hike reports – Page 67

Report to Hikers: week of Oct 9-Oct 15

Hello Hikers!

Wed Oct 11

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

Official head count: 20H, five D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Sat Oct 14

Treman SP on the FLT from Route 13-34-96

If you really hustle on the long steep outbound leg and don’t stop to rest, it’s possible to reach a spur trail that allows you to return on the more picturesque rim trail. We never attempt this because our group simply walks too slow. But this time an aggressive sub-group broke away from the start to try to make the loop in two hours. The rest of us kept our normal pace.

This is the group I was with, undergoing the customary group shot at this clearing. Right after this, our speedy group appeared and rejoined us, demonstrating definitively it’s possible to do the rim trail loop in two hours …. though one person in that group fell behind — no one waited for him — he couldn’t find the spur trail and had to retrace his steps back.

Official head count: 22H, eight D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Sunday Oct 15

Hammond Hill SF, ski trails off Hammond Hill Road

Official head count: 23H, six D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of Oct 2-Oct 8

Hello Hikers!

Wed Oct 4

YMCA land and big overgrown fields at Ecovillage, West Hill

We spent 45 minutes walking in the YMCA tract, which is heavily wooded — lighting and shadows too poor for me to attempt any photos — you can get an idea from these two shots at the start of the trail what it was like. Annie did take a number of woods shots — link below.

Out of the woods and into the brushy fields of Ecovillage — this is Rachel Carson Way, the main entrance to the development. It has a great casual country feeling.

We rarely get to walk through overgrown fields like these, especially on a wide mowed path, and I really enjoyed it. My only complaint is that there are a lot of big utility poles sticking up on this Ecovillage property.

There’s a mishmash of trails here and it can be confusing. Tiger sketched a map using Google’s satellite view and we did well following that.

For reasons too complicated to get into, our hike broke into three groups early on — two of the groups never got into the fields — one made it over to Coy Glen on Elm Street Extension instead.

Official head count: 17H and five D. We also had a first-time hiker who set out to join us but she found she’d misunderstood where we were meeting and she’d left her phone at home — so she didn’t get to hike.

More photos:

Annie

Saturday Oct 7

Six Mile Creek — south side rim trail starting at Crescent Place, South Hill

Official head count: 30H, eight D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Sunday Oct 8

Malloryville countryside — with Bob B

This is a viewing platform in the middle of the Malloryville bog — there’s some significant plant growing in the middle of the enclosure but I missed what it is because I was distracted trying to get a shot — there’s some very nice woodwork inside the bog but the plank boardwalks can be treacherously slippery and slimy — one of the hikers slipped and fell, landing first on her ass, then her elbows, and then immediately smacking her head on the boardwalk — this person was Tiger — no serioius damage

Here’s a view of the beaver dam — Bob felt the top was too soft for us to walk on, so we forded the stream just below the dam — lots of tremendously gooey mud — one hiker toppled over while crossing and got wet up to her waist

Jack V in the Fall Creek flood plain — here’s what he was photographing

This hike has wonderful variety — I’m putting it onto my Top 12 list

Official head count: 22H, nine D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Bob B got two iPhone shots of the stream crossing at the dam, which was a bit exciting for all of us — see here and here

Report to Hikers: week of Sept 25-Oct 1

Hello hikers!

Wed Sept 27

Potato Hill SF, Caroline

It was very warm, above 80, and sultry — just bearable in the shade of the trees

When we hit Blackman Hill Road we always then cross a very large field with spectacular views to the south all the way into Pennsylvania many miles away — after milling around for a few minutes so I can get some shots where there’s enough light ….

But there was a motion made to skip crossing the field in the hot direct sun and to get right back into the woods

Back into the woods won by a split vote

I love the field but it was undoubtedly cooler in the woods

Official head count: 23H, five D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Saturday Sept 30

Finger Lakes National Forest, Burdett — FLT from lower Burnt Hill Road to Logan Road

Great classic early fall morning on the trail — mid 40s, dramatically gloomy, fresh breeze, raining a little on the last leg of the drive to the trail head and then off and on for the first half of the hike — fabulous atmospherics

There’s a pond and a field right off to the side on the first leg of the walk but I failed to see either — too busy talking — Jack V got a shot of the pond — I liked the lean-to

As I mentioned in the hike announcement, this was the first time we did this hike — the woods are very nice, above average in quality I would say — condition of the trail is very good

Many lively ups and downs along the way — no one had to worry about being cold

We did the last return leg on Burnt Hill Road instead of returning through the woods — this is a first-rate country road

It’s a bit hairy for driving — this was the only car that passed us while we were walking on it

Even though this was our first time doing this hike, we managed to get back in exactly two hours, thanks to some very accurate timing advice from Jack V, who had been here before

Official head count: 14H, nine D

More photos:

Jack V

Sunday Oct 1

Shindagin Hollow SF — from Braley Hill Road to Shindagin Hollow Road on the FLT

Official head count: 23H, eight D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

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Shotgun season for deer doesn’t begin until mid-November, but hunting for small animals and birds began Sunday Oct 1. We don’t stop hiking during this season, but some private landowners who allow the Finger Lakes Trail to cross their property do close their land for hunting starting Oct 1. Our hiking pal Gary M, head of the Cayuga Trails Club, asked me to refer you to this list of FLT closures, and to remind you to honor the private landowners’ requests.

Report to Hikers: week of Sept 18-Sept 24

Hello Hikers!

Wednesday Sept 20

Road walk — farming area between Jacksonville and Perry City, town of Ulysses — with Mark

This is Taughannock Creek, quite a few miles upstream from the falls

This junkyard is famous in the neighborhood for the number of old cars tucked away in the weeds and bushes — there used to be as many as 6,000 — now there’s reportedly about 2,000 — this is an active business selling unusual auto parts

I was really struck by the charm of this Greek Revival-style farmhouse — turns out Susan L knows the owners

Official head count: 14H, four D

More photos:

Jack V

Saturday Sept 23

Hammond Hill SF north of Star Stanton Road, with Jack V

This house has been under construction for a while — seems to be finally finished — this has caused the town of Dryden highway department to improve a new length of Star Stanton Road — don’t know how this will impact parking for us in the future

One of the things I like about HHSF is that we sometimes get to see horses — almost didn’t happen this time, but then we passed these two while we heading home — I had to lean over in front of Tiger, who was driving, to get this shot as we drove by — very unpromising conditions, surprising the photo came out OK — the two riders are there but obscured by the horses

Official head count: 20H, six D

More photos:

Jack V

Sunday Sept 24

Connecticut Hill WMA — The Upper Wedge, with Dave B

Official head count: 20H, five D

More photos:

Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of Sept 11-Sept 17

Hello Hikers!

Wednesday Sept 13

Road walk: Southern Newfield at the Tioga County line

Brand new territory for all of us — this was another rural road walk discovered by Scott while he was riding his bike

We soon came upon a small herd of jet black cattle — it seemed clear they were intrigued by the sight of a group of people walking by — they ran around in an amusing fashion and seemed to be really enjoying themselves

Our walk was shaping up to be very attractive when two highway department trucks pulled up and said the road we were on was about to be closed for resurfacing. We went back to the cars and drove to a new spot on a different road.

I wasn’t sure where we had gone — very deserted setting

As the person who conceived and plotted out this walk, Scott was a little concerned that the group might be disappointed or irritated by the unexpected road work. But everyone took it completely in stride. Scott wrote to me afterwards:

Wanted to pass on my appreciation that when things got screwed up nobody pissed or moaned, bitched or whined. A tribute to the group!

I had a great time myself. I find it so interesting to go out into these picturesque rural neighborhoods I’d never otherwise get to — and walking is an ideal way to check them out.

Official head count: 16H, five D

You can see Jack V’s shots here

Saturday Sept 16

Layen Road to Bruce Hill Road and beyond, Danby

The owner of the quarry has walled it off from the hiking trail by piling up a big mound of dirt — we sent a scouting party over the top to investigate — nothing exciting to report

There’s a couple of nice fields south of Bruce Hill Road that we can just reach before it’s time to turn around — this one is usually planted in corn, except that Tiger said, oddly, this time there were no corn cobs on the plants

There are at least three kinds of apples growing along the side of the big field at the start of the hike, according to Tiger. A number of hikers tried them — very tasty though a bit hard, according to Tiger