Hello Hikers!
Wed March 24
Hike report by Jim
Mulholland Wildflower Preserve toward Potter’s Falls, Six Mile Creek
Four hikers met in the parking lot of the Mullholland Wildflower Preserve on Giles Street in the City of Ithaca.
It was an overcast day with light rain, but there were still a handful of other hikers and dog walkers present in the Preserve during our time there. Construction on city water system infrastructure that was scheduled to start the next day had not begun yet, although there had clearly been some prep work for that project done around the parking lot of the Preserve by the time of our hike.
Hikers made our way through the Preserve, stopping to admire some of the cascades of water and frozen ice clinging to the shadowy sides of the cliff faces. The group climbed the trail leading up the hill to the access road for Second Dam; from there making our way to the overlook area above the city reservoir.
In previous visits to this particular area I had never noticed a stonework memorial bench that sits high above the reservoir, so we made our way to that feature and checked it out before re-tracing our steps back to the cars.
Once we were back at the cars we found ourselves with an additional half hour of hike time, so we crossed Giles Street and visited the Businessman’s Lunch area that is situated below the cascades and old industrial construction that sits on the cliff face in that area.
*********************
Sat March 27
Hike report and embedded photo by Nancy L. Widescreen photos by Tiger. Panoramic photos by Cian. Reminder — you can click any photo to see a larger version
Bock-Harvey Preserve and Riemen Woods, Enfield
16 people and 2 dogs arrived for a hike in Bock Harvey Preserve on a crisp spring morning. We started by hiking to the lean to at the uphill Western edge of a field. I took a haphazard picture of the group here:
From there we headed up to the finger lakes trail and headed west and across Porter Hill Rd into Riemann Woods. We climbed the hill and followed the trail down the hill to nearly where it intersects again with Porter Hill road. We took a ‘bushwhacking” trail that follows near the road which turned out to be a little rough but soon enough we were making our way back east on the FLT. Soon we arrived at the yellow circuit trail which makes its way through a nice patch of old growth maples. A couple of people returned to the parking from there. Soon we were back to the FLT heading east. Eventually it took us back to Rockwell rd. Most of the hikers hiked back up Rockwell rd to their cars. A few of us continued on the FLT to Hines rd and headed back to the cars on the road from there.
Sent from Nancy
********
Seven photos by Tiger
******
Five photos by Cian
You can see Cian’s full photo album here
********************
Sun March 28
Hike report by Jim. Photos by Cian
Black Diamond Trail from Kraft Road to Taughannock Falls
11 hikers and 2 dogs met on Kraft Rd for a hike on the Black Diamond Trail.
The rain had held off through the morning, but on the way to the hike location we were treated to a relatively small rainstorm accompanied by winds.
As a result, we started the hike with an assortment of raincoats and umbrellas as required hiking equipment.
While the sun never did come out during the hike, as the hike wore on the threat of rain lessened and the umbrellas proved unnecessary. The wind did pick up again on the return leg of the hike, but seemed to stay higher up in the trees and not manifest itself at ground level on the trail.
I had intended to hike in a Southerly direction towards Ithaca, but a young hiker in the group was anxious to see the falls at Taughannock, and so we walked North.
Temps were cool, but it made the hike more enjoyable for me, particularly on the return leg when our overly long stay at the falls overlook forced me to step it out to get back to the cars at a decent time.
There were a few people on the Trail, and a good number at various points around the Falls once the group reached there, but nothing that felt out of the ordinary.
While the skies were grey and the trees along the route have yet to spring forth with their bounty of summer leaves, the surrounding fields along the trail were noticeably popping a bright green hue. Nancy L reported that just a few days prior there had still been a layer of ice on the Black Diamond, none of which remained. The only snow I saw remaining along the way was in a few crevices on the hills surrounding Taughannock Falls.
It may be a dangerous thing to say in Ithaca in March, but I think that I can *finally* store my snow shovel away for the season.
All in all this was an enjoyable hike, although not one of our more strenuous trails.
Yoo can see Cian’s full album here