Wednesday, July 23
Sims-Jennings Preserve at Cayuga Cliffs, Lansing
Hike report by Margaret F
12 hikers but no dogs met at Sims-Jennings Preserve at Cayuga Cliffs | Finger Lakes Land Trust, for a hike on the trails within the preserve and the neighboring meadow loop. This is hike # 54 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-54.
The weather was perfect with clear blue skies and slightly cooler (though heating up rapidly) than recent weather. Several hikers had not been to this location previously. The group left promptly at 9:30 after taking a group photo (thank you Leigh Ann).
We took the white blazed entrance to the yellow trail then turned left onto the red trail/field loop. The field loop was the least popular section of the trail, but improved by some blackberries and wild flowers along the route. After the field loop we continued to the end of the yellow trail and then retraced the yellow trail back to the white blazes. The overlook near the entrance to the blue blazed trail offered a moment of rest with spectacular views over Cayuga Lake. We finished with the blue blazed Danny’s loop trail then back across the meadow to the parking area. Our hike totaled 4.8 miles and ended just after 11:30 (thank you Casey for keeping time and distance).
The trail conditions were excellent. Everything was dry and well marked. The two sections across meadows were very recently mown. The water levels in streams and the water fall were very low and most of the mosquitoes had taken the day off.
Saturday, July 26
Black Diamond Trail from Houghton Road
Hike report by Jim
Twenty-two hikers and two dogs met on Houghton Rd in the Town of Ulysses for a northbound out-and-back hike of the Black Diamond Trail. This is hike #58-4 on our list of regular hikes: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-58.
This morning started out a little cooler, but as the morning progressed it got hotter and muggier. The group broke down into individual hiker pace, with the fastest hikers making it as far as the new bridge and parking lot at upper Taughannock Falls State Park before turning around.
The group shared the trail with many runners and bicyclists today
Warm welcome to Ken B and his unnamed canine hiking partner on their first hike with the group!
Sunday, July 27
Bock Harvey Forest Preserve and Riemen Woods, Enfield
Hike report by Dave Bock
Ignoring the threat of significant storms, 13 hikers and a dog met at the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Bock-Harvey Preserve for what turned out to be a rain-free morning outing. Leader Dave Bock provided some background history of the Revolutionary War tracts that became his family farm, the wooded portion of which now comprises this Preserve.
The group first walked the access trail across some onetime hayfields now well-populated with goldenrod and turned uphill. The view at the top looks across the valley where Enfield Creek flows into Treman Park. Now entering the woods and after passing the Locust Lean-to, the group turned west on the Finger Lakes Trail to pass through a forest populated largely by 2nd-growth beech trees. Crossing Porter Hill Road, the FLT loops through Rieman Woods before descending what the locals call “Mummy Hill” (no idea why…) back to the road. A short-but-steep walk up the road put the hikers back on the trail thru the beeches. There, a brief side trip offered the opportunity to gawk at a huge 400-yr-old maple, now hollow and likely home to numerous creatures. Beyond the beeches, the FLT enters a special conservation area, 12 acres of what foresters say is one of the finest stands of old-growth maples in the state. Not your backyard shade trees that have room to spread out, in their natural habitat these maples, 200-400 years old, grow straight trunks for nearly 100’ before the first branches appear, filling the forest canopy at a height of 130-140’. After circumnavigating a loop through these woods, we emerged to the east for a short out-and-back across a couple of horse pastures. Then it was back into the woods for a final pass through the old maples on our way to the trailhead and cars.
We covered about 3.5 miles in the 2 hours, with the only raindrops of the day wetting down the hike leader on his short walk home!
