Wednesday, April 16
Allan H. Treman State Marine Park and Cass Park, Ithaca
Hike report by Jim
Six hikers met on a cold wintery morning at Allen Treman State Marine Park, for a hike of state park trails as well as the Cayuga Waterfront Trail and part of the Black Diamond Trail, led by Chip.
This is hike #53-1 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-53
Weather conditions certainly changed overnight. The marina didn’t have the thin layer of snow that I woke up to in Freeville, but the cold wind coming off the lake as well as the freezing rain reminded me that winter had come back to haunt us on one final hike of the season.
The group broke up into different groups over the course of the hike, even as small as our group was today. Chip mentioned to me after the hike that he had made a second lap around the north point of the marina after getting back to the parking lot sooner than expected.
Saturday, April 19
Lloyd Starks Road and Connecticut Hill Road
Hike report by Leigh Ann
Nineteen hikers met at the eastern intersection of Connecticut Hill and Boylan Roads for a hike led by Dave G. Initially it looked like there would be rain, but the rain held off and the morning heated up nicely. This butterfly-shaped hike led us past several ancient homestead foundations, numerous creeks, and a few large ponds. We arrived back at the cars in exactly two hours, just before the rain truly showed up.
Sunday, April 20
Monkey run Northeast Parking
Hike report by Jim
Fifteen hikers and three dogs met at the fisherman’s pull-off on route 13 just east of Lower Creek Rd, for a loop 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. At our parking area there was a very noticeable whirlpool in the water currents that several people commented on before or after the hike.
The entirety of this hike took place on FLTC map sheet ” The Cayuga Trail”, available in paper or electronic format at: https://fingerlakestrail.org/store/maps-and-gps/…
Weather was overcast, cool and breezy throughout the hike, which made it more comfortable than it otherwise might have been.
After a quick group picture the group set off, crossing under the Route 13 bridge and quickly traversing the open field to the red-blazed trail that for much of our first hour very closely followed the course of Fall Creek. The creek itself was flowing well, the water levels high after the previous day’s rain.
There were relatively minor elevation changes throughout the route today. Trail conditions were generally good, although with recent rains there were a steady supply of muddy spots along our route.
The red blazed trail offers views of Fall Creek at a variety of elevations, with some sections of the route being nearly at water level, while others are from bluffs high above the creek.
We reached the mid-point of our hike where the red blazed trail meets the yellow blazed trails at a high bluff above the creek. People paused there for a few photos, and then we took the yellow blazed trail to the Monkey Run parking lot we often meet at for other hikes in the area.
Crossing over that parking lot we continued on the Monkey Run Trail system, stopping to make a trail journal entry before finally coming out on the Dryden Rail Trail that still bears Monkey Run orange trail blazes.
The group walked the Dryden Rail Trail towards Route 13 before turning back into the woods to take the orange blazed trails back to our vehicles.
We ended up getting back to our cars about 15 minutes early. I know a solution to that which will be incorporated into the next time we do this hike.
The only new hiker today was K9 ” Ellie”.
