Wednesday, September 18
Finger Lakes National Forest
Hike report by Mark Sussman
On Wednesday September 18 twelve hikers and one dog met at the northern terminus of the Interlokin trail in Seneca County. The day was overcast, but otherwise excellent hiking weather. The group headed south until they arrived at Teeter Pond, which is the largest pond in the Finger Lakes National Forest. They then headed back on the No Nan Takto trail. First through the pasture, then woods with many Shagbark Hickory trees. They then entered the area of multiple unmowed meadows with the late summer wildflowers in full bloom. The hikers enjoyed the beauty of the flowers, and even gathered and ate some apples from old apple tree in one of the meadows. They then returned to the Interlokin Trail via a seasonal road and back to their cars. The hike was approximately 5 miles, and took just over 2 hours.
Hike report by Jim
Twelve hikers and one dog met on Parmenter Rd in the Town of Lodi, for a loop hike consisting on parts of the Interloken and No Tan Takto Trails within the Finger Lakes National Forest, led by Mark and Ellie. This is hike # 42-6 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-42. The Interloken Trail is part of the Finger Lakes Trail System; the Interloken Trail is FLTC map sheet I1 and is available for purchase in either paper or electronic formats at https://fingerlakestrail.org/store/maps-and-gps/…. Sale of the map sheets helps to defray the costs associated with trail maintenance.
Weather conditions were good during the hike, if only a little humid.
The group left the parking area, hiking the Interloken Trail across Wilkens and Seneca Rds, leaving Seneca County and entering Schuyler County in the process. Views across the valley were excellent, if a bit hazy. Trail conditions were good, with very little mud or elevation changes along our route. Arriving at Teeter Pond the group paused for a while before turning around for the return portion of the hike.
Mark initially led the group back on the No Tan Takto Trail before taking a slight detour to rejoin the Interloken Trail for the last portion of the return leg of our hike.
Our group mostly had the trails to ourselves today, although we did encounter one couple and their dog very close to the end of our hike.
We had one new hiker, Doug B, on today’s hike. Welcome to the group, Doug!
Saturday, September 21
Kennedy State Forest, Spanish and Ukrainian Loops
Hike report by Jim
Twelve hikers and two dogs met on Owego Hill Rd in Cortland County for a loop hike within James Kennedy State Forest. This is hike # 40-5 on our list of regular hike locations:. hike #40 – James Kennedy State Forest – Multiple Trailheads – ithacahikers Todays looping route consisted of parts of the Spanish and Ukranian Loops as well as a section of the Finger Lakes Trail. This hike included trails that appear on Finger Lakes Trail Map sheet M19, which is available for purchase at: https://fingerlakestrail.org/store/maps-and-gps/…. Purchase of the map sheets helps to defray costs associated with trail maintenance.
Leaving the trailhead, the group descended on the Spanish Loop before making the first of many creek crossings. The streams were mostly dry today, with an occasional pool of water but no flowing water at all. Other than one utility pole right-of-way and the final road walk, the group was entirely under the forest canopy today. There are still plenty of leaves on the trees, but the first leaves to fall are blanketing the footpath and making the trail a little hard to follow.
That part of the Spanish Loop has a few mild uphill sections early in the hike, as the trail switchbacks up the hill. It crosses the intersection with the new German Trail as well as the more easterly end of the Ukrainian Loop.
The group stopped for a quick journal entry before making our way westerly on the FLT which in that section is largely a mild descent back towards Owego Hill Rd.
Crossing Owego Hill Rd we continued on the FLT, passing a side trail or two along the way as we hiked along another streambed over a nice layer of old pine needles before arriving at the more westerly end of the Ukrainian Loop.
From this point on the FLT the Ukranian Loop starts out as a steady uphill climb as it follows a streambed that was as dry as the others we’d found today. The footpath begins a switchback up the hillside, repeatedly crossing the same dry creek bed before finally coming to another trail register box; beyond that box the trail levels put and then begins a gradual descent until the trail arrives back at Owego Hill Rd. From that road crossing it was a ten minute road walk back to our cars. Lots of flowers blooming along the road that drew positive comments from hikers.
Other than two solitary hikers our group encountered on our hike, we had the trails entirely to ourselves today.
Sunday, September 22
Monkey Run Natural Area
Hike report by Jim
Fourteen hikers met at the dead end of Monkey Run Road in the Town of Dryden, for a loop hike of the Cayuga Trail on the south side of Fall Creek. This is hike # 6 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-6.
The Cayuga Trail map is map sheet ” The Cayuga Trail” and is available on the Finger Lakes Trail Conference website in both paper and electronic formats: https://fingerlakestrail.org/…/purchase-individual-maps/. Purchase of the FLTC map sheets helps to defray the costs associated with trail maintenance.
Hikers did a loop of orange and yellow blazed trails, initially hiking westerly towards the hamlet of Varna and crossing the open fields of Tailby Flats to return to the wood line. Stops for pictures and extended viewing were made at the shoreline of Fall Creek and on the bluffs high above the stream.
There’s been some more trail erosion in places along the Fall Creek shoreline that I wanted to avoid today, so I deviated from our normal route on this hike and had the group walk to the Dryden Rail Trail. Once there the group did an out-and-back walk to route 13, finishing at our cars a few minutes behind schedule.
There was a decent number of other hikers sharing the trails with us today. Weather conditions were sunny and warm, so I can understand why people wanted to get out and hike on a great day like today
Welcome to Debbie on her first hike with the group!
