Report to Hikers: week of Oct 15-Oct 21

 

Hello Hikers!

 

 

Wed Oct 17

Willseyville Creek, Caroline

This trail has been extensively changed since the beginning of the year  —  it’s now an extremely nice hike  —  great improvement

There’s a big pond at the end of the hike that we always visit  —  it was extensively flooded this time, several feet above the normal level  —  much higher and it would have flooded Ridgeway Road.

Official head count:  14H, two D

More photos:

Jack V

 

 

Sat Oct 20

Connecticut Hill WMA  —  Four-mile loop  —  with Dave G

I thought the forecast looked OK this time, but then it started to rain very hard a few minutes after we got to the meet-up  —  I was ready to cancel the hike on the spot and go home if it kept up for long, but the intensity lessened after a little while and we set off, just a little behind schedule, in wet but tolerable conditions.

One thing about getting rain on a hike  —  after it stops, it’s often spectacularly nice  —  that was the case this time

The sun came out near the end

We did this hike with Dave G for the first time last April and I thought it was great then  —  this time I found it even better  —  what a beautiful morning!

Official head count:  20H, six D

 

 

 

Sun Oct 21

Bald Hill Road to Thatcher’s Pinnacles, Danby SF

Looking out the kitchen window before we left for the hike, it seemed pretty awful out, grim and depressing.  It was discouragingly cold and windy at the meet-up too (check out the hikers’ expressions)

But once we got going people warmed up and the trees blocked most of the wind, and the scenery was really beautiful

There was slush on the roads in some parts of the county, but this snow-coated table top at the look-out was the only snow we saw

Not everyone’s shown in the line-up shot here  —  there were more hikers walking down along Bald Hill Road

This is the look-out on the return leg  —  nice views even though the leaves are all still up

It turned out to be a great hike

Official head count:  14H, eight D

 

Report to Hikers: week of Oct 8-Oct14

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wed Oct 10

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

There’s a little story with this photo  —  the hikers abruptly decided to start walking a few minutes before we were scheduled to depart  —  you can see me in my bike helmet in the right background shouting and cursing at them to wait until 9:30  —  they just kept going

Won’t happen again ….

Official head count:  19H, five D

More photos:

Annie

 

 

 

Sat Oct 13

Hammond Hill SF, ski trails in the north and eastern areas

Another rainy Saturday morning ….

The woods looked great in the gloomy, misty atmospherics  —  I had a wonderful time

Two hikers failed to make it back to the cars with the rest of us  —  luckily, one had a working phone, not always the case here  —  they’d fallen behind and gotten lost  —  no map  —  the trails in this part of the forest are completely confusing and it took us a while to figure out by phone where they were, referring to a good map that Tiger had the foresight to bring  —  they made it out 45 minutes after everyone else …. a little distressed by the experience

Official head count:  16H, nine D

More photos:

Jack V

Get-together at Hopshire to look at Jack V’s photo show

A lot of fun  —  pizza and sandwiches in addition to the usual salty snacks

 

 

 

Sun Oct 14

Bock Harvey Forest Preserve, Enfield

Official head count:  26H, eight D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of Oct 1-Oct 7

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wed Oct 3

Treman SP  —  west on the FLT from Route 13

Another rainy dark morning  —  but the rain was so light it hardly registered under the trees, and we had a lovely walk

Official head count:  14H, five D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

 

 

 

Sat Oct 6

Shindagin Hollow SF, Braley Hill Road to Shindagin Hollow Road on the FLT

The forecast just before the hike said it wouldn’t rain until afternoon  —  but it started to look ominous at the trail head, and then it got exceptionally dark in the woods  —  started to rain about 1/3 of the way into the hike  —  then it started to pour  —  I hadn’t brought a rain coat

Luckily it was very mild, and the rain slacked off after a while

Fantastic atmospherics

It was very muddy in spots and very wet in spots  —  we had a visiting hiker who wore dress shoes and corduroy pants  —  he somehow managed to navigate without getting any mud on himself

Official head count:  18H, three D

 

 

 

Sun Oct 7

Michigan Hollow Road to The Pinnacles Look-out on the south leg of the Abbot Loop, Danby SF

One of our muddiest hikes ever, and generally very slippery  —  slow going for most of us, but  a small group managed to race up to the Pinnacles and get back  in two hours despite the poor walking conditions

Official head count:  26H, eight D

More photos:

Annie

 

Report to Hikers: week of Sept 24-Sept 30

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Thursday Sept 27

YMCA and EcoVillage property, West Hill

Official head count:  14H, four D

More photos:

Annie

 

 

Sat Sept 29

Van Lone Loop, Schuyler County, followed by a get-together at Randy and Nancy’s house near Jacksonville

Official head count:  21H, five dogs

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

Get-together

This was extremely pleasant  —  lots of great food  —delightful way to wrap up a distant hike

Randy, who is the hiking group’s official chicken cook, grilled chicken skewers and shitake mushrooms; Nancy made a cake and a couple of dips.

 

 

Sun Sept 30

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

It was raining lightly but steadily before hike time  —  this possibly (probably) caused some people to stay home  —  the rain stopped shortly after we stepped off  —  fantastic atmospherics for the rest of the walk

Official head count:  13H, three D

More photos:

Jack V

 

 

Report to Hikers: week of Sept 17-Sept 23

 

Hello Hikers!

 

Wed Sept 19

Bald Hill Road to Smi9ley Hill Road and beyond on the FLT, Danby SF

Official head count:  20H, six D

More photos:

Jack V

 

 

Sat Sept 22

Roy H Park Preserve, Dryden, followed by an 87th-birthday toast to Eckhart at Hopshire Brewery, Freeville

Official head count:  32H, 10 D

Get-together at Hopshire

 

 

Sun Sept 23

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

Official head count:  18H, five D

 

*************************************************************************

Here are the last of our current regular hikers

 

 

 

Dave and Joanna  —  Joanna retired as a teaching assistant at IHS for 26 years (math specialist in special ed dept, then math and science computer lab tech specialist).  Dave retired as a math teacher at IHS  —  he is the author of several top-selling math textbooks and workbooks.  They spend part of the year near Asheville, NC.

 

 

 

 

Gopi  —  HS math teacher  —  later spent 28 years living and working at an ashram in the Catskills