Author: Benben

Wednesday, May 22

Taughannock Falls SP

Hike report by Mark Sussman

On Wednesday, May 22, eighteen hikers and one dog met up on Rice road at the parking area for the Taughannock Sledding Hill. The weather at the start of the hike was perfect, but it definitely was a little too warm by the time we finished.

The group descended through the grassy trails to the bottom of the hill. Although I had told the Taughannock staff the previous week of the need to mow these trails they did not mow them. The grass was quite long, but I did not hear any complaints.

The group re-entered the woods at the bottom of the hill and walked to the outlet at Rice Road. We then walked down the road for a short distance, and crossed over NYS 89 and into the Cabin area of Taughannock. We wound our way through the cabins, and followed the walkway to the north shore beach area. The group really seemed to enjoy being by the lake.

After walking further along the lakefront, we crossed back over 89 and climbed to the camping area. We then followed the north rim trail all the way to the old railroad bridge, where we turned around and reentered the woods that are on the northside of Taughannock creek, and followed the trail back to our cars. The group enjoyed the views of the waterfalls and gorge.

A small group fell behind early in the hike and did their own version of the hike. Two hikers also left a little early at the return trail.

This hike is not listed on the Ithaca Hikers trail list.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, May 25

 Stewart Park, Ithaca

Hike report by Jim

Eighteen hikers and a dog met in Stewart Park for a hike of the area paths and trails to and from the Farmers Market. This is hike # 53-2 on our list of regular hikes: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-53. I wish that I could say that this hike was “normal”, but we managed to have a number of unforeseen problems along the way.

The day was cool, the skies were clear, and the sun was out when the group met in Stewart Park near the boat house. The views down the lake were fantastic. I picked this hike as an easy location for new hikers who might want to join us for their first hike on a holiday weekend.

The hike started with a short loop around the old swan pond; this is a chance to see some views of the lake in a shaded area; the trail surface here is mostly comfortable wood chips. After the swan pond the group moved towards the bird sanctuary, stopping along the way at Norms request to observe a martin house along the path for a quick minute.

The bird sanctuary was likewise a pleasant, if much larger, wood chip surface loop, and gives late arrivals a chance to catch up with the main group before moving on to more distant areas.

Crossing the second bridge we entered a section of our route that passes through the city golf course, and in my time with the group we’ve never encountered a problem, as we hug the edge of the course on our way towards lighthouse point. Today we ran into a group of golfers who took exception to hikers being anywhere on the course, so we reversed course and took the various paved roads around the course perimeter to reach Lighthouse Point.

Arriving at Lighthouse Point we found access to the lighthouse restricted due to bird nesting. The walk to the Lighthouse is normally a very popular part of this particular hike, but the closure is understandable. We scratched that part of the hike off our list and continued on towards the Farmers Market. By now a good percentage of the original group had left because the changes to our route had used up more time than originally planned.

A much-diminished group of hikers arrived at the Farmers Market and split up with the understanding that it was up to each hiker to find their own way back to the cars.

The various paths to and from Stewart Park to the Farmers Market were heavily populated with a mix of bicyclists and pedestrians.

A warm welcome to Sal, Stu, Ari and Virginia on their first hike with the group!

Sunday, May 26

Yellow Barn State Forest, Dryden

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-two hikers met to hike a lollipop route in Yellow Barn State Forest. This is hike # 33 on our list of regular hike locations: 

https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-33.

I had hoped to take the group on a different loop within the forest today, but opted for our regular route after pre-hiking the area on both Friday and Saturday.

The day was cool and a little overcast as the group gathered before the hike, but as the day progressed the sun came out and temperatures and the humidity levels rose.

The forest road was its usual mix of standing pools of water and occasional mud, but not as bad as I expected given recent rainfall. With everything leafed out we were hiking through a green tunnel. Flowers were in full bloom, there were a ton of efts scurrying around the forest floor, and hikers were regularly stopping to more closely enjoy some aspect of nature that they were passing by.

The open fields were overgrown, but there was a more recently mowed strip around the field perimeter that made walking easier. By the time we hit the fields the sun was out and it was obvious that it was a beautiful morning, with some good views across the open fields of tall grass with patches of wildflowers spread across the fields.

The ski loop…well, time has eased my view of that and things are starting to grow back, but the churned-up surface and the masses of piled up trees from the logging operation from two years ago are still in my view a real detriment to how much I used to enjoy that loop.

The group completed the ski trail loop and returned the way we’d come

Welcome to Julie on her first hike with the group!

Note about next week: Saturday is National Trail Days and we’re going to be maintaining our adopted section of the Cayuga Trail. After the trail work we’ll be stopping in at Hopshire. Gerald and Leah and Sydney will be leaving town in a week or two to go back to Canada, so this is a chance for any hikers who might want to say goodbye to them to have a chance to do so.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Tuesday, May 14

Ringing Rocks Park

Hike report by Roger

Five hikers gathered at Ringing Rocks Park near Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, PA. It was about 1:30 and we’d driven 190 miles in three and a half hours. It was time to share our picnic lunches and just in time for a light rain to begin. You already know it didn’t hold us up. A few hundred yards past the kiosk we came to the end of a seven acre boulder field. We were at the Ringing Rocks! And, we’d brought our hammers! Very carefully we climbed a hundred feet or so out into the boulder field; barely maintaining our footing allowed no lapse in attention to every step.  

Perhaps a third of the rocks we hammered sounded a pleasant ring. Unfortunately, the ringing didn’t record well in the videos I took. And, they seem much worse on my computer after emailing the videos.

The rain had stopped after only a few minutes and it had become very humid as we returned to the trail and headed toward the water falls. Very lovely, and at twenty feet high, the highest in Bucks County! Those residents should visit us.

Back on the trail, we took the loop around the boulder field. Coming upon the opposite end, we realized it was much longer than we’d thought. If anyone wants to promote a new sport, how about a race over the boulder field? 

We returned to our cars and headed for Frenchtown, NJ. In six miles or so of a pretty drive, we crossed the Delaware and were in Frenchtown. We’d hoped to visit the Art Yard but it was closed, as were many other businesses there. Don’t visit Frenchtown on Tuesday!  It was time for a snack, so we settled outside next to the sidewalk at Cocina Del Sol on the corner of Bridge St. and Front St. The food was good and the waiter (Probably the owner.) most pleasant.

We walked east on Bridge Street, passing many lovely boutiques and restaurants, many closed for the FrenchtownTuesday. We returned to our cars for the three and a half hour drive home.

Wednesday, May 15

Finger Lakes Trail from White Church Rd., Brooktondale

Hike report by Jim

Nine hikers and a single dog showed up on White Church Rd for a hike of the FLT, despite the intermittent rain throughout the morning. This was the first hike from this location that I can recall we didn’t need to double and triple park cars in the very small parking lot to get everyone off the public road.

There was some confusion as to which hike had been published, so the group split into two sub-groups. Casey led a sub-group that hiked north from White Church Rd towards Shindagin Hollow State Forest, while I led the remainder of the group along the FLT and future South Hill Rec Way extension between White Church Rd and Ridgeway Road ( hike 24 on our list of regular hikes: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-24 ).

There was a light rain when I arrived at the parking lot, and the mist hung on the hills opposite my location. By the time the hike started the rain had stopped and didn’t, resume until the very end of the hike. This still left the field of tall, un-mowed grass along White Church Rd very water-logged and the trees with their fully leafed out branches hung low in many places.

Entering the woods from the open fields we reached the T intersection along Wilseyville Creek and continued on the recently re-routed section of the FLT as far as the junction of White Church and Coddington Rds. Lots of flowers and blooming things along the way, and the open fields visible through the trees were freshly tilled and waiting for planting. We had the path to ourselves today, our only identified trail companions being a couple of rabbits we encountered along the way

The group turned around and walked westerly as far as Ridgeway Rd on the old section of FLT that per recent agreements will soon be an extension of the South Hill Rec Way. Once again my group turned around and made our way back to White Church Rd and our parked cars via the FLT, arriving back at the parking area just as the rain again started to fall. Casey’s group was also just arriving back at the parking lot. Thanks to all who braved the elements to hike today!

Hike report by Casey

Jim scheduled a hike going west on the FLT from the parking area on White Church Road. But being rebellious, six hikers (one of us had 4 legs) decided to go east on the FLT from the same starting point. That meant a fair amount of up, up, and more up. We climbed that hill, crossed some Shindaigan Hollow bike trails, crossed Brailey Hill Road, and turned around at a semi road that is between Brailey Hill Road and Shindaigan Hollow Road.

We managed to get back to the cars at exactly 11:30 after traveling 4.63 miles with an elevation gain of 928 feet according to the app that I use.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, May 18

Lake Road southeast of Dryden

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Eighteen hikers and one dog met at the Lake Road parking area for the Jim Schug trail, along with a pair of bald eagles we could see from the meet-up spot. Two very different and very satisfying trails head off from here. Seven hikers took the Jim Schug rail trail all the way into Dryden for a 6-mile round-trip hike, and eleven hikers took the FLT over Havington Hill to the end of the blue spur trail or just beyond for a 4+ mile hike. This day was the first day of chartreuse summer this year. The sky never did clear up during the hike but never opened up into full rain, either. It made for a lovely, atmospheric, and varied walk either way.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, May 19

Hammond Hill State Forest from Canaan Road

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-five hikers and one dog met on Canaan Rd for a hike of some of the trails in Hammond Hill State Forest. This was hike # 31-2 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-31.

The day started out a little overcast and cool; the bugs were out in strength as hikers arrived at the end of the paved portion of Canaan Rd. I also found out that we would be sharing the trail system with approximately 130 trail runners, of whom we ultimately encountered around a dozen of over the course of our hike.

The hike started with a short road walk down the seasonal part of Canaan Rd before turning onto the Rabbit Run snowmobile trail. This trail was in reasonable shape, although the grass was fairly high; hopefully everyone checked themselves for ticks after getting home!

The route continued on the blue and yellow blazed trails, crossing over the seasonal portion of Canaan Rd before continuing on our looping route.

Some of the group expressed turning one portion of the hike into a loop rather than an out-and-back short section, so we ended up using a short section of the FLT to complete a loop of trail yellow # 5 for that section of the hike rather than an out-and-back on Yellow # 8.

Towards the end of the hike the group took Yellow trail # 7 back to the seasonal part of Canaan Rd and our cars. Somehow there was a misunderstanding and part of the group ended up hiking away from the cars on the last leg of the hike; I’m not sure how the misunderstanding occurred, but ultimately everyone made it back to their start point.

Warm welcome to Caitlin on her first hike with the group!

Wednesday, May 8

FLT from Schuyler County Veterans Memorial Park, Alpine

Hike report by Jim

Twenty hikers and two dogs met in the parking lot of the Schuyler County Veterans Park for an out-and-back hike of the FLT in the area. This is hike # 66 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-66.

I wasn’t sure how the day would turn out for the hikers, as it had rained and thundered during the night, but as I drove towards the trailhead I found that it was a beautiful day. The sun was out, the skies were clear, and the group arrived ready to hike.

Heading south from the Vets Park, the FLT passes through some private property with small ponds, a dry streambed and a well-maintained treadway before reaching county route 6. Crossing that road and making a quick turn onto Gulf Rd, the FLT soon turns into the woods and follows Cayuta Creek through Hendershot Gulf. The stream in this area is initially fairly slow moving and can almost appear stagnant during the dry summer months. As the trail follows the stream south, the water slowly picks up speed until it is flowing quite well. The FLT itself is sometimes fairly near the creek, and occasionally above it a good distance as the ground rises and falls.

The air was clear during the hike, and the FLT as it followed the creek was a visually pleasing mix of shadow and light. There was an abundance of newly flowering and blooming plants and trees along our route. Other than one or two spots where small streams cross the footpath there was no mud at all on todays hike

The fastest hikers made it beyond the location of the former wooden bridge that collapsed and was removed last year, with some hikers climbing the hill towards the Van Lone Loop. Upon turning around the group slowly reacquired the slower hikers as it returned the way the hikers had come on the outbound leg of the hike.

Post-hike some members of the group pre-hiked another location in the area for an upcoming hike, while others drove to Watkins Glen for an enjoyable lunch in the village.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, May 11

Foundation of Light, Ithaca

Hike report by Jim

Forty-three hikers and one dog met at the Foundation of Light on Turkey Hill Rd in the Town of Dryden for a remembrance hike and celebration of life meal afterwards for Ithaca Hiker Linda V. This event was planned and led by Mary Jo.

The hike was an out-and back hike from the Foundation of Light down Turkey Hill Rd to Stevenson Rd, where the group picked up the Dryden Rail Trail and walked that until it was time to turn around. This hike is not on our list of regular hike locations.

The day turned out to be sunny and warm, despite a cool early morning. There was a good amount of cloud cover that resulted in the hills around us to be either half-sunlit or in the shadow of clouds as they moved across the sky.

Most of the group stayed for the dish-to-pass, and another thirty persons or so who weren’t able to join the hike arrived for the meal.

Thanks to everyone who planned or participated in todays events!

Sunday, May 12

FLT out-and-back from Diane’s Crossing, Danby SF

Hike report by Greg

Spring has sprung! Thirteen hikers and one dog walked out and back on a portion of the FLT. Weather conditions were ideal. With the forest canopy rapidly greening, a smattering of flowers blooming, but for a few spills on slippery leaves the hike was very pleasant. While most returned within 2 hours a few who ‘stopped to smell the roses’ took slightly longer.

Full Abbott Loop from Diane’s Crossing, Danby SF

Hike report by Casey

Six of us started the longer version of this hike an hour early because I had mistakenly remembered that we did this hike last time in 2 hours and 55 minutes. Well this is the entire Abbott’s Loop. I was only off by an hour. My original plan was to be able to meet up with the hikers who were doing the shorter version and starting at the regular time at 9:40. The idea was that we would likely run into them somewhere around their one hour turnaround time which may or may not have been at the Pinnacles. And that might have worked if our entire hike had actually taken less than 3 hours. This time we managed the 8.4 mile loop with around 1700 feet of elevation change in 3 hours, 50 minutes. Needless to say, by the time we staggered back to our cars, everyone else was long gone.

Life is full of tradeoffs. The last time we did this hike it was hot, sticky, and quite buggy. Not today. No rain, no heat, and no bugs. Did I mention tradeoffs? Not surprisingly for this time of year, it was plenty muddy and there were lots of stream crossing where the usual stepping stones had apparently been washed away. This is not an easy hike in that there is very little flat. Just lots of real ups and downs and many water crossings. But by the time you get back to the cars you have a great feeling of accomplishment.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, May 1

Spur trail from upper Lick Brook/Town Line Road to upper Buttermilk Falls SP/Yaple Road

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-two hikers and one dog met on Townline Rd in the Town of Danby for a hike of the Toms Trail Loop in the Thayer Preserve and the orange blazed FLT spur trail in upper Buttermilk Falls State Park. This is hike # 11 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-11.

Driving to the hike I found the day to be cool, and there was significant fog in lower elevations as I approached the trailhead. Today was opening day of spring turkey season and I nearly hit some turkeys as they crossed Sandbank Rd; maybe they didn’t get the memo that they were the guests of honor this month. By the time hikers started to pull up on Townline Rd the sun was coming out in time for the hike.

After a quick photo the group set off on the orange blazed Toms Trail, climbing the hill to Sandbank Rd before hiking behind the South Hill Cidery and coming out on the utility right of way. Crossing West King Rd the group entered the FLT spur trail, which as expected had a significant amount of standing water and quantities of mud at regular intervals until the trail reached Yaple Rd.

The hikers continued on the spur trail into Buttermilk Falls State Park before turning around. Rather than return through the mud of the spur trail the hikers opted to road walk back to West King Rd , where they re-entered the trail system.

Reaching the junction of the red and blue trail sections of Toms Trail the group took the blue blazed trail, crossing the stream and returning to the trailhead via the blue blazed trails.

A quick happy birthday observation for Nancy L and the group dispersed for the day. Casey reported that the hike totaled 4.9 miles.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday, May 4

Kennedy State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Thirteen hikers met on the seasonal portion of Owego Hill Rd in Cortland County for a loop hike within James Kennedy State Forest. This hike consisted of parts of the Spanish Loop, the FLT and the Ukranian Loop, and is hike # 40-5 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-40.

The morning was overcast and cool as cars arrived at the trailhead. RSVPs on Meetup had been few; I think that the weather forecast for the day had caused people to be leery of this mornings hike. Or perhaps it was a little too distant for some hikers.

The group set off downhill on the Spanish Loop, which plunges into the woods here after a long-ish road walk section on both Adams and Owego Hill Rd. Hikers paused at the first water crossing for our group photo before continuing on. The footpath follows the stream for a while, weaving in and out of the stream bank before turning to begin a bit of a moderate hill climb. The terrain levels out eventually and the Spanish Loop crosses seasonal road Liddington Hill Rd and a utility pole right-of-way before passing the more easterly end of the Ukranian Loop. Soon afterwards the group reached the end of the Spanish Loop trail where it meets the FLT.

Here we paused briefly for a trail journal entry and as the group moved north on the FLT we soon broke down into ability groups, with a faster group of hikers pulling ahead of the more casually paced subset of hikers. A couple of blow down trees had to be bypassed here, but all in all compared to many recent trails we’ve hiked, the number of uprooted trees blocking the trails was very minimal today.

The FLT reaches Owego Hill Rd again before re-entering the woods on a steady descent. The FLT here winds through some nice sections of woods and follows alongside another stream for a while before passing an access trail to the Swedish Loop. It was in this section that we first noticed an increase in the number of flying insects, so head nets came out. The group forged ahead until we reached the more westerly end of the Ukranian Loop, which is among the newest of the trails within the International Loops in Kennedy Forest.

Turning onto the Ukranian Loop we began a slow gradual climb up the hill that mirrored the descent we had just completed on the FLT. The Ukranian Loop follows yet another stream along much of its route through this section of the forest. There are a few muddy trail sections as a result, but nothing unexpected. Stopping briefly for another trail journal entry, the group resumed our hike and soon found the terrain leveling out. The Ukranian Loop had left the stream as it climbed the hill, but now returned to the bank of the stream and followed that for much of the remainder of its path until we finally returned to Owego Hill Rd.

The hikers road-walked a short distance back to our cars, where the fast group soon emerged from the Spanish Loop Trail, they having made the decision to cross Owego Hill Rd to complete the entirety of the Ukranian Loop and re-trace our earlier route on the Spanish Loop back to the trailhead. Both groups completed their respective hikes about twenty minutes over our normal hike duration.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday, May 5

Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale

Hike report by Mary Weiz

Eighteen hikers and two dogs took their chances on the weather in order to be outdoors and in the forest on this Cinco de Mayo morning. During the 5.2 mile duration hikers experienced little rain, a welcomed absence of no-see-um flies, other biting insects, and nearly no mud! Large brimmed sombreros may have had something to do with keeping hikers dry and happy! Temperatures remained in the low fifties and the cloud cover was about 93% for the duration. 

Hikers delighted in more than a few forest treasures on this particular hike. Depending on what one was focused on, or what was brought to our attention, this hike included:  budding mayapples and solomon’s seal and hillside carpets of flowering white trillium with purple and a few anomaly “pinks” interspersed among other wild flowers. For the birder, there was audio evidence of the presence of dark-eyed junco, baltimore oriole, american redstart, rose-breasted grosbeak, northern parula, black-throated green warbler and black and white warbler. Even more, they were treated to visual evidence of sandpipers in the hollow’s bog and ovenbirds in the canopy. Of course, the balsam fir grove still stands although it appears challenged to these eyes (perhaps in part due to their notoriously shallow roots and our wet, windy spring), nonetheless an olfactory pleasure! 

Arriving in just over two hours, only two hikes chose to walk the rim northward back to the autos. Other hikers chose the wonder of the exceptionally pleasant forest road arriving only minutes sooner than the rim walkers. The trillium grandiflorum will remain in bloom for another few weeks according to the US Dept of Agriculture, U.S. Forest service web info. If you have the chance to see them, you’ll be glad of it!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, April 24

Eastman Hill Rd at the Tioga/ Tompkins County Line

Hike report by Jim

Ten hikers met at the end of the maintained portion of Eastman Hill Rd at the Tompkins and Tioga County line, for a hike of the FLT in the area. This is hike # 50 on our list of regular hike locations:

 https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-50.

The weather forecast called for rain through much of the day, which I suspect accounted for a somewhat low turn-out. The day was cool and sunny when I arrived at the trailhead, but distant dark clouds moving towards our area were an ominous foretelling of weather to come.

The group set off on the seasonal/ unmaintained portion of Eastman Hill Rd that passes through DEC land. Reaching the intersection of Eastman Hill and Heisey Rd the group turned onto Heisey Rd. Before the FLT was recently re-routed we usually ended our hikes coming back on Heisey Rd; going in a reverse direction today caused me to be a little confused at the turn-off onto the FLT. The portion of the FLT between Heisey and Eastman Hill had a few sections of semi-solid mud that seemed to have the consistency of cookie dough. Not too bad, and not as liquid as the muddy section that we always run into on the opposite side of Eastman Hill Rd.

Once on the FLT walked to where it crosses the seasonal portion of Eastman Hill Rd, crossed over that road and continued on the FLT until entering the Eberhard Nature Preserve. My original plan had been to do a loop of the various trails within the Eberhard Preserve, but we were running short on time, so the group simply turned around and took the FLT back to where it crossed Eastman Hill Rd. The group returned to our cars via Eastman Hill Rd, with the rain starting to fall just as we drew closer to the trailhead.

Saturday, April 27

Virgil Mountain, Cortland County

Hike report by Greg

Nineteen hikers started and completed this 2 hour hike. No newcomers and no dogs accompanied us. Weather was ideal, temperatures fluttering around 50 degrees. There was some shedding and adding clothing depending on ascending or descending or rare sun exposure. Virtually no mud was encountered and 3 streams were readily traversed. Once again rain was delayed till after our hike! All in all a pleasant hike.

Sunday, April 28

FLT from Woodard Road to Hines Road and beyond, Enfield

Hike report by Casey

Lexi and approximately 31 hikers started at Woodard Road and headed west on the FLT. Yes there were muddy spots, but most of them were the spots that are muddy year round on this section of the FLT. After tackling the first few hills, three of us at the front had the pleasure of seeing a fisher in the woods scampering along a small ledge that was parallel to the park road. That is the first one I have seen in the wild.

We managed to cross Hines Road and continue through the woods to Rockwell Road where we walked a little and then followed the FLT across a field and into what is either part of the Bock-Harvey Preserve or very close to it before turning around and heading back to the cars.

On the way back there was the easy option of road walking Hines Road to Woodard and back to the cars, but for the first time since I have been doing this hike, I didn’t see anyone take that option. Although there could have been a few escapees that I failed to notice.

Anyway, we ended up with a nice 4.7 mile hike on a very pleasant spring day with a few rain drops only starting as we got into our cars.