Wednesday, November 27
Lansing Center Trail
Hike report by Jim
Eleven hikers met in the Town of Lansing for a first-time group hike of the Lansing Center Trail. This is now hike #67-15 on our list of hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-67-bonus-hikes.
Other than one pre- hike I did of this location a couple of weeks ago, I’d never personally hiked the Lansing Center Trails. Any time we go to a new location, it’s always a little bit of an experiment. Everyone in the group hikes at a little different pace, especially a location such as this one that has more of a suburban park feel to it rather than the traditional single-track hiking trails we’re normally on
Most of the trails here consist of mowed grassy loops around former fields that follow the hedgerows and low brush that divide one fields from the one next to it.
The day was cool but sunny as everyone gathered in the small parking lot; our small group of 11 hikers filled the lot entirely; I can’t imagine the parking nightmare we’d have if a larger weekend group hiked here.
We set off, initially jumping on the short line spur trail, which follows a short section of former rail bed. This is the only section that passes for a woods walk in this trail system, and we had hiked the entirety of it in about ten minutes before moving on to the first of many field loops.
We spent the first hour moving from one loop to another within the trail system, always hiking the outer perimeter portions of each trail before taking the connector trails that link one loop to the surrounding loop pathways, always hiking in roughly a counterclockwise direction within each loop and within the trail system in general.
At about the hour mark we walked over Louise Bement Lane and arrived back at our cars. A couple of hikers chose to leave early, but the majority of the group agreed to do a second loop within the trail system, so we hiked some of the portions of the various loops that cut across the middle of the trail system, until we reached the Munson Loop at the more westerly end of the fields. In order to avoid the housing development at Louise Bement Lane, we opted to jump on the Munson Loop and re-hiked the earlier trail loops, only in a clockwise direction now.
By the time we arrived back at the parking lot and our cars, we were about ten minutes earlier than we normally are on our hikes; not too bad for a first-time group hike.
The overall feedback I got from the group during and after the hike is that it’s a fairly easy location to hike. The terrain is not difficult, the wide grassy trails are easy to walk and talk while hiking, the views across Lansing towards the lake are wonderful, especially on a sunny day like today with clear skies. The skiers in the group mentioned that they would like to come back here when there’s enough snow so that they can ski the trail loops here. I think that personally I would reserve this location in the future for hunting season hikes and only on Wednesdays, due to the parking limitations I mentioned earlier.
Thanks to everyone in the group today who were tolerant of my desire to try out a new place!
There were several dog walkers who were leaving as I arrived earlier in the morning. During the hike we encountered a couple of runners and a dog walker; other than that, we had the place to ourselves. I might attribute that to a lot of people travelling on the day before the long holiday weekend, but the day I pre-hiked here I was literally the only person on the trail that day.
The Lansing Center Trail is maintained mostly by volunteers, with some help from the Township. They clearly are putting a lot of effort into maintaining the trail system, and since the Trails first opened in 2011, they’ve continued to expand the number of loop trails and improve infrastructure such as benches, drainage and footbridges. The location in south Lansing is convenient for many people, so I would encourage those who weren’t able to join us today to make a trip to this location at your convenience and look it over!
Saturday, November 30
Ekroos Rd. Ekroos Road & Honeypot Road
Hike report by Jim
Eight hikers and one dog met on Ekroos Rd in Tioga County, for a wintery out-and back road walk of that dirt road. This is hike # 54-1 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-54.
Ekroos Rd still had a significant amount of snowpack on the land surrounding the parking area when I arrived. There are only a couple of homes on the road, so it does get plowed in the winter. The lane of travel had a thin layer of ice cover, so most of the group opted to wear some form of foot traction during the hike.
The morning was grey and overcast as the hikers set out. The road is mostly a gentle downward grade on the outbound leg of the hike. The road passes through a mixture of state and private land and based on a few shots we heard early in the hike, the hunters were out today.
About halfway through the outbound leg of the hike it began to snow. We came upon a break in the trees that normally offers a good view of distant hills across the old fields; today with the low clouds, hazy hills in the distance and the heavy snow, it gave me the sensation of being inside a snow globe for a while. The snow didn’t last for very long, and within twenty minutes or so we were back to the grey monochrome conditions we had at the beginning of the hike.
Normally on this hike the faster hikers in the group make it to 76 Road inside Tompkins County. The last section of Ekroos Road changes to ” Wheeling Rd” once it crosses into Tompkins County, much of which is seasonal and unmaintained during the winter. The seasonal road is a sharp downhill descent for the last quarter mile, and today the hikers opted to turn around earlier than normal due to road conditions and begin the return trek back to our cars.
The second half of the hike was notable only because we were now hiking into a chilling wind. The return part of the hike was otherwise uneventful.
Sunday, December 1
Mundy Wildflower Gardens (Forest Home) to Beebe Lake Loop
Hike report by Jim
Twenty-three hikers and four dogs met in the parking lot of Mundy Wildflower Gardens in the Town of Ithaca, for a hike of the area. This was a modified version of hike 4B on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-04.
The morning was cool and overcast. Trail surfaces were clear of snow, although we did encounter some icy surfaces along the way. There were many other trail users throughout our route; not unexpected, given the public nature of today’s hike.
The hikers set off from the parking area and did a quick loop through the now-dormant wildflower gardens, stopping briefly for a group photo. Crossing Judd Falls Rd we entered the grounds of the Nevin Welcome Center. Looping through the Welcome Center grounds on Comstock Knoll Drive, the hikers reached and crossed Forest Home Drive, where we crossed Sackett Bridge . We found the trail to Hemlock Gorge closed. I always enjoyed that short segment of this hike in the past and was disappointed to find it closed today. The hikers were able to view the lower portion of that gorge from another vantage point along our route today, but its still not the same as being closer to the falls. We continued around Beebe Lake, crossing the Triphammer footbridge at the Tang Welcome Center. Completing the lap around the southerly end of Beebe Lake we returned to Forest Home Drive and crossed over the southerly one lane bridge into the hamlet of Forest Home.
Walking through the hamlet, we exited via the northerly bridge, arriving at the junction of Caldwell Road and Forest Home Drive (the parking area for Mundy Wildflower Gardens). We lost a few members of the group here who opted to leave early. The remainder of the group continued onto the grounds of the F.R Newman Arboretum. Once in the arboretum we took a series of blazed and signed woodland hiking trails (the Johnston, Woodland, Allen and Morgan-Smith Trails) until we reached a scenic overlook within Park Park that gave the group a good view of Varna and Fall Creek below us.
Leigh Ann led the group back to our cars. The hikers arrived back at the parking area a few minutes later than expected, but everyone seemed to be happy with the hike overall.
