Report to Hikers: week of May 23-May 29

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday May 25

Road walk  —  Travor Road, South Danby

Aviary Photo_131086732820017270Aviary Photo_131086743491972658First hike of the year over 80 degrees  —  I worried at the start that it might be a bake-off, since we were out in the open part of the time  —  but the humidity fell below 40% after we set off, and it was very pleasant

Aviary Photo_131086753081452374We did most of the hike in the shade and this was gorgeous.  This was another unfamiliar road, Travor Road, which runs mainly N-S through Danby SF in South Danby.  Some of the scenery was extremely good, and there was a little breeze blowing, the birds were singing merrily, and a mix of sweet pine-needle smell and something else sweet hung in the air  —  extraordinarily nice!

Aviary Photo_131086741841296236One car passed during the whole two hours  —  I always enjoy the flurry of excitement.

R0097630In the middle of the forest we came to an open area along the road where people evidently gather to shoot  —  we picked up a number of spent rifle casings, some of them seemingly large, though I actually have no idea how big they are or how far they might carry  —  this was a first in 12 years of hiking and it was fun for a few minutes.

Aviary Photo_131086822911477869Official head count:  13 H + Yoda

I love to get out of the car and look out over a country road I’ve never walked before  —  it really exerts a bit of a pull on me  —  I like to imagine a life of tramping the countryside and having adventures like I used to read about with relish as a boy ….

Aviary Photo_131086729707868178I’ll need to choose road walks for the hot months that don’t expose us to heat exhaustion, but I think we can keep on finding great ones this summer.

 

Saturday May 28

Doll Hill, Connecticut Hill WMA, followed by a get-together at Dave and Joanna’s

R0097709Aviary Photo_131089361869996742R0097753Aviary Photo_131089822197116373R0097774R0097816R0097828R0097854Official head count:  20(22)H, five D  —  hiker #21 was seen driving the wrong way near the trail head; he turned around but then took a wrong turn and couldn’t find us;  hiker #22 arrived late, met us as we were getting back to the cars

In Jack V’s online photos you can see a fawn  —  there’s no real reference to judge its size  —  it was actually about as big as a very small thin cat

 

Sunday May 29

Kennedy SF, Virgil

Aviary Photo_131090653683914423R0097881R0097889R0097901Aviary Photo_131090281168608493Aviary Photo_131090282458590734Official head count:  22H, four D

It started to thunder about halfway through the hike  —  got extremely dark after a while  —  started to rain just before we finished  —  began to pour a few minutes after we drove away

Report to Hikers: week of May 16-May 22

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday May 18

Yellow Barn SF, Dryden

Aviary Photo_131082239760919109Aviary Photo_131080787703594152Aviary Photo_131080787380241522Tadpoles hatching!

Aviary Photo_131080790301451854Aviary Photo_131080786046954860Aviary Photo_131081179340509464Official head count:  15H, one D

More photos online by Jack V here

 

Saturday May 21

Woodard Road south into Upper Treman SP, Enfield

Aviary Photo_131083795430044290Rain nearby …. approaching  ….  wonderful mild and gloomy atmospherics!

Aviary Photo_131083796112028761Aviary Photo_131083796610986045We wanted to cross Fishkill Creek so we could walk on several quiet country roads just beyond  —  water level very high, and we had to bushwhack quite a distance upstream to find a shallow enough crossing point

Aviary Photo_131083800073255688Aviary Photo_131083798404104936Aviary Photo_131083797886455706Aviary Photo_131083791416675304Aviary Photo_131083789755721133Van Ostrand Road at Thomas Road, a country setting just south of the park boundary

Aviary Photo_131083787746592801Lucifer Falls lookout

Official head count:  22H, threeD

Check out Jack V’s photos here.

 

Sunday May 22

Six Mile Creek from Juniper Drive to the upper reservoir

Aviary Photo_131084148953684038Aviary Photo_131084149809965696More great atmospherics ….  raining very lightly off and on

Aviary Photo_131084150855786322The walk down the stream bed was extremely slippery, worse than we’ve ever seen it  —  one hiker fell and just caught himself on his fingers before he smashed his knee really badly

Aviary Photo_131084151469133493Fallen trees across the stream bed also a big problem  —  more than we’ve ever seen  —  very slow going

R0097390We brought a rope to help with the big uphill climb  —  it actually did help a bit

Aviary Photo_131084154501580789R0097403R0097420Official head count:  28H, three D

Check out Jack V’s photos here

 

Report to Hikers: week of May 9-May 15

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday May 11

Road walk NW of Perry City

Perry City road walk 001Bower Road at Burr Road, Schuyler County  —  farm country!

Perry City road walk 129Absolutely perfect May morning  —  one hiker who knows birds said the fields and meadows were full of bobolinks

Perry City road walk 076The stretch of Bower we walked on had just been wetted down by a highway truck  —  delightful touch of freshness  —  otherwise, dusty!

Perry City road walk 028One micro-burst of excitement, while we were waiting to start  —  huge milk tanker truck passed in a cloud of dust  —  otherwise, no traffic at all

Perry City road walk 123This hike was conceived by our nature photographer Jack V, who lives a few miles away from this corner on Grove Road.  Best road walk we’ve done so far, IMO

Perry City road walk 054Official head count:  18 hikers, three dogs

More photos online:

Me

Annie

Jack V

 

 

Saturday May 14

Stevens Suspension Bridge, Cornell golf course, Cornell horse barns and Park Park

R0096564_editedAnother gorgeous green morning

R0096590_editedR0096602_editedR0096618_editedR0096636_editedR0096667_editedR0096673_editedR0096692_editedOfficial head count:  16H, five D

More photos online by Jack V here

 

 

Sunday May 15

Hammond Hill SF, Dryden

Aviary Photo_131078636247306910Lovely dark cool morning, a little breezy  —   even a few flakes of snow!

Aviary Photo_131078635208717009Aviary Photo_131078634411794445Aviary Photo_131078621269586934Aviary Photo_131078633680328076Aviary Photo_131078631553935897Official head count:  22H, fiveD (not everyone shown here)

Check out Jack V’s photos online here

 

Report to Hikers: week of May 2-May 8

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday May 4

Michigan Hollow Road to Bald Hill Road on the FLT, with a stop at Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF

Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 043Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 011Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 065-001Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 072Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 088Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 100Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 121Chestnut Lean-to, Danby SF 126Official head count:  18 hikers + Yoda

More photos online:

Annie

Jack V

 

Saturday May 7

Six Mile Creek, Mulholland Wildflower Preserve to Potter’s Falls

6 Mile Creek wildflower walk 0116 Mile Creek wildflower walk 0136 Mile Creek wildflower walk 0616 Mile Creek wildflower walk 0736 Mile Creek wildflower walk 0856 Mile Creek wildflower walk 0926 Mile Creek wildflower walk 1216 Mile Creek wildflower walk 1276 Mile Creek wildflower walk 165Official head count:  34 hikers, five dogs

More photos online:

Annie

Jack V

 

Sunday May 8

Monkey Run Natural Area, north side of Fall Creek, Hanshaw Road

Monkey Run north side 072Monkey Run north side 125Monkey Run north side 182Monkey Run north side 216Monkey Run north side 230Monkey Run north side 243Monkey Run north side 247Monkey Run north side 270Official head count:  28 hikers, five dogs

More photos online:

Me

Annie

Report to Hikers: week of April 25-May 1

Hello Hikers!

 

Wednesday April 27

Smiley Hill Road and Hill Road, Danby SF — road walk
Hill Road, Danby SF - road walk 028

Fourth hike of the week abruptly cancelled: An epidemic of plantar fasciitis!

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Regular hikers exhausted: “I need a day to rest between hikes!”

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Wednesday hikes will now alternate road and woods walks

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Second largest midweek head count of the last 12 months: 24 hikers (plus Yoda)

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Schools off all week: Vacationing teachers take to the woods

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First walk on dirt road running through Danby SF: Easy going, beautiful scenery
Hill Road, Danby SF - road walk 083**

Hill Road, Danby SF - road walk 093**

Hill Road, Danby SF - road walk 108**

Hill Road, Danby SF - road walk 115More photos online:

Me

Annie

 

 

Saturday April 30

Rim trail, Shindagin Hollow SF gorge

Shindagin rim trail 014Lots of red trilliums — but where were all the white ones?

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Bad advice on peak display from native plants expert

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Hikers forced to make do with trout lilies and marsh marigolds

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Clever young hiker catches a crayfish

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Official head count: 23 hikers, six dogs

Shindagin rim trail 125**

Shindagin rim trail 150**

Shindagin rim trail 194**

Shindagin rim trail 218**

More photos online:

Me

Jack V

 

Sunday May 1

Lindsay Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, West Danby

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 035“Don’t let some little rainstorm scare you off from hiking”

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Intermittent light rain, chilly breeze, gloom create great atmospherics

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Fields and woods finally turning green — wet conditions bring out vibrant colors

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Lowest Sunday head count in well over a year — first time below 20 since Sept

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Only hard core show up: 13 hikers and two dogs

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 038**

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 049**

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 056**

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 068**

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 093**

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 108**

Lindsay Parsons Preserve 114**