Author: shesse

Hello Hikers!

Wed Dec 22

Hike report and three photos by Jim

Cayuga Nature Center, town of Ulysses

15 hikers met in the upper loop parking area of the Cayuga Nature Center on Houghton Rd, for a hike of the trail system there.

As the hikers arrived at the parking area, the visibility of the hills in the far distance was already dropping as a weather front moved in. Snow started to fall in a small but increasing quantity; by the time the hike started the wind was brisk and cold, encouraging the hikers to get underway.

Hikers walked the graveled path across the open meadows that connected the parking area to the rest of the nature center. We paused briefly to look at some of the animals in the enclosures behind the main lodge building, which is still closed to visitors. Some of the group diverted briefly to explore “ Tiny Town”, a short loop trail South of the lodge.

Rounding the main lodge building, hikers entered the woods and travelled in a counter-clockwise direction on the trail system, first on a blue blazed trail that ran along route 89, and then a complete loop of the ( mostly ) red blazed wilderness loop on the Northerly side of the CNC property. The group found this to be an easy hike surface; there were some areas which in warmer temps would have been quite muddy due to recent rains. Despite the current lower temperatures those areas had still not frozen over completely but didn’t prove to be difficult to navigate. 

This loop in turn led to the habitat loop, which ultimately returned the group back to the main lodge.

A minor water crossing was encountered along the way, prompting the group to leave the path and cross the stream directly out of a concern for safety due to a snow-covered footbridge that was quite a-kilter. Some blazing  is fairly worn or has not been updated to the current colors for the loop, so hikers attempting this hike on their own should pay attention along the route.

Returning to the rear of the lodge the group looked over the animal enclosures and their inhabitants again with a little more detail than during our first walk past the cages. Then the group walked to the near-by treehouse structure, climbing the various levels of its interior in the process.

Hikers returned to the parking area  via the meadow trail system; finding that we still had about twenty minutes of hike time, we jumped onto the Black Diamond Trail for a short out-and-back walk of that pathway. BY the time the weather had cleared and the distant hills were again visible/

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Photos by Randy/Nancy L

Complete photo album here

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Sat Dec 25

Hike report and two photos by Jim

Pinnacles Look-out and Dove Trail, Danby SF

For our Christmas Day hike 11 hikers and 2 dogs at at the junction of Station and Bald Hill Rds

Rain fell for about half of the hike duration, although not in such quantity as to deter the hikers.

The roadway at the parking area was largely a sheet of ice, making nano spikes a welcome footwear accessory

The iced-over road conditions continued up the seasonal portion of Bald Hill RD, to the turn-off to Abbot Loop and the Pinnacles overlook

Light levels were low, and visibility from the Pinnacles was bad due to cloud cover and fog. The descent from the Pinnacles to the seasonal part of Bald Hill Rd was being compared to a Harry Potter film according to hikers behind me.

Once back onto the seasonal portion of Bald Hill Rd it was a short walk up the road to the turn back onto the Abbot Loop. The descent to the stream there was enjoyable, even with the slippery roots. Despite the on-going rain the water volume in the stream didn’t appear to be excessive, and the group make quick use of a log or two and some rocks to perform a fast water crossing.

After the water crossing the Loop follows the stream for a while, which I always find enjoyable on hikes. This lower area around the stream was the only area that the group encountered any actual muddy trail conditions

The Loop footpath eventually turns up-hill and then meets the Dove Trail. A few minutes on the Dove Trail brought the group back onto Bald Hill Rd near where we parked.

We wrapped up the hike a few minutes early this time but I didn’t hear any complaints.

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Photos by Randy/Nancy L

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Sun Dec 26

Hike report by Jim

South Hill Rim Trail and Rec Trail

21 hikers and 3 dogs met on Crescent Place for a hike of the South Hill Rim and Rec Trails

Weather overall was much nicer than the previous days Christmas Day hike in Danby.

Temps were cool, but we did not have to contend with the ice that was present the previous day

The Rim Trail was a pleasant walk, with streams running vigorously and the footpath buried under a winter layer of last summers wet leaves. There was a little mud along the way, but nothing too horrible compared to many of our past hikes.

The group had the Rim Trail to ourselves, which is sometimes a good thing especially when dealing with other hikers who might not be as dog-friendly as our group is.

Hikers emerged back onto the Rec Trail at just about the hour mark; given the opportunity to decide on our return route the group resoundingly supported returning to the cars via the Rec Trail instead of an out-and-back return on the Rim Trail.

The return trip was made quickly, with the group arriving at our cars with 15 minutes to spare.

I should note that Gerald, Leah and Sydney hiked with us for the last time today; they literally packed their car, came to the hike, and then took off for Canada immediately after the hike concluded. Speaking for the group it has been a pleasure to have them hiing with the group again this past semester!

A warm welcome to Shiftrah and Ruth on their first hike with the group!

Photos by Randy/Nancy L

Complete photo album here

Hello Hikers!

Wed Dec 15

Hike repport by Jim

Dabes Diversion Loop and related trails, Cortland County

8 hikers met for a hike of the Dabes Diversion/ FLT/ Kuzia Cutoff loop in Cortland county.

It was a cold brisk day, which probably caused some of our regular people some hesitation in hiking this day. It is inevitable that the group sizes dwindle somewhat in the colder winter months.

The group needed no encouragement to start hiking from the parking area, and soon we were making our first water crossing and churning our way up the hillside on the opposite side of the stream. One or two blowdowns across the trail had to be carefully navigated around,  but nothing like the major blowdowns that forced the closure of this section of trail a few months ago.

Despite the wind it was still a nice fall day for a walk in the woods; nothing like the temperatures we had enjoyed the previous day, and none of the rain predicted for later in the week. Some members of the group chose to hike slower and focus on enjoying the surrounding woods; they quickly fell behind the main group which was focused on completing the loop

Making the first hill climb and then following the trail as it leveled out we got occasional gusts of wind, lessened each time the trail passed through a lower elevation.  The sturdy stone walls always elicit a few moments of conversation as we pass over and by them. The stands of pine, as always, are among my favorites of any found on area trails.

Coming out to the overlook that gives a panoramic view of open fields was a little rough, as the wind was blowing with full force there, encouraging the group to not delay too long in continuing our journey.

We took a short detour to look over the near-by shelter before continuing on the FLT in our original direction of travel. Dropping in elevation towards the major water crossing on this hike, the wind finally ceased completely, which made the hike much more enjoyable for everyone.

Finding our way across the water the group continued onwards, climbing towards the road crossing before the Kuzia cut-off.

The group passed through the Kuzia cutoff portion of the hike at what I can only assume is a record pace for us. Other than a short pause for a trail log entry we stopped at nothing in our path, even the stone foundations on that section of trail that we pass seemingly unnoticed.  The DEC forest thinning operations along that stretch of trail  are healing somewhat, but still detract from the former enjoyment I had of that bit of trail.

Soon we found ourselves on the seasonal road for the last leg of the hike, a road walk back to our cars. We arrived at the cars a full 20 minutes early, so we opted to walk to the near-by snowmobile trail for a short out and back hike to burn up the remaining hiking time.

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Sat Dec 18

Hike report and three photos by Jim

West Malloryville trails and Von Engeln Preserve with Bob B

Despite some of the colder temperatures in a week or so, and with intermittent light rain accompanying us on the hike, 17 hikers and 2 dogs met at the von Engeln Preserve on West Malloryville Rd in the Town of  Dryden.

Our hike guide for today, area resident Bob Beck, met the group in the parking lot and after a brief introduction set off on the trails.

This particular hike has normally been a summer hike for the group since I’ve been hiking with it, so it was nice to see the terrain in this area in a  different season. When I scheduled the hike several weeks ago I had hoped that by the hike date we’d have some true winter snow conditions, but in retrospect the actual trail conditions today were great for the group.

Bob B led hikers along several trails, climbing and descending along eskers while stopping periodically to share his extensive knowledge of the areas formation during past ice ages and  the more recent political struggles that led to the genesis of the Preserves creation.

We passed by several ponds, bogs and other water features, and eventually crossed over the ever-popular beaver dam. A recently installed rope helped with the steep descent to the dam.  Bob explained that the dam is starting to deteriorate due to the beavers having moved on to better feeding areas, but I felt that the dam was actually easier to cross over today than what I recall of its condition in the past.

Exiting the forest trails onto the former railbed, Bob led interested hikers down a hill to examine the underbelly of the 150 ( ! ) year old structure.

Bob soon returned the group to forest trails and led us a short way to a viewing area and a short description of natural formations there, before turning around and making a quick hike back to the vehicles.

A sincere thank you to Bob for taking time from his busy schedule to host our group today.

For those who would like more information about this Preserve, see:

O.D. von Engeln Preserve At Malloryville | TNC (nature.org)

Bob has written an excellent book on the subject of the Preserve area. The Journey at Malloryville Bog ( 2013 ) which is available for purchase at Buffalo Street Books or online in print and Kindle formats

Welcome to Eileen and Mary for their first hike with the group!

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Photos by Nancy L/Randy

You can see Nancy and Randy’s complete photo album here

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Sun Dec 19

Hike report by Nancy L

Rowell Hill, Connecticut Hill WMA

On a cold, raw morning 17 hikers and one dog met at the corner of Lloyd Stark and Boylan in Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management area to hike up Rowell Hill. Since the original approach was a little mucky, Randy spent a couple hours on Wednesday morning preparing a detour through a recent clearcut to avoid it. The clearcut was anything but “clear”. But the result was a rough but passable trail, a challenge since some brambles and scrambled log piles remained. We traversed this bypass on the way in and out of the hike up Rowell Hill. We climbed the hill to a small pond and were sufficiently warmed up by the exertion. We took a loop that traversed the main plateau of Rowell Hill. It’s a pleasant level walk through a mixed hardwood and red pine forest. We gathered at the stone remains of a small foundation before arriving at a nice viewpoint over the surrounding countryside to the south. After arriving back at the main trail, we traversed another loop in a different section of the hill affording some more cloud-shrouded views of the countryside. Then we followed our tracks back to Lloyd Stark Road. From there we could see our cars, and the group split up into three. A few returned to their cars, a few walked up the road, and a small group crossed the road to a trail over to a sizable beaver pond surrounded by large pines. We were all happy to pile into our cars to warm up! It should be noted that we saw absolutely no sign of hunters…no sign of anything to hunt either.

Photos by Nancy/Randy

You can see Randy and Nancy’s complete photo album here

Hello Hikers!

Wed Dec 8

Hike report by Jim

Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve

Hikers met on Ellis Hollow Creek Rd for a hike of the trail circuit within the Preserve there.

It was a cold morning with a fresh dusting of snow on the ground.

Several individual dog walkers arrived while I was waiting for the group to show up, so the last few arriving Ithaca Hikers found themselves having to park along the shoulder of  the road. While I was assisting with that process the main group took off up the trail from the parking lot to the welcome kiosk. Jack and Mary took over leaingd the main body of the group as it moved along the trails

Hikers initially travelled in a clockwise direction; after passing the welcome kiosk the group made the first water crossing and took the blue and red trails in a loop. Coming down the slopes near the second  stream crossing at the top of the loop proved to be a little tricky due to the snow covering the leaves.

There were  a few patches of semi-solid mud near the top of the trail circuit that were hanging on despite the cool temperatures, but nothing that seemed too intolerable.

The sun shone down through the trees, creating an enjoyable  patchwork of light and shadow throughout much of the hike.

Completing the first circuit the group temporarily reconvened. Those who wanted to complete a second circuit started hiking in a counter-clockwise direction, the group again breaking down into a couple of different sub-groups  as hikers again found their own pace.

My sub-group of hikers, reaching the top of the loop, opted to re-trace our route back to the welcome kiosk. There we met the fast group as they reached the completion of their second time around the trail system.

There were  a few late arrivals to the hike, but I am fairly certain that the total count for this hike was 18 hikers and 4 dogs.

Warm return welcome to Bud, who re-joined the group today for the first time in a long while!

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Sat Dec 10

Hike report by Nancy L

Mulholland Wildflower Preserve to Potter’s Falls, Six Mile Creek

16 people and 2 dogs met on a warm early winter day at the Mulholland Preserve parking lot for the hike.  Because of a storm the previous night Six Mile Creek was full and flowing fast affording picturesque falls and cascades.   We started off along the creek and chose the creek hugging trails until we reached a trail heading diagonally up hill to higher ground.  Most of us chose a path that followed the edge of the hill going upcreek until we reached the overlook above the “six mile creek” reservoir, the first reservoir you encounter going up the creek from Giles.  Some of us, made our way down a steep muddy spot to a closer view of the reservoir and dam.  Then we returned to the higher trail following the edge of the reservoir toward the upper six mile creek.  After a ways the wide trail ended leaving only a billy goat trail up the hill to higher ground.  Most of the group turned around at this point.  Part of the group including me went up the billy goat trail, which once scaled allowed us to the follow the creek up further to Potter’s Falls.   The falls  is at the bottom of a narrow chute, flowing from the second dam that holds back Ithaca Reservoir.  The hike from the lower reservoir  was rough in places, involving an additional steep muddy hill climb but the views were worth it!  We took a different route back which allowed us to avoid the steep hills but instead necessitated crossing over several side creeks with steep banks.  Eventually we found a wide trail that brought us back to the high trail along the lower reservoir.  Randy’s group returned from the base of the billy goat trail first along a wide trail high on the side of the hill.  A new trail has been recently developed which took the hikers from this high trail down to the trails along the edge of the creek.  This new trail follows a side creek.  It has stone steps that ease the hikers  down the hill.  At the bottom we   followed the well trodden trails back to the cars.
Note that there are some interesting links about the Six Mile Creek:  http://toursixmilecreek.org/https://www.cityofithaca.org/301/Six-Mile-Creek-Watershed

Photos by Nancy L/Randy

You can see Randy and Nancy’s complete album here

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Photos by Cian

You can see Cian’s complete photo album here

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Sun Dec 12

Hike report by Jim

Jim Schug trail, Dryden

20 hikers and 6 dogs met at the Kenny Van Sickle ballfields in Dryden Village, for  a hike of the Northern end  of the Jim Schug Trail. This location was  a change of pace from our normal meeting place on Lake Rd, prompted mainly by my concerns for possible winter weather and associated parking problems. Our recent hike on the Dryden Rail Trail has me considering the issue of parking when choosing where to hike.

The day was sunny and cool; for the outbound leg of the hike the group was walking into the sun almost the entire length of the hike, which had me happy for my sunglasses. The various water-filled potholes along the way had a minor layer of skim ice covering them on the out-bound leg of the hike, the ice having melted by the time we made the return trip.

Leaving the parking lot the group walked down Mill St then turned onto Main Street to reach the trail. Casey made a good point that we should have simply jumped onto the end of the Rail Trail on Elm Street to access the Schug Trail; we’ll certainly do that the next time we do this particular hike.

The northern end of the Schug Trail passes through several blocks in the heart of Dryden Village, the footpath weaving behind residences, the village DPW, and a few road crossings;  it takes a little longer to get into the more rural parts of the Trail than the group is used to when hiking in from the Lake Rd end.

Once past the Village the Trail became more enjoyable, with the sorts of scenic stream views, beaver dams and that sort of thing which add to the charm of the hike.

The main body of the group surged past me to get much further South on the Trail than I did, as I was stopping fairly regularly to look at the view, talk to people, etc.

At the appointed hour the group turned around and re-traced its steps to the parking area and our cars.

Feedback from the group indicated that hiking the trail from a different starting point was a welcome change of pace.

Photos by Cian

You can see Cian’s complete album here

Hello Hikers!

Wed Dec 1

Hike report by Jim

Stewart Park, Renwick Woods and Newman Golf Course

15 hikers and 4 dogs met in Stewart Park near the recently restored boathouse, for a walk around the bird sanctuary, the golf course, Lighthouse Point, and onwards to the Farmers Market. The skies were clear, with an excellent view down the lake.

Crossing the first foot bridge, the group turned into the bird sanctuary now known as Renwick Wildwoods. Moving at a quick pace to stay warm on a  cool morning, the group made a quick loop within the Wildwoods before returning to the boardwalk and continuing over the second footbridge.

Turning into the golf course the group skirted the greens and the flocks of birds occupying the fringes. We soon arrived at the entrance to the Lighthouse Point area. This area was a little muddy, but the shallow pools were easily passed.

A quick walk to the end of the jetty where the lighthouse is located, and we were soon back on firm ground and making a loop around the remainder of the golf course.

As we walked we looked at the on-going construction in the area; this particular part of town was a frequent destination for my family when we visited friends who were still living in the area into the 1970s; it looks nothing as it did back then.

The group crossed over the footbridge leading to the farmers market area.

Walking past the Market the group continued on, arriving at the CU and IC boathouses before turning around to re-trace our path back to Stewart park and  our cars.

A warm welcome to Paul, on his first hike with the group!

Photos by shesse

And here’s a final photo from an unusual angle — hiker Sabine happened to be walking along toward Cass Park on the other side of the inlet, when she noticed the group walking along the pier:

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Sat Dec 4

Hike report by Jim

Shindagin Hollow SF Rim Trail

24 hikers and 3 dogs gathered at the end of the maintained portion of Shindagin Hollow Rd, for a hike of the rim and bicycle trails in that area.

Upon arriving I had spoken to some dog walkers who were in the process of leaving the area, in order to find out what trail conditions were like.

The morning was cool, and the seasonal portion of Shindagin Hollow Rd ahead of us was already glazed over with patchy ice. The sides of the road still bore random piles of snow that had already melted away in other parts of the county. Foot traction was worn by some, although not entirely necessary.

The group set off down Shindagin Hollow Rd before turning into the Rim Trail. There was little mud, although water was flowing freely across or down the trail in a few places, sustaining random pools of mud that had to be skirted. Cool air blew towards the hikers from the depths of the valley below us. The sun shone down, bright but offering no real warmth. The air was clear, offering excellent views to the other side of the gorge area and the path ahead.

Arriving at the Jeep Trail parking lot the lead group found that about a third of the group had fallen substantially behind. After a short while we proceeded ahead, jumping onto the bicycle trail that leads down into the gorge and the water crossing there. A substantial amount of water was flowing downstream, but a thoughtful pattern of hop scotching rocks offered the group a dry path to the path on the opposite shoreline.

My group of hikers continued onwards; the heavy leaf cover and lack of blazing forcing me to rely more on memory of past hikes than is normal. On most of this section the footpath stands out from the surrounding area, but at one small water crossing I lost the path and had to do a little searching before continuing onwards.

Proper homage was given at the stump with the golden shoe, which the group had replaced after the preceding shoe was removed earlier this year. I’m always curious on this hike to see if the shoe remains, or has been taken again since our last walk through the area.

Reaching Gulf Creek Rd some of the hikers in my party opted to turn around and make an out-and-back hike through the woods. The remainder continued down Gulf Creek Rd to Shindagin Hollow Rd for a road walk back to our cars. There we met the second half of the full group, who had chosen to make a road walk of the remaining hike rather than walk the bike trails as my group had done. That subset of hikers continued down the road awhile before turning around and joining us on the slog up the hill back to the parking area.

Photos by Cian

You can see Cian’s complete photo album here

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Sun Dec 5

Hike report by Jim

Owl Creek Trail and Rim Trail, Buttermilk Falls SP

There were multiple late arrivals for this hike, but I am fairly certain that the count below is an accurate final accounting for both hikers and dogs

28 hikers and 6 dogs met at Buttermilk Falls State Park for a hike of the Owl Creek and Rim Trails.

The question came up during the hike as to whether the waterway the Owl Creek Trail follows is actually “Owl Creek”. I’ve done some internet searching at home after the hike and there is apparently an officially named Owl Creek waterfall along the route, which I was unaware of:

Owl Creek Falls – Bobbieswaterfalls

The state park map does not name the waterway on the official park map

Buttermilk Falls State Park Trail Map (ny.gov)
but it does answer Rogers question about where the Owl  Creek waterway leads once its on the flats.

The group set off from the lower Buttermilk Falls parking lot, walking up the asphalt roadway towards the camping area. Turning onto the Owl Creek Trail the group was soon churning its way up the hill. This particular trail always gives me a good work-out with its various up-hill sections and occasional and very welcome flat stretches. Today was no different.

Following the green trail discs we took the official trail to its Stone Quarry Road trailhead:

Owl Creek Trailhead in the city Ithaca (worldorgs.com)

Then re-traced our steps to the trail fork and took the unblazed trail to the cemetery. Pausing there for a group photo, we soon found ourselves re-tracing our route back down the hill.

The group jumped onto the Rim Trail, then gradually broke into smaller ability groups with instructions for everyone to turn around and return to the parking lot at a certain time. This worked fairly well, and everyone was back at the cars at the two hour time limit.

Welcome to Shannon on her first hike with the group!

Question to everyone regarding January hikes, which I’m already planning.

Assuming the trails are mostly clear of snow, given that we have the special bow season for all of January, how comfortable would everyone be as far as hiking at least some of the hike locations on trails which might be open to bow hunters. Last year during the special season it was my impression that most of the bow hunters were out of the woods around the time that the group started its hikes. If anyone feels one way versus the other, please reach out to me with an opinion over the next couple of weeks. Thanks!

Hello Hikers!

Wed Nov 24

Hike report by Jim

Dryden Rail Trail, Varna section

14 hikers and 2 dogs met on the unsigned service road to the Stevenson Rd solar farm, for a walk of the recently opened Varna section of the Dryden Rail Trail, as well as a portion of the Monkey Run trail system.

As with most rail trails, this is a wide and fairly level of former railroad bed, better than a road walk but not as enthralling for me as a walk on the FLT through a favorite section of woods

On this particular hike we’d had our first snow accumulation the previous day, and already there was a glazing and surface irregularity to the snow-covered footpath due to others using the multi-use trail.

Soon enough we veered off the rail trail and entered the Monkey Run trail system. This was one of our more commonly hiked sections, but on this particular day we were hiking I in the opposite direction from what we normally do. Things in the woods still have a way of looking different if you just take the time to look at them from a different vantage point.

Coming out onto the Monkey Run parking area we crossed over and back into the woods, and followed the orange blazed trail on that side back to the Rail Trail.

The group took the Rail Trail until the Rte 13 crossing, at which time we turned around and walked back on the Rail Trail to our cars, without incident.

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Sat Nov 27

Hike report by Nancy L

Architectural walk, downtown Ithaca and Cornell, with our retired architect Randy

25 people and 2 dogs gathered in Ithaca on Esty between Albany and Plain street to tour Ithaca and the Western slope of the Cornell campus to look at registered historical buildings.   The ones we visited are of course only some of the ones listed.  There are descriptions on Wikipedia of the buildings:   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register _of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Tompkins_County,_New_York
We compiled a list of the buildings we hoped to visit though we didn’t have time to visit many of the registered buildings at Cornell.  Here is that list:

We first toured in the downtown area managing to stop by those historical buildings listed above that we’re downtown.   Next we headed up a combination of Cascadilla Park Road and short cuts between its bends to Stewart Ave.  From there we  proceeded uphill to the Deke and Telleride houses.  We climbed the rest of the hill to Morrill Hall, one of the earliest “newly constructed” buildings on campus.  The walking was more leisurely on the way over to A.D. White House, the home of Cornell’s first president.  After that, we took in a view from the slope and then headed down to Llenroc, the residence of Cornell’s founder, Ezra Cornell (along with Andrew Dickson White).  It’s a mansion on spacious grounds hidden away on a cul de sac. Most of us headed back through the neighboring cemetery to Cascadilla Park road and along the sidewalks by the creek to the cars.

You can see photos of the buildings the group looked at here

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Photos by Cian

You can see Cian’s complete photo album here

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Sun Nov 28

Hike report by Jim

Groton village trail system

18 hikers and 2 dogs met on Spring Street Extension in the Town of Groton for a hike of the Groton village trail system.

There was light snow falling, with a minimal accumulated amount of loose powdery snow on the ground. While it was a generally overcast day it was still enjoyable to look out over the valley at the hills on the opposite side towards Cortland County

The hike starts out from the parking area across open fields before plunging into the woodline.

The trail is initially what appears to be a former logging road that makes its way through the undulating hillside quite nicely. Soon enough the group turned down the hill, starting our first loop through the woods to the West of Sovocool Hill Rd. Theres a very bizarre ( to me ) portion of this part of the trail where the footpath follows a utility right of way, resulting in a hiker being able to almost reach up and touch the utility lines where they run up the hill. A switchback away from the power lines would be better at this point in the hike.

Taking a side trail, the group crossed Sovocool Hill Rd and completed a small loop that included a short portion of the Groton High School track. Returning to the woods, the group completed that loop before returning to Sovocool Hill Rd.

Crossing Sovocool Hill Rd the trail splits again, following a very nice ravine area that had a decent amount of water flowing today. That trail arc brings hikers through some nice stands of pines before returning hikers to the original old logging roadf section of trail that leads back to the parking area.

The trails themselves are well-marked with wooden name placards as well as red trail discs, although the trail names do not appear on the map posted at the trailheads and on-line.

It was good to have long time Ithaca Hiker Casey Creamer hiking with the group again today. Welcome back Casey!

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Photos by Cian

You can see Cian’s complete photo album here