Report to Hikers — week of Nov 23 – Nov 29

Hello Hikers!

Wed Nov 25

This report was written by Jim

Owl Creek Trail, Lower Buttermilk Falls SP

Fourteen hikers and three dogs met in the parking lot at Lower Buttermilk Falls State Park

The main trails in the park are still one way, with the Rim Trail allowing for foot traffic towards the upper end of the park, and the Gorge Trail bringing one way traffic back to lower Buttermilk.

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Leaving the parking lot, the group climbed the paved service road towards the camping area until we reached the turn onto the Owl Creek Trail.

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The group quickly churned its way up that trail until reaching the summit at the cemetery. This trail always provides a good amount of exercise despite its relative shortness compared to many trails we’ve hiked as a group.

After catching our respective breath we returned to the Owl Creek Trail, most of us preferring for the downward leg of the hike to take a slight jog onto a side section of trail that skirts more directly along the rim of the gorge as we proceeded down the slope.

Eventually the group found its way back to the paved service road; from there we took an unimproved service road to a junction with the Rim Trail. The group followed the Rim Trail until reaching a bridge that crossed over to the gorge trail. We returned to the lower park and our vehicles without incident.

A common comment from many hikers following this hike is that the persons who chose which direction to funnel foot traffic on both the Rim and Gorge Trails got their directions wrong, and that the Gorge Trail should have had foot traffic ascending from the lower park. While the views of the Gorge Trail were certainly nice enough going down the trail, the hikers are probably correct in that the hike would have been better going up the Gorge Trail. Hopefully by the next time we do this hike this sort of one-way traffic on the main park trails will no longer bee  an issue.

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Sat Nov 28

This report was written by Jim

Upper Treman SP, Enfield — rural roads and park trails

18 hikers and 6 dogs assembled on Woodard Rd on the fringes of Robert H Treman State Park

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Upon arrival the group found that the Germ-o-phobic Ithaca Hikers were already in the area; it was good to see those of you from that group.

I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to talk to the individual hikers from the Germ-o-phobic hiking group.

It was a cool but clear morning when our group set off down the path towards the wooden bridge that crosses Fishkill Creek towards Butternut Creek Rd.

For me the short stretch along Butternut Creek Rd is usually a pretty nice area to walk, and today was no exception.

By the time the group got to Van Ostrand Rd the group was pretty well strung out, with some hikers not catching up to the main body of hikers until we got to the Rim Trail.

While on Van Ostrand, the wind picked up for a short while, as did the rain, as if to test our resolve to be out and about at that time. A passing motorist actually stopped at one point to inquire as to whether the group needed assistance. I’m not sure if that was motivated by simple country hospitatility or whether the group looked that down-trodden at that point in the hike.

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By the time we got to the end of Thomas Rd and re-entered park property the rain and wind had stopped, and were unnoticed for the remainder of the hike.

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The group walked to the junction of the Rim Trail and Thomas RD, and from there went a short distance along the Rim Trail to the overlook. Part of the group chose to break off from the main body and hike a short distance on the FLT rather than hike to the overlook

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The entire group reconvened on the FLT when the overlook group followed the FLT hikers onto the FLT and met us there.

The reunited group returned to the Rim Trail and hiked that to Upper Robert Treman.

Once at the upper Treman parking lot the group took the side path to the CCC trail which runs through the former Upper Treman campground area; that trail  eventually led us back to the original path from the trailhead, and from there back to our cars.

More photos:

Cian

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Sun Nov 29

This report was written by Jim

The three embedded photos are by Steve S

Fillmore Glen SP, Moravia

Fifteen hikers and five dogs drove to Fillmore Glen State park on a frost-covered morning to hike the north and south rim trails. The gorge trail remains closed to hikers.

The main body set off from the parking lot, soon met by a late arrival who had arrived a little late and chased the group down.

It was a great day for a hike, with the temperatures climbing from their early freezing levels yet always cool enough to not make the hike unbearable for anyone.

The light coming down through the barren trees was fantastic, creating a crisp contrast between light and shadow  that gave us some  interesting views down into the gorge as we passed by on the trail. Being on the trail this late in the season, there was no effect of walking through a green tunnel that I recall from the last time we hiked I this park last summer.

There was a significant amount of water coming over the many waterfalls, and the group stopped multiple times along the way for photo opportunities of these cascades as well as the dam at the upper end of our hiking loop.

After passing over the dam there was a short road-walk to reach the south rim trail, which the group followed back to the lower end of the park.

After reaching the main park area the group diverted long enough to take in a view of the Cowpens, and then returned to our cars at just about a Stephen-perfect two hours and two minutes.

A couple of members of the group, including Cian, chose to make their own hiking route around the park, so his nature panoramas for the day may show different areas of the trails from what the main group saw.

More photos:

Nancy L

Cian