ithacahikers

Report to Hikers: week of April 9-April 15

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

Report to Hikers: week of April 2-April 8

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

Sunday April 8

Lindsay Parsons Preserve, West Danby

Official head count: 22H, four D

More photos:

Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of March 26-April 1

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

Report to Hikers: week of Mar 19-March 25

Hello Hikers!

Wed March 21

Six Mile Creek — wildflower preserve toward Potter’s Falls

Official head count: 18H, four D

More photos:

Jack V

Sat March 23

Treman SP on the FLT starting from Route 13

The steepness of the climb up to this clearing where I always feel compelled to do a group-shot tends to separate the hikers pretty widely — one-third of the group had fallen behind us and isn’t shown here

There was considerable snow on the upper part of the walk — but it wasn’t too slippery

Official head count: 19H, six D

Sunday March 25

Finger Lakes National Forest, Hector — Chicken Coop Road and snowmobile trails

Lots of snow up here — we started out on a nice trail through the woods but it quickly started to get harder and harder to walk comfortably

Frozen footprints, holes, churned-up surface — my knees and ankles really started to feel stressed — the snow off to the side of the path wasn’t stiff enough to walk on top — so we left the woods at the first opportunity

This is Chicken Coop Road — it’s not plowed in winter but it gets heavy snowmobile use and it’s nicely tamped down

This led us to a set of huge fields that get lots of snowmobile action

We kept going on the snowmobile trail until it was time to turn back — very nice scenery all around

Official head count: 18H, three D

More photos:

Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of March 12-March 18

Hello Hikers!

Thursday March 15

YMCA and Ecovillage lands, West Hill

We postponed this hike for a day because of the midweek snow storm, and there was a nice lively sense of venturing out into a sparkling fresh scene and coping with a little snow hardship at the meet-up

In no way is this one of our most scintillating woods settings, but it seemed extremely pleasant to me this morning because of the soft snow draped on everything, the lovely sun and the light winds