Category: hike reports

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Tuesday April 24

Woodard Road NW to Hines Road and beyond

The state’s in the process of rebuilding the wooden bridge over Fishkill Creek that was damaged and demolished a few years ago.  The work is now moving quite fast.

Official head count:  15H, three D

 

Sat April 28

Layen Road to Bruce Hill Road and beyond, Jersey Hill, Danby

Official head count:  32H, five D

 

Sun April 29

Route 79 at the Tioga County line south to Blackman Hill Road, Caroline

I misremembered the character of the trail  —  it’s actually a killer, up there with our toughest hikes  —  on the other hand, the scenery is pretty much great.  We just need to be sure we do this walk only in chilly weather.

We made it up almost to Blackman Hill Road  —  this is the big field right next to the road  —  normally there are great views, but not this time

Great walk!

Official head count:  18H, three D

 

 

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday April 18

New loop trail, Danby SF

We set out pretty much planning to do a standard ‘walk-in, turn around, walk-back’ hike on two familiar trails, the FLT past the Chestnut lean-to and the north leg of the Abbott Loop  —  but then when we were part way up the Abbott Loop leg, we decided to push on instead of turning around  —  that way we’d reach Bald Hill Road and then be able to follow that north right back to the cars  —  creating a true loop.

Big success!  —  many of our regulars prefer a loop walk to an in-and-out one in principle  —  now this new loop can become a regular part of our repertory.  It also solves a strenuousness problem  —  the walk up the north leg of the Abbott Loop is very attractive but a certified killer  —  now we can start the loop by walking down this killer segment  —  we’ll come back up to Bald Hill Road on the much easier Chestnut lean-to trail.

Of course this isn’t actually a “new” loop at all  —  it’s been sitting there in front of our noses all along  —  I just failed to notice it for many years

Official head count:  16H, two D

 

Sat April 21

Kennedy SF, Virgil

Official head count:  25H, four D

 

Sunday April 22

4 Mile Loop, Connecticut Hill WMA  –  with Dave G

Official head count:  28H, seven D

 

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday April 11

Smiley Hill Road, Hill Road and the FLT, Danby SF

There’s no painless way to get up the steep hill on the east side of Michigan Hollow Road at this popular hike trail head (Diane’s Crossing)  —  but there is an easier way and a harder way ….

After a few seconds of discussion, we chose the easier way, up Smiley Hill Road

It’s not that easy, actually  —  like walking up Buffalo Street into Collegetown or walking up Gunshot Hill to Cornell  —  but it beats the hairy alternative, climbing up the FLT

You come out onto Hill Road right near the end of the part that’s maintained  —  very pleasant stretch

Then Hill turns into a classic woods road  —  fun, but you need to watch your footing in spots

We decided to vary the way back to the cars and come back through the forest on the FLT  —  better and more dramatic scenery, and of course it’s pretty much effortless in the downhill direction

I like it when I can get a shot that hints at a story  —  here’s what’s going on in this one:   Elizabeth is holding everyone back so a hiker out front can finish a pit stop ….

Official head count:  16H, three D

 

Saturday April 14

Bald Hill Road, Danby SF

We rarely get the chance to hike in fog  —  I love the mood it creates

I tried an atmospheric group shot —  three hikers not shown …..

After a while, Jim decided we should have a group shot that included me  —  I always duck out of these, but he seemed determined, so I went along

We hit the junction with Michigan Hollow Road just as it was time to turn around  —  I thought the light was really nice, so this called for another commemorative group shot

The same three hikers were still behind us and didn’t make this photo either

Lovely morning

Official head count:  17H, three D

 

Sunday April 15

Buttermilk Falls SP  —  rim trail and Bear Trail

Official head count:  20H, four D

More photos:

Jack V

 

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday April 4

Stevens Suspension Bridge to the bluffs on the north side of Fall Creek in Monkey Run

It was supposed to rain but Tiger and I studied the hour-by-hour forecast and it seemed like we could get in a nice hike with minimal rainfall  —  the idea was especially appealing because it was supposed to be very mild until later in the afternoon

Unfortunately it started to rain pretty hard before we got very far.  It was also muddier than I expected

Two hikers weren’t having fun and called it quits

I like hiking in the rain and I don’t mind a bit of mud, so I was enjoying myself.  But it started to rain even harder and the path got even wetter.  Five more hikers soon turned back.

Gopi is a daredevil but she was unwilling to go the last five feet out to the slender tree on the edge like I wanted her to do

The temperature started to drop, although that wasn’t supposed to happen for some hours.  It was definitely getting chilly.

Then the rain eased off and we got some great atmospherics

My hands were quite cold by the end, but unless we take a chance and venture out on a day with an iffy forecast we can’t hope to see any of the wonderful effects you can get during bad weather

Official head count:  14H, three D

 

Saturday April 7

South Danby Road east to the Tamarack Lean-to on the FLT

Official head count:  23H, three D

More photos:

Jack V

Me

 

Sunday April 8

Lindsay Parsons Preserve, West Danby

Official head count:  22H, four D

More photos:

Jack V

 

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wed March 28

Road walk in Enfield and Newfield  —  Woodard, Stone House, Van Ostrand and Burdge Hill roads

The storm that dropped a half-inch of rain overnight ended just as we got to the trail head

It was exceptionally nice in the aftermath  —  calm, misty, a lovely mildness to the air  —   the ditches were full of runoff and there were blackbirds singing in the abandoned and overgrown farm fields  —  it felt like spring had suddenly popped

We were in a very quiet area tucked in the SW corner of Treman SP  —  a very pleasing mix of occasional houses, woods, overgrown fields and actively maintained fields

After a while the terrain starts to rise and we began to get some great distant views

Without comparing notes or talking about it at all, Tiger and I both decided we would love to live on Woodard Road amid the raggedy old fields

Official head count:  11H, three D

More photos:

Jack V

 

Saturday March 31

Road walk in Brooktondale  —  Braley Hill Road, Chestnut Road and Bailor Road

Official head count:  21H, five D

More photos:

Jack V

 

Sunday April 1

Lick Brook from Town Line Road, Danby

Official head count for the hike:  28H, eight D

Easter party at Hobit’s

A few people who hiked couldn’t make it to the get-together  —  but quite a number of people who didn’t hike showed up  —  Hobit solved the  problem of congestion in the kitchen by moving the food down to the living room

Very nice festive vibe

More photos:

Jack V

Me