Hello Hikers!
Thursday March 16
Road walk, Michigan Hollow Road, Danby SF
Gorgeous fresh and sparkling morning in Danby SF — it seemed especially beautiful because it was our first chance to get out after being trapped inside for two days by Snowstorm Stella
One problem at the meet-up — there was a strong wind blowing down from the north, and we were not looking forward to having to walk back into it for an hour on the return leg — over 20 mph with gusts over 30 mph, according to two weather data sites
Norm shot a small video, which you can see here
One good thing about a road walk — if you arrive late, you can just drive ahead and catch up with everyone no matter how far up the road they are
We made it as far south as the Tioga County line in an hour — just about three miles
For whatever reason, the wind wasn’t bad at all on our way back to the cars — maybe it was being blocked by the trees — in any case, we had a great time and everyone was really feeling cheerful
Official head count: 12H, three D
Saturday March 18
Road walk — Legge Hill Road, Candor
More chilly wind blowing right on us — luckily, either it died down quickly or I got used to it, but it wasn’t a bother after the first few minutes
The sky was a leaden grey and the scenery had a wonderful bleak and melancholy feeling — we passed two picturesque decaying houses that must have been lovely in the past; they added to the gloomy mood
It started to snow lightly before we reached the halfway point in the walk
There was a good snow cover everywhere except this little knob — it wasn’t particularly windy at that moment, but it must be a very windy spot in general. Steve (R) shot a brief video from the summit giving a 360-panorama view — you can see it here
This was one of the first of the farmland road walks our group has done — Tiger and I both really loved it the first time — this time we were a little surprised to find it didn’t seem so special to us — we’ve gotten spoiled and we’re really very discriminating now
But there’s no question, the rolling terrain and the gloomy atmosphere were fantastic!
Official head count: 18H, five D
You can see Annie’s photos here
Sunday March 19
Snowmobile trail, Fischer Settlement Road east through Danby SF
The snowmobiles had packed the snow down pretty well, but we had to walk single-file and the surface was a little lumpy and soft, so the walking was a bit tough
This was supposed to be an easy hike but the trail was a lot more uphill than I’d remembered, and we got a good workout
It was really nice out and we were in good spirits — Stephanie said she felt a powerful urge to make a snow angel, something she hadn’t done in many many years
The snowmobile trail turned south and headed down Travor Road through the SF — we got as far as Peter Road in South Danby — another walk for another day
My ass was dragging as we got back to the cars but Tiger said she felt energized and not the least bit tired — I wonder if all this hiking is turning her into an endorphin-type exerciser ….
Official head count: 25H, five D
More photos: