Wednesday, August 27
Finger Lakes National Forest
Hike report by Mark Sussman
Fifteen hikers and one dog met at Picnic Area Road in the Finger Lakes National Forest for the 5 Ponds Loop Hike. Although the weather forecast looked promising, we unfortunately started out in the rain. This certainly did not help on the slippery puncheons on the quarter of a mile stretch before Foster Pond. Some hikers wore spikes (which helped a lot), and some used poles, while some were just extra careful. Luckily no one slipped and fell on these treacherous board walks.
Once we got to Foster Pond, the rain had stopped, and the weather held up for the rest of the hike. The group enjoyed seeing all the ponds, and the walk overall. We finished very close to the 2 hour time window.
Saturday, August 30
Hammond Hill, Dryden
Hike report by John D.
Twenty-four hikers and two dogs met at the parking lot on Hammond Hill Road. Summer was missing-in-action but more than a few hikers were fine with that. It was a mostly sunny day and the trails were dry. This hike was entirely a woods hike with hints of a vista in the portion facing Route 38/Dryden Harford Rd.
The map posted at the trailhead is out of date. It does not include several recently added trails. However, our route was entirely on yellow trails so that map sufficed. We travelled Y1 -> Y3 -> Y8 -> Y4 -> Y5 -> Y6 -> Y1, a total distance of 4.3 miles in a tad under two hours.
We encountered a few trail runners and one cyclist. I was happy for the latter having warned of that possibility. We also came across a hollow tree which appeared to have burned on the inside. There was speculation as to whether this was from a lightning strike.
I was pleased to lose no one in my first time as hike leader. Thanks to Leigh Ann for acting as sweep to make that happen.
After the hike two hikers went back to investigate the dilapidated shack seen from the trail. No word of their fate.
Sunday, August 31
Cayuga Trail north side, Varna cliffs, Ithaca
Hike report by Leigh Ann
Thirty-six hikers and three dogs on leash met at the Cornell Agricultural Plots on Freese Road for this out-and-back hike. We followed the North Monkey Run section of the Cayuga Trail over toward the junction of Hanshaw and Lower Creek Roads, where the people in front turned around. The trail conditions were excellent – well-mowed, dry, and easy to navigate – except for a heavily-traveled short stretch that the creek is undercutting. This is well known to be an opportunity for rerouting, and it looks like rerouting would dramatically increase the safety of that stretch once it happens.
The weather was stunning – really, it’s hard to imagine how it could have been better. Spirits were high as the long train of hikers stretched several tenths of a mile through the woods. It was fun to see and hear others across the wooded edges of gullies where the trail doubled back and coming down switchbacks to the creek. Everyone arrived back at the cars within two hours, and many stayed to chat for a while after that.
