Wednesday, October 22
Sapsucker Woods Trails Cornell Ornithology Lab
Hike report by Margaret F
This Wednesday (10/22) 17 hikers met at Sapsucker Woods on a beautiful blue sky day. The group wandered through the woods and meadows, around ponds and over boardwalks enjoying the scenery and remaining fall colors. Hiking conditions were perfect over the dry, leaf covered trails. A few mallard ducks and Canada geese were seen floating on the ponds and blue jays were heard singing over the meadow. The delightful fall weather was matched by good conversation and camaraderie for the full 4.5 miles hiked.
Saturday, October 25
Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia
Hike report by Nancy Lorr
16 hikers and 1 dog met at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia New York on a beautiful fall day. Some recent light rains replenished the falls for a beautiful display. We climbed the North Rim trail until we reached a side loop giving us a view of Dalibarda falls the tallest falls in the Glen. We continued on the North rim to the dam. After crossing the dam we walked back down a road on the South side until we reached a trail down to the gorge. Now that all 8 bridges on the gorge trail are repaired we were regaled with all the beautiful falls along the gorge trail. After a steep climb of stone steps down to the bottom of the trail we went to see cowshed falls before heading to our cars.
View Nancy and Randy’s photo album.
View Randy Suwara’s photo album.
Sunday, October 26
Ithaca City Cemeteries Hike
Hike report by Nancy Holzner
Seventeen hikers and one dog gathered at Stewart Park on a chilly, foggy morning for our annual Halloween hike, an urban walk through two of Ithaca’s cemeteries. Everyone hoped the fog would stay around long enough to make our climb through Lake View Cemetery appropriately atmospheric—and it did. We climbed the hill, looking at grave markers as we passed, visiting the mausoleum and paying our respects at Carl Sagan’s grave.
From there, we went to Sunset Park, where we could see the fog beginning to life on Cayuga Lake’s western shore. After pausing for some photos in this picturesque spot, we walked though Cayuga Heights to the Cornell campus. As we neared the City Cemetery, we turned right down Cornell Street past Llenroc, the mansion built by Ezra Cornell that’s been the home of the Delta Phi fraternity since 1911. By this point, the sun had come out. We entered the City Cemetery near the firefighters’ memorial, then wandered through the ground in a couple of loops before we emerged onto Dewitt Place and descended the trail that runs along the rim of Cascadilla Gorge. (The Cascadilla Gorge Trail itself has remained closed since last year, so we couldn’t do our usual climb back up the hill on that trail. Maybe next year!)
We walked through the Fall Creek neighborhood, looking at decorations residents are getting ready for trick-or-treat night. Because we were starting to run short on time, we decided not to stop at Ithaca Falls. Instead, we walked along the path that runs beside Fall Creek, then crossed Cayuga Street and returned to Stewart Park through Renwick Wildwood, arriving at our cars just a few minutes late.
