Wednesday, February 21
South Hill Rec Way from Burns Road
Hike report by Jim
Twenty-six hikers met on Burns Rd in the Town of Ithaca for a hike of parts of the South Hill Rec Way and associated side blue blazed hiking and un-blazed ski trails. This is hike # 2-3 on our list of hike locations:
https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-2.
The day was VERY sunny and very clear and no wind, which made for a great hike!
In the past most of our South Hill Rec Way hikes have started on Crescent Place in the City of Ithaca. The city maps of the Rec Way have always shown a blue blazed loop off the Rec Way near Burns Rd, and other maps of the trail system in the area display a number of ski trails that in my time with the group we’ve never explored (see the map at the bottom of the link above ) . Recently I joined a CTC hike on the Rec Way that included the previously unexplored ( for me) westerly blue blazed loop trail, and that hike spurred me to finally plan a hike in the area for the Ithaca Hikers.
The previous day I pre-hiked the area and came up with a route that was mostly side hiking and ski trails, with as little of the Rec Way footpath as I could get away with. The amount of snowpack in the area was both minimal and old enough that I could see where previous walkers and their dogs (who I assume are either locals or familiar with the un-blazed ski trails) have gone with some frequency. This assisted me in planning the route that Ithaca Hikers would take on this hike.
Starting from Burns Rd the group walked the Rec Way to a trail along one of the ravines near the blue blazed trail that clearly gets a LOT of use by dog walkers. This trail follows the edge of the ravine in a gentle arc and a slight downhill grade until it dead ends above the second dam watershed. We normally view the watershed from a couple of other locations, but this spot was a new one for us. After pausing above the watershed, we re-traced our steps back to the blue blazed trail and traveled that loop in a westerly direction back to the Rec Way, crossing one frozen stream and navigating a little bit of elevation gain along the way to complete our hike of the loop trail.
Arriving back at the Rec Way we walked westerly on that for a distance until arriving at one of the near-by ski trails. We jumped on that trail, which passed along the edge of another ravine and through some nice stands of woods until it connected with the blue blazed hiking trail. From there we re-traced our previous route back to where we had first left the Rec Way.
Once back on the South Hill Rec Way I found that we had walked a little faster than I had on my pre-hike the previous day, so we walked westerly on the Rec Way to burn a few minutes before turning around and returning to our cars.
Casey advised me that we had covered about 4.5 miles on this hike.
Saturday, February 24
Hoxie Gorge, Cortland County
Hike report by Jim
Seventeen hikers and one dog met at the end of Hoxie Gorge Rd in Cortland Couty for a an out-and -back hike of the FLT and McDermott Nature Trail in the area. This is hike # 60-2 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-60.
https://dec.ny.gov/places/hoxie-gorge-state-forest
The day started out quite chilly; as I arrived at the parking area a steady stream of snowflakes were falling around me. Things warmed up during the morning as the sun came out and temperatures rose a few degrees.
Hikers set out from the parking area, walking a short distance down Hoxie Gorge Rd to get onto the blue-blazed access trail. This footpath used to be the actual FLT, but was relegated to access trail status at some time in the past. This trail follows the streambed of Hoxie Gorge Creek closely, the footpath winding its way through the forest with some minor elevation changes yet never straying far from the streambed. Unfortunately, in the last couple of years there appears to have been very little in the way of trail maintenance being done, and the cumulative examples of deferred maintenance are really starting to add up Which is a shame, as it is a nice section of trail.
Reaching the FLT the group paused for a photo before continuing on the FLT on a generally northerly loop that eventually led the group to the Hoxie Gorge Lean-To. The FLT in this section crosses a few streams, where a moderate amount of ice was still evident. Water levels were low and the crossings were easily accomplished.
The FLT footpath itself is in fairly good shape, with some semi-frozen mud, primarily around the stream crossings. Masses of roots at various points require that you pick your way up and down the hillsides carefully, and a few past blowdowns of various ages that are still blocking the footpath really need to be cleared from the route.
After arriving at the lean-to some hikers opted to press on for a few more minutes before returning to the lean-to to pick up the remaining hikers and begin the return leg of the hike.
Upon returning to the junction of the FLT and the access trails the group opted to return to the cars via the more direct yellow blazed McDermott Nature Trail which is co-located with the blue blazed access trail.
Welcome to Zoe and her canine hiking companion Mishka on their first hike with the group!
Sunday, February 25
Sweedler Preserve/Lick Brook
Hike report by Jim
Thirty-four hikers and three dogs met in the parking lot of Tappan Mitra Preserve, at the Route 13 and 34/96 split known as “Shady Corners”, for a hike of the Sweedler Preserve at Lick Brook and Thayer Preserve. . this is hike # 7-2 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-7.
The day was clear and sunny, and temperatures climbed during the hike so that by hikes end the frozen mud was becoming slippery underfoot.
Given the size of the group, we split into two distinct groups for todays hike: Casey C led the faster group as far as the junction of Yaple and Comfort Rd, while Jack V led a slower group that circled the Thayer Preserves Toms Trail before returning to Townline Rd and the Sweedler preserve trails.
Both groups left the parking lot, passing by the Lick Brook falls which was solidly encased in ice, before climbing the more direct blue blazed trail to Townline Rd. Crossing Townline Rd both groups entered the Thayer Preserve before completing their respective hikes as described above. The return trip back through the Sweedler Preserve to the cars was supposed to be via the white blazed FLT, but each group ultimately picked which trail they used to get to the flatlands around the falls area.
A warm welcome to todays new hikers to the group: Pryia, Mary, Jackie, Sharon, Franz and Franz’ canine hiking companion Max!
