Wednesday, January 29
Monkey Run Natural Area, south side of Fall Creek, Varna
Hike report by Jim
Twelve hikers met in the Town of Dryden at the fisherman’s parking area just east of the state route 13/ Hanshaw Rd intersection, for a winter hike of the Monkey Run trail system. This is hike # 6-2 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-6.
The day was overcast but warm as we set off from the parking area, passing underneath the bridge and entering the woods on the other side.
Our group followed the shoreline of Fall Creek for quite a distance, the twisting footpath under us never far in sight or sound from the water. We passed several intersecting trails along our route; yellow and orange blazed trails, some of which we would see parts of later in the hike.
As the trail moved away from the creek, we had the first of a couple of short uphill sections. Eventually the trail returns back to the creek, only now seen from an elevated position. Eventually our route brings us to a junction with the yellow blazed trails and the final observation point of the creek, from bluffs far above the creek. While we were at this location the skies overhead grew ominously darker than during the first hour of the hike. The group paused here for a while before continuing on the hike.
Jumping onto the yellow blazed trail, we hiked for a while in semi-darkness in a steady squall of snowflakes. We soon encountered the orange blazed trail that took us to the dead-end parking area of Monkey Run Rd. Crossing over the parking area we continued on the orange blazed trail, stopping to make a trail journal entry before walking to the nearby Dryden Rail Trail. By now the skies had cleared and the snow had stopped
Once on the Rail Trail we walked in the direction of state route 13 until we turned back into the Monkey Run trail system very near to the state highway. We took this short section of orange blazed trail, in the process passing over the new puncheons installed in that area last summer by the CTC. Soon we arrived back to our entry point in the Monkey Run trails, returning to the path under the bridge and our cars.
This route was a little short on time but overall still very enjoyable.
Saturday, February 1
Jim Schug Trail from Dryden Village
Hike report by Jim
Twelve hikers and one dog met in the Village of Dryden at the Kenny Van Sickle Ballfield parking lot, for an out and back hike of parts of the Dryden Rail Trail and Jim Schug Trail. This is hike # 49-1 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-49
The day was cold and snowing lightly when we started the hike. The forecast had been for temperatures below 0 F with wind chill factored in, and while it didn’t seem to reach those lows during the hike, it was definitely cooler than it had been in recent days.
The group posed for a picture at the beginning of the hike and then set out, hiking the Dryden Rail Trail to West Main Street where we picked up the Jim Schug Trail. Both trails had a packed surface in the middle of the trail, while the outer edges were basically untouched.
Snow fell intermittently during the hike; by the end of the hike the skies and cleared and the sun shone brightly off the fresh snow. Crossing several foot bridges along the way it was an enjoyable hike, being able to study the contrasts between the dark water flowing in the creek bed and the snow-covered creek banks.
I think that we saw only one other dog walker and a cross-country skier sharing the trails with us today.
The faster hikers in the group reported that they had completed about a six-mile hike today; everyone’s hiking mileage apps didn’t seem to agree with each other on the issue of distance hiked.
After the hike several members of the group reconvened at Hopshire Brewery for some good conversation and an occasional adult beverage.
Sunday, February 2
Lindsay Parsons Preserve, West Danby
Hike report by Jim
Thirteen hikers and a single dog met in the parking lot of the Lindsay Parsons Biodiversity Preserve in the Town of Danby, for a hike of trails within the preserve. This is hike # 16 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-16.
Setting out from the parking area we found that the trails were in good shape, with only the inclined portions a little slippery in places due to frequent use compacting the snow into a skim of ice. Windblown snow in the open fields had resulted in somewhat deeper snow around the perimeter of the fields, with patchy bare spots of soil showing through elsewhere.
The group stopped briefly at the very frozen-over Coleman Lake, but the biting winter wind proved to be too persistent to stay in one place for too long before moving on.
Crossing the open fields, we looped around the bogs on the red and yellow blazed trails, finally entering the woods and hiking the orange and purple blazed trails on the opposite side of the railroad track with Leigh Ann in the lead. Piled remnants of the many blow down trees from last year were all around us on parts of this loop, but the trails themselves were in great shape and the blazes along our route only recently re-painted.
Re-crossing the railroad track, the group made its way back to the blue blazed trails via the yellow and red blazed loops. The blue blazed trails led over the crest of the first field we’d crossed and led the group back to the parking lot. Leigh Ann burned up the last few minutes of time by leading the group to the short viewing loop at the opposite end of the parking area that provides a view of the more southerly end of Coleman Lake.
Warm welcome to Dawn on her first hike with the group!
