Wednesday, April 30
Arnot Teaching Forest, Newfield
Hike report by Jim
Fourteen hikers met at the north gate of Arnot Teaching Forest for an out-and-back hike on the roads there. This is hike # 52 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-52.
The day was cool and clear as hikers arrived at the gate. The day would warm up and the sun would come out later in the day, but conditions weren’t there yet during the hike.
I normally schedule this hike as a hunting season road walk; when we last did this hike in the fall many members of the group had asked that we return to the location in warmer weather.
Today was special in that our snowbird hikers Lincoln, June and Dave B have returned to Ithaca and re-joined the group for their first hike since coming home. Additionally, we had Sam, a former Ithaca Hiker from the Hesse years, rejoin the group after many years away.
Today’s dry road conditions and clear weather conditions were very good. I was reminiscing with Dave B during the hike on a former day we were at this location that was much more ethereal due to the heavy fog enveloping the route and the forest around us that day. Nothing of the sort was encountered today!
Saturday, May 3
Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale
Hike report by Leigh Ann
Twelve hikers set out from the snowplow turnaround on Shindagin Hollow road to hike south along the creek. We dipped down to the creek and crossed on rocks I had built up a bit the previous day – but these were under more water because of the moderate rain that was still falling. We kept a moderate pace, and in spite of the rain, many of us dropped our rain hoods so we could hear the pattering sound on the leaves. Wendy noted the location of not one but two golden shoes that had fallen off their normal stump, which we returned to their normal place. On the hike back up the road, trilliums were all over the place up the hillside: white ones and garnet ones, especially down near the pond. This is a good weekend to keep in mind for a trillium hike in Shendagin hollow – it reliably rains, but this makes the trilliums even shinier than usual.
Sunday, May 4
Connecticut Hill, Newfield
Hike report by Dave Bock
22 intrepid hikers and 2 dogs ignored the threat of rain for to enjoy this 4.5-mile hike on Connecticut Hill. There was some mist in the air as the group gathered, but that was the last of the precipitation, over before the hike began. Previous days of rain contributed to some muddy conditions and elevated stream levels that afforded a number of opportunities for wet feet, yet nary a complaint was heard. The hike took us past a large beaver pond with an impressive dam, across Carter Creek, and south on an old logging road along the west side of the ravine. Emerging on Carter Creek Road, the group turned north for a brief roadwalk before re-entering the woods for gentle climb along the east side of the ravine. Turning east, the climb became significantly less gentle, eventually leveling out to cross a mowed (and wet!) field. Now at the top of the hill on Lloyd Starks Road, we found a thin fog to be occasionally visible through the trees. Crossing the road, the trail again turned to the north and headed downhill. The final stage of the descent explored a new trail that avoided what would have been a swampy area, but offered its own patches of mud before emerging back on the road amidst the parked cars. Time: 2h10m.
