Hello Hikers!
Wed Jan 17
Lower Buttermilk Falls SP — camping and cabins area and Larch Meadow Trail
We walked in two areas of lower Buttermilk where we haven’t come as a group in years
The cabins and camping area was surprisingly picturesque, thanks to the snow and an interesting underlying terrain
The roads up to this area are closed for the winter but they’re plowed — this was very helpful because the snow quality in general wasn’t great for walking
I suspect not too many hikers regularly walk in the area across lower Sand Bank Road from the main lower Buttermilk entrance — there’s a wooded trail that circles several ball fields. The trail runs parallel to Route 13 for about 10-15 minutes and it’s a little noisy — and the woods are a bit dull — there was some griping from our regulars — but then we turned away from the highway and came out into the ball fields and it was very pretty in the pale sunlight.
Official head count: 16H, six D
Saturday Jan 20
Road walk — Fisher Settlement Road, South Danby
I tried to get the hikers to follow me into the deep snow alongside the road to demonstrate how deep it was — no one would budge off the plowed part
This is one of the darker pine woods we encounter — Scott was somehow left out of this group photo
We had a bit of pickup traffic heading south in the early part of the hike — couldn’t figure where they were going since this is pretty much a road to nowhere — after a while, the traffic really dropped off
My definition of a good country road walk is one where we can spread across the whole width without worrying we’ll be hit
We counted 16 horses living here
Official head count: 15H, four D
Special hiker event — Group trip to the Seneca Falls women’s march
March report by Mark and Ellie
On Saturday, January 20, 10 “Ithaca Hikers” met at Mark and Ellie’s house to carpool up to the Women March in Seneca Falls. There we joined other “hikers”, Ithacans, and thousands of others to protest at the site of the first women’s rights convention (held in 1948). It was a beautiful day, great location, and great camaraderie.
Photos by Mark and Lori W
Sunday Jan 21
Snowmobile trail from the Slaterville Springs post office north
These cows and steers seemed really energized by our group — when we came into view they began to run back and forth and dart around in a very lively manner — several hikers thought they were preparing to break through the fence and charge us, but I didn’t think so
Brian and his wife Ann used to hike with us regularly in 2008 and 2009 — it was really fun to see them pop back up on the trail after so many years — they don’t look any older. Brian was the only one willing to pose with this dead cow — there’s a long story attached to the carcass I won’t get into
Official head count: 25H, nine D