Report to Hikers: week of Jan 4-Jan 10

Hello Hikers!

 

 

Wednesday Jan 6

Potato Hill SF, Caroline

A minute or two after we set off for the trail head, Tiger noticed a “low tire pressure” warning light on the dashboard. It took a lot more time than we expected to resolve this, thanks to a series of semi-comical mishaps, and so we had to miss the hike. I regret this, because from the photos by Annie and Jack V, it looks like it was a really good one. Annie prepared a report for everyone, and Brenda added more info. I asked Annie and Jack V to send me their two favorite photos, and a blurb explaining why they especially liked the shots they picked.

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Annie’s report:  Today’s hike started out with a bit of a surprise. Several cars lined up on Level Green but no Hesses were to be found. We then got the word that they had car trouble and would not be hiking today. We were on our own! The first challenge was finding the trail. What I learned later was, if you were using Google Maps and its dropped pin for the meeting place, and if you stopped right where the pin dropped, you were precisely at the trail head. Of course, we were parked hither and yon so we did scramble back and forth until we got it right. Jack V. led the way through the snow covered woods, which were filled with shafts of sunlight, tall tree shadows, crunchy snow and ice. It was beautiful and we all knew that Steve and Susan would have loved it.

There is the trail head! Why didn't I notice it when I drove pass it?
          Click here to see a version of this photo online

Photo by Jack V. He chose this shot because ‘Here is the trail head! How did I drive past it without seeing it?’

Crossing Blackman Hill Road, we noticed a state trooper parked near the Hidden Driveways sign. (Of course, in my photograph, I would have liked to change the sign to read “Hidden State Trooper” but the sign was too small in the photo for a quick change by yours truly!). We were very careful to hike to the left of the power poles and driveway (especially aware of the watchful eyes of the state trooper) and up the field we climbed, entranced by bright blue skies, streaks of white clouds, and bright sun that warmed us up. The views were lovely and we were told that we were seeing Pennsylvania mountains on that clear morning.

16-_AEW5250-001

          Click here to see a version of this photo online

Photo by Annie: “I enjoyed all the vistas we saw today but I particularly like this photo where I zoomed in on the view. I like seeing the various hills and mountains in the distance, with varying shades of blue, streaks of white clouds, with the red barn in the foreground.”

We walked through some more woods and then returned to the pasture and walked up even higher for more views. It was definitely worth the short climb and we lingered there for a while. We all enjoyed the hike back. I, for one, also like to observe things that I hadn’t seen going the other way. Those of us at the end of the group were interested to see that hikers hung around the cars for a little while before departing.”

Do you see the cat?

       Click here to see a copy of this photo online

Photo by Jack V:  “Do you see the cat?”

We all noticed, on our way in on Level Green from Route 79, that the trees were covered with ice and they glistened in the morning sun. The beauty of the ice was gone on the return trip but definitely worth remembering.”

Garnished by beech leaves
          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

Photo by Annie:  “I like this one because it captures the bright colors of our hikers as they move through the trail and the garland of brown beech leaves that hang tenaciously on their branches. I wouldn’t have known what they were if I hadn’t been for walking with Jim Rundle on a fall hike when he told me about those beech trees. I love learning things from my fellow hikers!”

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And from Brenda:  “A few additional comments:  Jack V. did his best to keep us off the private driveway off Blackman Hill Road and directed us to walk in the parallel field. He reinforced this by pointing out the State Trooper waiting (lurking) to arrest non compliant hikers.
This worked and the hikers complied until our return trip when Yoda decided to walk on the driveway. Jack tried his best to inform Yoda of the error of his ways but Yoda ignored him. Due to Yoda’s small stature the Trooper probably did not see him and he evaded arrest.
Being curious about the terrain we covered on the hike I found out (googled)
that Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps worked to plant trees on Potato Hill.”

Official head count:  17 hikers, two dogs

You can see Annie’s photos here

You can see Jack V’s photos here

 

 

Saturday Jan 9

South Danby Road west to the Abbott Loop, Danby SF

So Danby Road west 033

          Click here to see a copy of this photo online
Here’s a rhetorical question. It’s supposed to be a drizzly morning, but when you step out the door to leave for the hike, it’s raining briskly. Do you: a) push ahead, or b) go back inside and plop down on the couch?
So Danby Road west 002          Click here to see a copy of this photo online
I always make Tiger push ahead, of course, but it can be a dilemma for others. In this case, it obviously worked out, but you never can predict. Halfway to the hike, the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the sun burst out — then, when we reached the trail head, it was another typical dark and gloomy winter morning …. but not raining
So Danby Road west 119          Click here to see a copy of this photo online
There was a thin coat of slushy snow, and the trail was quite wet and muddy in spots. So I want to give a shout-out to some new shoes I just got at EMS — other hikers were slipping and skidding but my shoes were extremely grippy, and I didn’t get my feet wet — list price a bit steep but Tiger got them for 1/3 off.
So Danby Road west 114          Click here to see a copy of this photo online.
Ever smash the top of your head on a log that’s fallen across the trail high up that you failed to notice? I did it once and it was very upsetting, quite painful and I briefly wondered if I’d gotten a concussion. I was talking to to a hiker behind me about Trump when he abruptly cried out — I turned around to see him rubbing his forehead and looking at a fallen log at head height. This is actually a bad trail for these head-smashing logs — this same hiker hit his head here once before, on a different log. It’s not hard to let your attention relax and bash into one of these menaces.
So Danby Road west 084          Click here to see a copy of thi photo online
Otherwise we had a great hike. Official head count: 22 hikers, three dogs

More photos online:
Me
Annie
Jack V

Sunday Jan 10

I hate to have to cancel a hike because of rain  — half the time it ends up that we could have hiked  —  but this time it probably was the right decision  —  according to the various rainfall loggers at the Ithaca Climate Page, we got just about 1/4″ of rain between 9 and noon  —  hard enough to make hiking uncomfortable for those of us who don’t love getting soaked  —  and one hiker told me it was pouring at her house on West Hill a little before 10.

Report to Hikers: Part 2, week of Dec 28-Jan 3

Hello Hikers!

 

Saturday Jan 2

Bald Hill Road to Thatcher’s Pinnacles, Danby SF
Thatcher;s Pinnacles 063          Click here to see a version of this photo online
For years I thought it was completely wimpy to park 2/3 of the way up the long hill to this great look-out, rather than do the full hike from the valley below — well, I’ve seen the light — now I love being able to bypass all the intermediate huffing and puffing, and just zip straight up to the Pinnacles
Thatcher;s Pinnacles 044          Click here to see a version of this photo online
There’s too much vegetation blocking the full view from the top for much of the year now, but it’s fabulous in winter, especially with a little snow on the ground — I really like the effect of the distant hills in the background — looks a bit like a stage set to me — this is our senior hiker, Eckhart — I have similar shots of two other super-regulars, Steve S and Jack V, in my online album
Thatcher;s Pinnacles 035          Click here to see a version of this photo online
Our walk had a nice bleak quality — some nasty frozen spots on Bald Hill Road that were quite slippery — otherwise, the snow cover was fluffy and we had an easy time of it.
Thatcher;s Pinnacles 123          Click here to see a version of this photo online
The trail between Bald Hill Road and the Pinnacles is part of the Abbott Loop, and the scenery along much of the way is among the most atmospheric we see, especially with fresh snow on the pine boughs — but pretty much too dark for good photos — I’ve never been able to get a shot that came anywhere near capturing the beauty.
Thatcher;s Pinnacles 079          Click here to see a version of this photo online
The weather was pleasant and we were in good spirits — this was a crew mainly of super-regulars and the conversational level was quite loud.
Thatcher;s Pinnacles 018          Click here to see a version of this photo online
Official head count: 17 hikers, two dogs

More photos online:
Me
Jack V

 

Sunday Jan 3

Texas Hollow SF
Texas Hollow SF 065          Click here to see a version of this photo online
This is a decent enough walk on a nice summer day — but the hike’s really emotionally satisfying when it’s nasty out, cold with rain or snow — the woods here have a great brooding and somber quality that bad weather strongly brings out
Texas Hollow SF 059          Click here to see a version of this photo online
I never attempt landscape or nature-type photos — I try to let you see the hikers, having fun or not — the downside is that I don’t convey much sense of what the bigger picture looked like. That’s an integral part of any hike that I ignore — but our nature photographers do a great job of documenting that.
Texas Hollow SF 084          Click here to see a version of this photo online
We were supposed to have just some minor snow flurries in the morning, but it snowed pretty much the whole time, and it was wonderfully dark. I loved the lighting — as long as the hikers were out in the open.
Texas Hollow SF 080          Click here to see a version of this photo online
In fact, most of this walk is under the trees — but I’ve pretty much given up trying to get shots there on dark winter days while I’m wearing multiple mittens and it’s almost impossible to make camera adjustments while stumbling along on slippery ups and downs.
Texas Hollow SF 092          Click here to see a version of this photo online
You can see that no one walked on the boardwalk in this shot — this is where the bees were living that stung several of our ladies last summer — people have now created a path off to the side and I guess no one trusts the boardwalk now even when the bees aren’t around.

Two minor news items:
1) There’s a big coyote den right off the trail — I can never remember where it is but regular hiker Bud does — he reported seeing something furry moving around — we decided not to tell everyone for fear they’d cluster around talking excitedly and scare off whatever coyote was living inside
2) Dave B, our Mr Connecticut Hill who’s been on the injured list for months, made his first serious hike with us since he had a major ankle repair surgery — he made it pretty far before turning back — he sais he has two months’ more rehab work to do.
Texas Hollow SF 018          Click here to see a version of this photo online
Official head count:  27 hikers, five dogs

More photos online:
Me
Annie
Jack V

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If you’ve been waiting for Annie’s photos from New Year’s Day, click here

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I want to give a special shout-out to a former hiker, now inactive, who came to our New Year’s Day tailgate party. She hasn’t hiked with us in some time, and she doesn’t know many of our current regulars, who joined us after she’d left the trail. She’s Marjorie O, who was part of the nucleus of the Ithaca Hikers when Tiger and I got involved in mid-2004. The group was very small, and there weren’t very many really avid hikers among them, so the turnout was often quite small (we did just one hike a week then, on Sundays). I would have given up trying to organize hikes if the attendance had continued so low for very long, but Marjorie began a very effective campaign to recruit a large number of people to at least try out the group from among her huge circle of friends and acquaintances. Tiger and I had moved here without knowing a single person in Ithaca, so Marjorie’s effort was invaluable. She pumped a large number of people into the group — most didn’t last, but there was a sense of momentum and growth — word of mouth began to spread — we started to catch on — today we’re surviving without her help, but she single-handedly kept us from closing down prematurely because of a lack on interest.

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Our winter hot dog cook-out at Chestnut Lean-to will be Sunday Jan 31, after our regular hike. This isn’t our biggest social event of the year but it’s the most lively, IMO. We plan to have a major fire this time, guaranteed five feet high, so no one needs to worry about being cold.

Report to Hikers: Part 1, week of Dec 28-Jan 3

Hello Hikers!

 

New Year’s Day

Six Mile Creek, Wildflower Preserve to Potter’s Falls, and tailgate party

6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 046

          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

Wonderful morning along Six Mile Creek, complete with a very lively bushwhack adventure
6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 232          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

… and a great tailgate party in the parking lot afterwards to get the new year off and running

6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 080          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

It’s always pretty along this stretch of the creek but I thought it looked a little more lovely than normal because of the muted overcast light, and some scattered flurries of light snow that fell periodically

6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 146          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

Everything went smoothly until we descended from the overlook over the downstream reservoir into the flood plain

6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 152          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

I’ve hiked here many times but I never can remember how to proceed through the marshy area along the creek, and we ran into some flooded areas and obstacles that forced us to improvise and venture into the brambles

6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 172
          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

Most but not all of us made it to the turnaround spot at Potter’s Falls — coming back we got really separated and there were hikers all over the north side of the gorge, from the stream bank all the way up to the Commonlands development. Somehow we all converged back at the cars at almost the same moment.

I wear a very tight-fitting glove and mitten combo to keep my fingers warm while I take photos — it’s impossible to pull them off quickly — as the tailgate party got going, Brenda came over with a shrimp for me in her hand — she stuck it in my mouth until I could laboriously peel the gloves off — new hiker Casey liked the look and called for my camera to get the shot — those of you who complain I never use photos of myself, here’s one for you

6 Mile Creek - Wildflower Preserve 203          Click here to see a copy of this photo online

Pretty revealing light — looking my age — how long before I sometimes need help with feeding?

Official head count: 41 hikers, six dogs

More photos online:
Me
Jack V
Annie didn’t post her shots yet — link coming Monday

 

Wednesday Dec 30

Shindagin Hollow SF, bike trail B1

Shindagin Hollow B1 033

          Click here to see a copy of this photo online
We don’t get fog on a hike very often, so I view it as a great treat — it really amps up the gloomy mood on a dark damp morning and makes the woods seem even more inviting — assuming you like that kind of thing ….

Shindagin Hollow B1 115-002

          Click to see online version
Those of you who hate the winter cloudiness here, I’m sure that’s a huge negative, of course — I think maybe I like a brooding forest setting because I have a suppressed death wish ….?

                  ….for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call’d him soft names in many a mused rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die, 55
To cease upon the midnight with no pain,

Recognize that? Ode to a Nightingale — I regard a lot of poetry as unnecessarily hard to understand, but this one is worth the effort.

Shindagin Hollow B1 092

          Click to see online version
There was no way to tell on the drive to the trail head that there’d be fog, or snow cover, so it was a nice surprise — we started out walking along the hugely picturesque edge of the Shindagin gorge, but the slushy snow was too slippery and we had to turn around and walk on a safer path

Shindagin Hollow B1 068

          Click to see online version
I’m always on the lookout for a challenge event on our walks, and I especially like limbo trees — from the photo it looks like Dennis R was up for the idea — Go Daddy!

Shindagin Hollow B1 071

          Click to see online version
Aww, very bad show, Daddy-O  — you’re not allowed to touch the ground — I didn’t see everyone make the effort but at least two of our ladies, Mary and Irene, got under without touching

Shindagin Hollow B1 159

          Click to see online version
As many of you know I’m a big fan of dark pine woods — this is a great example — it wasn’t really as dark as the photos suggests — I fiddled with the camera so the faces wouldn’t be washed out, and that meant darkening the background

Official head count: 19 hikers, two dogs

More photos online:
Me
Annie
Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of Dec 21-Dec 27

Hello Hikers!

A note about the photos in this report — we’re still working on repairing the web site so the embedded shots become clickable again — meanwhile, I’ve included a link for each photo to the online version — there, you can click “View Original” in the menu bar to see a hi res version — click that, and you’ll get a blow-up.
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Wednesday Dec 23

Buttermilk Falls rim trail
Buttermilk Falls rim trail and Bear Trail 041          Click here to see this photo online
This was the first time we had four hikes scheduled for one week — I wondered if it was overkill, and if anyone would show up — but people clearly wanted to hike, as you can see
Buttermilk Falls rim trail and Bear Trail 063          Click here to see this photo online
We don’t do the rim trail along Buttermilk Creek very often — I think of it as being on the borderline between touristic and a real hike — it’s certainly strenuous enough to count as a real hike — it was nicely deserted on this gloomy morning — so we had a chance to behave a little like tourists ourselves, and it was delightful
Buttermilk Falls rim trail and Bear Trail 068          Click here to see this photo online
Whoever had the idea to put a bridge across the upper part of the gorge, it was a stroke of genius. The spot has a wonderful intimate feel to it and the setting couldn’t be more picturesque. I wonder how long I could hang out here leaning on the railing before I got bored.
Buttermilk Falls rim trail and Bear Trail 065          Click here to see this photo online
Our group is definitely elderly, and it’s always fun when we have some young people hiking with us. These are the twin college-age sons of regular hiker Mary — they tore up the steepest parts of the trail like a couple of gazelles — it’s probably for the best we don’t have physically fit young people hiking with us more often — they’d end up restless and impatient as we gasped our way up the steep parts.
Buttermilk Falls rim trail and Bear Trail 030          Click here to see this photo online
Official head count: 23 hikers, five dogs

You can see Jack V’s online photos here.

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Friday Dec 25

Tamarack Lean-to, South Danby, followed by eggnog at Hobit’s and then soup at Katharine’s
Tamarack Lean-to 157          Click here to see this photo online
We’ve done Christmas Day hikes before, but this was the first time we tried holiday-type get-togethers afterwards — a complete blast! That Spirit of Christmas on the trail is Katharine.
Tamarack Lean-to 209          Click here to see this photo online
The advice from our food coordinator Liz to put the liquor in the eggnog ahead of time was fantastic — the taste really is completely different, and super delicious — it would be very easy to drink multiple cups of this quickly enough to end up staggering around. Tiger and I went over to Katharine’s as Hobit’s event was winding down — Katharine runs a paradise for animals and we got to watch one of her cats eat butter off the counter, a new sight for us — we had to leave early but other people were pouring in as we drove away
Tamarack Lean-to 112          Click here to see this photo online
It was fabulous on the trail to the Tamarack Lean-to — overcast and cool at first, then the sun came out and the temperature was just perfect for hiking
Tamarack Lean-to 180          Click here to see this photo online
…. felt like a beautiful early spring day by the time we got back to South Danby Road and the cars
Tamarack Lean-to 029          Click here to see this photo online

Official head count: 36 hikers, seven dogs

It’s been many many years since I in a house with young children on Christmas morning — Hobit has two kids and I was curious to see what the scene would be like there — judge for yourself
Tamarack Lean-to 229          Click here to see this photo online
You can see 10 more photos by me online here

You can see Annie’s online photos here

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Saturday Dec 26

Six Mile Creek, south side rim trail
Six Mile Creek rim trail 108          Click here to see this photo online
Lovely cool grey morning on South Hill. The hike had a nice relaxed feeling to it.

Six Mile Creek rim trail 122

          Click here to see this photo online
This trail has just about the ideal mixture of ups and downs, one of the hikers pointed out — the atmospherics were right on for the lively terrain, around 40, so we were neither hot nor cold, really a nice state to be in

Six Mile Creek rim trail 063

          Click here to see this photo online
A number of the hikers had been at the Christmas party at Katharine’s the evening before and there was a lot of happy talking about how great it was — people dancing, and everyone watched The Last Waltz, the 1978 concert movie about Dylan’s back-up group, the Band

Six Mile Creek rim trail 009

          Click here to see this photo online
Official head count: 27 hikers, four dogs

You can see seven more shots by me online here.

 

Sunday Dec 27

Huge storm coming straight at us on the radar — Tiger and I went back and forth repeatedly on what to do — at a few minutes before 8 I decided we’d go ahead and hike — but by 8:05 it was raining heavily at our house and Tiger felt the NWS doppler was now indicating we’d almost certainly get some hard rain if we hiked — so I reluctantly cancelled.
Meanwhile, two of our super-regulars, Roger and Eckhart, didn’t see the cancellation e-mail I sent out — they showed up at the trail head at the regular time. Roger’s report:

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” Eckhart and I had a fine hike with near constant drizzle throughout.
It didn’t quite soak through my non-waterproof coat. Headed north from
Star Stanton Hill Road and looped around on some trails I’d never
walked. Passed into lovely spruce forest and onto a hilltop with no
distant view in the total overcast. My GPS compass came in handy. Ruby
missed Brenda’s treats and all the attention she normally gets.
Roger”
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So we didn’t achieve our first four-hike week after all, and we missed a lovely morning in the woods, to my regret. We’ll try again this coming week — three regular hikes plus a special New Year’s Day hike and tailgate partry on Friday — stay tuned.
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There’s a couple of trail hazards we need to watch out for at this time of year — nasty roots and snags in the pathway that are covered with dried leaves, and slippery wet mud on the downhills also covered with dead leaves. And now we have a new hazard ….
Tamarack Lean-to 185
          Click here to see this photo online
…. Norm lurking ahead of the group and taking videos as we pass him by not really paying attention to what he’s doing — he took a number of videos Friday and he said he’d edit them into one piece — I await the results with curiosity ….

Report to Hikers: week of Dec 14-Dec 20

Hello Hikers!

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Update:  This web site is currently somewhat broken  —  the embedded photos are supposed to be clickable so you can call up a high-resolution version  —  the function’s not working  —  if you want to see good versions of the 18 photos in this post, go here.  When you’re looking at any individual photo, you can see a high res version by clicking “View Original” in the menu bar  —  click this version once to blow it up.  We’re working to repair the web site but it’s taking a little time.
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Wednesday Dec 16
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Taughannock Falls SP sledding hill, followed by a get-together at Mark and Ellie’s house

Taughannock SP sledding hill 067        
I can’t remember if I said this before — it’s worth repeating — there’s a delightful side benefit to getting out and driving around the county to hike — you get to see areas off the beaten track you’d never otherwise go to. Everyone’s been to Taughannock Falls — ditto for Trumansburg — but how many of you have driven the rural area between them on the back roads? if you like farmland, the scenery along this stretch is fantastic.

Taughannock SP sledding hill 196          
The same is true for the area just west of Trumansburg — it’s a big sprawling agricultural area, and Mark and Ellie live right in the midst, in the extreme NW corner of the county. They have a great house for entertaining, and it was really fun to get out into this unfamiliar territory and check everything out.

Taughannock SP sledding hill 090          
This is the second time we’ve hiked around the sledding hill area on the north side of the state park. The walk involves a very satisfying mix of fields, some open and some overgrown, and lovely woods.

Taughannock SP sledding hill 109

         

Two high points  —  navigating a major tangle of fallen trees

Taughannock SP sledding hill 102

        

…. and then a group fell behind while petting a dog, made a wrong turn, missed the last leg through a beautiful stretch of woods, and had to walk back on the road.

In short, a pretty uneventful walk.

Taughannock SP sledding hill 141

 

Official head count:  17 hikers + Yoda

More photos online:
Me
Annie
Jack
Norm  —  three short videos

 

 

Saturday Dec 19

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Fall Creek outfall area — Fuertes Bird Sanctuary, Stewart Park, Newman Golf Course, white lighthouse and Lakeview Cemetery

Lighthouse 071         
I tell everyone I love winter hiking — in fact, when it’s time to step out the door on the first raw, icy morning of the winter season, I always have the same instant reaction — This is horrible. But unless you want to spend the next four months inside, of course, you need to put this subversive thinking firmly aside.

Lighthouse 085         
We had a gorgeous morning, dramatically grey, snowing a little, a burst of bright sunshine toward the end. Didn’t see anyone else out; it’s much more fun when we have it to ourselves

Lighthouse 191         
We generally only do this walk once a year, toward the end of hunting season — I was glad it snowed at the last minute because the area looks much more picturesque with a snow cover.

Lighthouse 148          
Almost everyone made it out to the lighthouse — the long jetty is a bit hairy for walking — the top is quite eroded and broken and it was a little icy in spots — I realized afterwards I should have taken the commemorative group shot in two parts, since the people on the ends are distorted by my wide-angle lens, and you can’t see the lighthouse or the lake.

Lighthouse 098         
A number of our hikers hadn’t done this walk before — there are no maps showing how to proceed and it’s not al all obvious just from looking at Google.

Lighthouse 225         
We got back to the cars a little early — some people went home, but a sub-group walked across the street and up into Lakeview Cemetery — this is the big mausoleum — a very atmospheric place, and a nice backdrop for a line-up shot — on the way out, we passed a relatively fresh grave that had a photo mounted as a memento — hiker Dennis recognized a former student of his.

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Official head count: 23 hiker and Ruby and Yoda

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You can see eight more photos by me online here
You can see Annie’s online photos here
You can see Jack V’s shots here

This walk has just about the most open and sweeping scenery of any that we do  —  throw in the really spectacular atmospherics Saturday, and our two nature photographers got some unusually interesting shots this time.

 

 

Sunday Dec 20

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Stevens Suspension Bridge, Cornell golf course and horse fields, Forest Home

Stevens Suspension Bridge 230         
So much for bleak winter weather — the snow disappeared overnight and the sun came roaring back brightly — and we got one more day of the mild golden haze that’s made this December so wonderful

Stevens Suspension Bridge 077-001

          
Great effects with the sun at its lowest point in the sky for the year — the light was pouring in it seemed almost like sideways — long trailing shadows everywhere and the woods were full of beautiful glow

Stevens Suspension Bridge 092
Not the best conditions for taking photos — our hikers are much too old to be photographed up close with bright sun right in the face — if you take a shot from the side, some of the faces end up melted — but I managed to find a few good scenes that worked out OK

Stevens Suspension Bridge 112
We walked up into the main Cornell horse area — the last time we were here there were lots of horses in the corrals near us — this time the horses were at a distance and we had to be content with a small flock of sheep — no matter, the area has a lovely relaxed feeling

Stevens Suspension Bridge 146
Official head count: 39 hikers, nine dogs

Stevens Suspension Bridge 048
You can see eight more photos online by me here.
You can see Jack V’s online shots here
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Our nature photographer Annie has added more photos to three albums she put up earlier in the month — 12/2, 12/5 and 12/16 — you can access the home page of our photo-sharing web site here — the albums are arranged by date; just click on the albums Annie indicated