, Connecticut Hill

Hike report by Nancy Lorr

14 hikers and one dog gathered at the Van Lone Loop parking on Gulf Road on a perfect September morning with blue skies and a comfortable temperature. We started on the Finger Lakes Trail along the Cayuta Lake outlet also known as the Gulf. The creek was relatively low but not dry. After a little more than a mile, we arrived at the creek crossing. The waterfall was dry but at least the creek crossing was easy. Shortly beyond we turned up off the FLT on an old carriage trail. It took a rather steep rise and leveled off, following the side creek from above. Next we walked through a grassy meadow and arrived at the upper part of Van Lone loop. Not far from this junction we could see the foundation of an old schoolhouse serving a community of the past. From there we headed back first recrossing the side creek and then climbing further up Van Lone Hill. The trail finally fed into the upper terminus of Gulf road which descended steeply to our cars.

View Nancy and Randy’s photo album.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, September 13

Eastman Hill Rd at the Tioga/ Tompkins County Line into Eberhard Nature Preserve

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Thirteen hikers and one leashed dog had a fun time on this hike, which turned out to be prettier than I expected because the top of the hill was misty. This also meant it was rather humid. Hikers joked that it felt like their skin was plumping up. Speaking of funny things, someone had put a plastic zombie hand in the hikers’ register near the western entrance to the Eberhard Preserve. May be Jim Rolfe? (grin). He had signed in earlier that morning on his way over the hill from Coddington to 96b and back. That’s a lot of real estate to travel, and our paths didn’t cross at the same time today. The 13 hikers and one dog arrived back at the cars nine minutes early after about 4.2 miles and 650 feet of elevation gain.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.