Category: hike reports

Wednesday, July 16

Deputron Hollow, Danby

Hike report by Jim

Thirteen hikers and one dog met at the junction of East Miller and Marsh Rds for an out-and -back road walk of Marsh and Deputron Hollow Roads on a very sunny, very warm and very humid morning. This is hike number 25 on our list of regular hikes: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-25.

The hike starts with a downhill section of the paved portion of Marsh Rd, which soon transitions to a dirt surface seasonal road before meeting Deputron Hollow RD.

Turning onto Deputron Hollow Rd it’s a steady downhill stretch of seasonal road under the forest canopy for about a mile until the roadway transitions back to a paved section of road that terminates at Coddington Rd.

Everyone hiked at their own pace, with the lead hikers led by Leigh Ann reaching Coddington Rd by the turn-around time.

Everyone made it back to the cars at the usual time.

In talking over the hike, I think that I’ll be adding some alternate meeting locations for this hike that we can change up based on the season.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, July 19

Bob Cameron Loop, Connecticut Hill

Hike report by Dave Bock

On a comfortably warm morning with blue skies and puffy clouds 19 hikers met at the radio/cell towers atop Connecticut Hill for our scheduled hike of the Bob Cameron Loop. The trailhead, at an altitude of 2101’, is the highest point in Tompkins County (and in several contiguous counties). The BCL, named for a former manger of the Wildlife Management Area, is one of only 3 officially recognized trails there; the other 2 are the Van Lone Loop and the FLT. Two additonal hikers and a dog, late arrivals, stated their intent to catch up with the group, but were never seen again!

Walking the loop counterclockwise, we started with a long downhill trek, reaching the BCL’s low point at a stream crossing in well under an hour. Experienced hikers are well aware of what a long opening downhill trail portends, and they were not disappointed. About halfway up the climb on southern half of the loop and well ahead of schedule, we used the extra time to branch off the BCL onto some of the lesser trails in the WMA. These traversed an area of mixed forests and offered some obligatory mud before reuniting with the BCL about 1/2 hour later. 

Even with the extra distance added, the group arrived back at the cars over 20 minutes early. At that point most of the hikers opted to head for home, but a hardy few continued along the FLT for a short out-and-back to fulfill the 2-hour goal. This full version of the hike covered just over 4 miles. 

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, July 20

Virgil Mountain, Cortland County

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Twelve hikers and one hiker dog met at the junction of Baldwin and O’Dell seasonal roads for this pleasant hike up the south side of Virgil Mountain on the FLT. The most exciting part of the hike for many people was, as usual, either disagreeing with Google about the right way to the trailhead or – at least as exciting – following what Google said. We lucked out this time: the weather has been dry enough that no one got stuck in mud coming up to the intersection/meet-up spot the way Google insists you go, which is from the south rather than the north. Google was really insistent this time, even to the point of telling people to go fifteen minutes out of their way to come up from the south if they were coming down from the north. Any other time of year, this could get a person stuck.

The route follows the FLT up the mountain at a gentle incline through shady fern glades and across a few stream crossings that are mellow at this time of year. It swings easterly near the top of the Greek Peak chair lift. It is a fun 5-minute detour from the FLT to get a top-down view of the ski slopes and valley to the north. From there, following the FLT gets you to the highest point in Cortland County, marked by a plaque. Some of the group got to the plaque before turning around. Everyone returned to the cars within two hours of when we began hiking.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, July 9

Monkey Run Natural Area, south side of Fall Creek, Varna

Hike report by Jim

Nine hikers and one dog met at the dead end of Monkey Run Rd for a looping hike of the red blazed trails on the Cayuga Trail on the south side of Fall Creek. This is hike #6-1 on our list of regular hikes:  https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-6.

The area of this hike is included in the FLTC trail map ” The Cayuga Trail”, available in paper or electronic formats at:  https://fingerlakestrail.org/…/purchase-individual-maps/

The day was sunny and increasingly warmer as the hike went on. The group hiked in a westerly direction from Monkey Run Rd, stopping at the first trail intersection for a group photo. This section of the hike had the only real mud that I saw on the hike.

Leaving the woods the group crossed the Taiby Flats fields before returning to the forested footpath to hike along the southerly side of Fall Creek. We stopped at one or two spots along the route to walk to the shoreline, or to observe the creek from elevated bluffs.

This route took us back to lower elevations that again followed the creek shoreline. After a few minutes on this section of trail I modified our route and left the creek to take another elevated trail that passed a trail register box where we stopped while I made a short logbook entry.

The group arrived at the Dryden Rail Trail, which we walked back to the vehicles, arriving at the parking area about ten minutes sooner than I had originally planned

A warm welcome to Susan on her first hike with the group!

Our group encountered no other hikers during this hike

Thanks to everyone who came out on a warm day for this hike!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, July 12

Finger Lakes Trail from Comfort Road through Danby State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Fifteen hikers met at the junction of Comfort and Bald Hill Rds in the Town of Danby for an out and back hike on the FLT. This hike took place entirely on FLT map sheet M17; map sheets may be purchased in paper or electronic formats at: https://fingerlakestrail.org/store/maps-and-gps/purchase-individual-maps/. Same of the map sheets helps to defray on-going trail maintenance costs.

This is hike # 18 on our list of regular hike locations:  https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-18.

The hikers left the parking lot and made a short road walk down Bald Hill Rd to the FLT road crossing there.

The day was warm and humid, and everything along the trail was in full bloom, with the undergrowth along the trail crowding into the footpath. Despite recent rains the trail was in generally good shape, the group encountering little in the way of mud. Lots of slick rocks and roots due to recent rains, so we were picking our way along the trail on the downhill first portion of the hike. We encountered two blow-down trees that weren’t there when I recently pre-hiked this route. One sizeable tree was lengthwise on the footpath and required a bushwhack to get around; the other was only a large step-over. Trail conditions report made to the FLTC.

We encountered one couple on the trail, and the Chestnut Lean-to was occupied so we didn’t make a stop there. Otherwise, we had the trail to ourselves.

The group made it to Michigan Hollow Rd and Dianes Crossing before turning around. Leigh Ann led the group on the return leg of the hike, with the group crossing Blad Hill Rd and continuing on the FLT to Comfort Rd with a short road walk back to the cars at the end of the hike.

For those hikers tracking their FLT miles for a 2025 FLT 50 or FLT100 patch, today’s mileage per the map sheet was 3.4 miles.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, July 13

Hammond Hill State Forest from Route 38 south of Dryden

Hike report by Nina

Eight hikers and two dogs gathered on a muggy morning at Hammond Hill State Forest to walk a stretch of the FLT. This is hike #31-3 on the Ithaca Hikers website. Although the sky was dark and there was thunder in the distance, we did not encounter rain on our two hour out and back hike. 

The dirt road leaving the parking lot has a steep hill, but once we were on the FLT the hike had only gentle changes in elevation. There are no significant landmarks or vistas on the trail, but there is a lovely hemlock forest that provided cooler temperatures, and the trail is well marked and reasonably maintained.

At the start of the hike,  we passed a horse-back rider, who said she’s never seen another person on that stretch of trail, and later a few mountain bikers rode by. Otherwise our only other company was a small toad along the pathway.

Wednesday, July 2

Fischer Old Growth Natural Area, Newfield

Hike report by Jim

Ten hikers met in the Town of Newfield for a hike of the various loop trails within the Fischer Old Growth Forest led by Leigh Ann.

This is hike #15 on our list of hike locations:  https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-15.

The day was very sunny and muggy throughout the hike. The group took a quick photo by the cars and then set off across the blue blazed trail that loops around the open field before finally entering the forest on the red blazed trail. Trail conditions were generally good, with minimal water at stream crossings and very little mud. We had the trails to ourselves with the exception of one other hiker.

We made a brief stop at the dead-end trail by the plaque before continuing on the red trail to the yellow blazed loop. Completing the yellow blazed loop the group then did two complete circuits of the red loop before returning to the cars.

Welcome to new hiker Caroline on her first hike with the group.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, July 5

Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenters Falls, Cayuga County

Hike report by Jim

Twenty hikers and three dogs met in Cayuga County for an out-and -back hike of the connected trails of the Carpenter Falls Unique Area and Bahar Nature Preserve trails. This is hike # 60-9 on our list of hike locations:  https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-60.

The day was warm and sunny with very clear skies as the group gathered. Initially we walked from the parking lot to the Carpenter Falls overlook on the fairly new boardwalk. Nobody opted to take the stairs to the lower viewing area, so we returned to the parking area and headed down the trail towards the Bahar Nature Preserve and Skaneateles Lake.

The trail was in mostly good condition; a couple of blow-down trees were easily navigated, and a handful of usually muddy sections on this trail were mostly dried up today. The numerous roots on the footpath were the main hazard, sometimes difficult to navigate through simply due to the sheer number of them preset.

We stopped along the way to look at the lower falls from the edge of the ravine. Unfortunately, some of the other observation points along our route have been rendered inaccessible by DEC closing one of the unofficial trails.

The group reached the lake frontage and hung out there for a few minutes before turning around to retrace our route. A couple of hikers opted to take the road directly back to the cars, but the rest of the group returning to the parking area via the trails.

We encountered a few individuals or couples hiking the trail this morning, but for the most part had the trail to ourselves.

Sunday, July 6

Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Fourteen hikers met at the northernmost parking lots on Braley Hill Road for this hike. The heat index was expected to get to near 90 degrees by the end of the hike, so I had prehiked a route the previous day that maximized shade and minimized elevation change. We headed out through the magnificent pine plantation on B1, took B1 down to B3, and took B3 down to B4. We stayed on B4 to where it does a big, mountain-bike-friendly switchback down to the northern junction with G1, where we turned around and headed back the same way. This five-mile round-trip hike had only 476 feet of elevation gain. Even though the route was on lovingly constructed bike trails, with lots of banks and log-balance challenges, we only saw two bikers the whole time. I guess it was too hot that day for many bikers to want to be out there.

This is a tunnel-of-trees hike that is ideal for a hot summer day, and it begins and ends in the best part: the magnificent pine plantation near the parking lot for B1. With that said, about 1.25 miles in, we got to another interesting part. This part of the hill is being devestated by spongy moths. There weren’t any moths or catepillars to be seen, but for about ½ mile, the forest floor was covered with a thick, still-green carpet of leaf confetti that looked like it had blown down in the storm three days earlier. The forest there didn’t even smell like regular forest: it smelled like cut leaves. Everything green had holes in it, even may apples. Later this season and into the fall, there might be a lot less shade than there was on Sunday, once the stressed trees drop their leaves early, though I expect this also would be interesting to see. 

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, June 25

Oakley Corners State Forest, Tioga County

Hike report by Jim

Four hikers met in Tioga County for a loop hike of the yellow blazed trail system in Oakley Corners State Forest. This is hike # 60-3 on our list of hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-60.

This was the first time the group has hiked at Oakley Corners in about three years. Since the last time we hiked here the state had opened some new red-blazed trails, which I hiked on Tuesday before deciding to not include those trails in today’s route.

The day was sunny, although the hikers stayed under the forest canopy for most of the route, except for a quick stop or two at one of the two ponds our route today had us passing. Because of this we seemed to escape the worst of any heat we might have otherwise experienced.

Other than a group of juvenile campers with their adult group leaders that we ran into along the way, we had the trail system to ourselves during the hike.

Welcome to Ann H and Ralph H on their first hike with the group!

Saturday, June 28

Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area, Newfield

Hike report by Dave Bock

Three Hills Loop: A group of 18 hikers set out from the cemetery in the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area for a 4.25-mile loop hike. The morning was cool, a welcome change after a week of hot, steamy weather. After a brief walk south along the road, we turned west through a short stretch of tall grass to enter the woods for the rest of the hike. We passed a vernal pool, strangely dry despite recent rains, before stopping to look at a tree that’s home to a porcupine. There was no sign of the critter, just a pile of droppings at the foot of the tree. For quite a while the terrain was varied, generally flat with several short uphills and a few gullies. It led us into a fairly remote area of the WMA. where a visiting hiker from Georgia remarked that she thought she heard banjo music. (Younger hikers not familiar with the reference might want to stream the movie Deliverance.) Soon thereafter and well past the halfway mark the trail descended steeply to a stream crossing where, despite very slippery stepping stones, only a few feet got wet. After crossing back a few hundred yards later, the trail paralleled the stream before heading uphill, a mile long steady climb that brought us back to the cars in 2h 10m. 

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

View Randy Olson and Nancy Lorr’s photo album.

Sunday, June 29

Upper Buttermilk Falls State Park from Yaple Road

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Twenty-one hikers and one hiker dog on leash met where the FLT Buttermilk Spur crosses Yaple Road for a loop-and-spokes hike into upper Buttermilk. When approaching the meet-up spot on Yaple or Comfort Road, we saw signs for a race, which we hadn’t anticipated: the Tortoise and Hare Trail Run. So, we knew we would share the trail with runners. For about the first half hour of our hike, we stayed on the left-hand side of the trail and pulled off to applaud whenever a runner passed.

The weather couldn’t have been better for late June. Humidity was low and there hadn’t been much rain over the past week, which made it fun to cross Buttermilk Creek on rocks or through water. Air quality was excellent, so there was no orange glow in the sunlight and the sky was hard-candy blue. All colors and shadows were saturated. 

Our route took us around the eastern side of Treman Lake/marsh and up to La Tourelle. We remarked at the lovely Firelight glamping area, which has a nice coffee/bar/check-in area that’s open to the public until 11:00 pm and live music on Tuesday nights in the summer. Then we headed across the Treman Lake dam, up the Bear Trail to King Road, and back around the western side of Treman Lake. We arrived back at the cars 10 minutes later than expected, after about 4.75 miles and 725 feet of elevation gain.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

View Randy Olson and Nancy Lorr’s photo album.

Wednesday, June 18

Robinson Hollow State Forest

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Eleven hikers met at the junction of the FLT and Robinson Hollow Road to head south for an hour on the FLT and back. This hike starts at a large beaver dam and pond, then goes up and down some gentle slopes until it passes an old homestead foundation that is two miles in from the road. This is where we turned around because the trail heads much more steeply down from there. The weather was like a warm, pleasantly drizzly blanket. There had been some big weather action this season that brought down enormous trees with enormous root pads, but these had already been sawn through by the time we passed them. We returned to the cars in 110 minutes, so a few of us headed up the FLT to the north of Robinson Hollow Road and back to add a bit more time and a tiny bit more elevation gain.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, June 21

Jenksville State Forest, Newark Valley

Hike report by Jim

Thirteen hikers and a single dog met on Allison Hill Rd in Tioga County for a loop hike of the yellow and blue trails in Jenksville State Forest. This is hike # 60-4 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-60.

The day was sunny and quite warm, but the route today was entirely under the forest canopy. I didn’t realize how hot the middle of the day had become until we arrived back at our cars at the end of the hike. The footpath was mostly clear of mud but there were still a few locations along the way that were the consistency of brownie batter, if not actual mud. Most of the footpath was clear of overgrown weeds, but especially in the lower parts of our route there were some overgrown weeds that crowded the trail. Poison ivy along the trail was a common sight, and some people spoke of stinging nettles along the route.

Elevation changes on this hike were fairly minimal compared to some hikes we go on. The first third or more of the hike is a generally steady downhill direction, which would normally lead hikers to think that the second half of the hike entails a similar uphill segment. That is not the case for this particular hike thanks to the very gradual uphill elevation changes on the return part of our route.

As in the past we stopped along the way to check out the view across the valley as well as some of the old foundations found in the state forest.

There were a few family-sized groups of hikers who arrived as I was pulling in the parking lot, and a few extra cars were in the lot as we wrapped up the hike, but we had our entire route today to ourselves.

Sunday, June 22

FLT east from Logan Rd. toward Burnt Hill Rd., Finger Lakes National Forest, Burdett

Hike report by Casey

Nine hikers met on Logan Road at the FlT trailhead.
We went east on the FLT for a one mile climb to the first crossing of Burnt Hill Road. We then continued east on the FLT with various ups and downs and many obstacles such as blown down trees and overgrown wild rose until reaching the second crossing of Burnt Hill Road at about one hour and ten minutes. From there we took the road uphill and back to the first crossing and reengaged the FLT to head west and back to our cars for a total of 4.9 miles and two hours and five minutes. 
It was hot and buggy but just a few raindrops here and there.