Author: Nancy H.

Wednesday April 26

Sweedler Preserve/Lick Brook, Ithaca

Hike report by Jim

Ten hikers met in the Finger Lakes Land Trust parking lot outside of lower Robert Treman State Park for a hike of Lick Brook’s Thayer and Sweedler preserves.

We set off from the parking lot and crossed the railroad trestle. We paused at the falls at the bottom of the hill inside Sweedler Preserve for a group picture and to link up with an 11th hiker who walked in from Townline Road to meet us.

We continued on the FLT, climbing the hill via the narrow spine that ascends from the valley floor, the slopes on either side of the trail falling away sharply from the footpath. The faster hikers reached Townline Road and crossed it to complete the red- and blue-blazed Tom’s Trail loop in Thayer Preserve.

The rest of the hikers arrived at Townline Road, crossed the bridge, and hiked Tom’s Trail in reverse in order to meet the faster hikers as they returned to Townline Road.

Reconstituted into a single blob of hikers, the group returned to Sweedler Preserve. We hiked down the blue-blazed trail, crossed back over the trestle, and returned to our cars.

Total FLT miles for the FLT50 patch hikers was approximately 2.8 miles.

Saturday April 29

Shindagin Hollow State Forest

Hike report by Mary W.

In temps of 46 degrees F and a light drizzle, 12 hikers and one dog met at the southernmost FLT parking area on Braley Hill Road, which is also spelled Brearley Hill Road (after Joseph Brearley for whom the road is named), depending on which map is referenced.  The hike plan was to take the Finger Lakes Trail exclusively east from Braley Hill Rd., west to Shindagin Hollow Road out and back in reverse.

For the most part, this was a pleasant jaunt through the spring-awakening forest. There were ramps, trillium (white and purple), trout lily, viburnum, dogwood, young leaflets of bright lime colors, birds, and a manageable amount of moisture.

The drizzle stopped at the start of the hike and started again at about 11:30 a.m. This may have been good timing, however. Two hikers became distracted and ended back on Braley Hill Road south of the start point, while another hiker (perhaps occupied with a bit of ramp harvesting) was disoriented for a time, which motivated a small search party into action. When all were reunited, it was agreed that a fine adventure was exactly what the morning delivered to the hikers’ delight, albeit a tad wet at the end.  

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday April 30

International Loop, Dryden

Hike report by Jim

Six intrepid hikers met on Daisy Hollow Road in Cortland County for a hike of the International Trail system. It was a morning of intermittent rain; while I waited for other hikers to arrive the rain had let up, so I decided to leave my wet weather gear in the car. The rain resumed early in the hike, however, becoming fairly steady as we ventured farther into the trail system. By the end of the hike, the rain was light but constant, only bothering hikers when we were out in the open.

After it leaves Daisy Hollow Road, the trail makes a quick, short climb before coming to the first of many intersections. All of the trails are well blazed, and many have accompanying signage that identify the trail or spur and often the length of that section. A few hikers had never been on this section of trails or on the International Loop system at all, so this attention to detail was greatly appreciated and entirely new to them.

I led the group up the Jose Trail, which soon runs into the Irvin Trail. The lower part of the Irvin Trail follows Cristina Creek, which had a good amount of water flowing, thanks to the overnight and morning rains. The small touches along this trail, such as the rock walls lining the footpath or the frequently found chairs along our route, were greatly appreciated by hikers.

The Irvin Trail leaves the creek and begins a series of switchbacks through the pine trees as the footpath climbs away from the water. Soon, the trail levels out until the next intersection, where we normally stop for a trail journal entry and a group photo.

Crossing the first of many utility rights-of-way, we had a good view of the far side of the valley. Because the leaves were not fully out we could still see across the valley through the trees around us. The variety of leaf colors made hikers think of hikes here later in the year. The trees were filled with birdsong, and I saw our first red eft of the season.

Beyond this point, the number of trail junctions become more frequent, so it’s important that any hiker who’s new to this trail system bring a map to avoid getting lost.

We took various sections of the English and Spanish Loops, then stopped at the Tiny Pond, which we have used as our turnaround point in past hikes. I recalled that turning around here always gets us back to our cars early, so I proposed that we continue on the Spanish Loop for a while longer, which brought us to a second pond that’s not indicated on the map.

Upon reaching Adams Road, hikers opted to turn around. Going farther would have involved a significant road walk, something that did not interest me, given the weather conditions.

The return journey used some of the same sections of footpath we had taken coming up the hill, but I soon led the group away from those earlier sections by turning at an intersection. This new section of trail followed a utility right-of-way before going back into the forest.

This final section of footpath skirts along a bluff above Daisy Hollow Road, then intersects with our original path back to the parking area. We did get back to our cars about 10 minutes early. By now the rain was quite steady, so no one seemed to mind the early conclusion to the hike.

Wednesday April 19

Hammond Hill SF from Canaan Road, Brooktondale

Hike report by Jim

Eighteen hikers met on Canaan Road on a chilly morning for  a hike of the Hammond Hill trails.

A short walk up the seasonal part of Canaan Road brought us to the Rabbit Run snowmobile trail, a gradual incline that terminates at the blue-blazed trails. The forest floor around us was covered in a dusting of snow, perhaps the last hike we’ll have in winter conditions this spring.

We hiked the Yellow 6 trail to reach the upper, seasonal portion of Canaan Road. This segment of Yellow 6 includes a nice walk through tall stands of evergreens – my favorite part of this state forest!

We crossed Canaan Road and continued on the yellow-blazed trails, making a loop out of the Yellow 5, 8, and 4 trails before returning to Yellow 5 to reach Yellow 7. That final trail is a nice downhill hike back to Canaan Road, which we reached at exactly the two-hour mark.

For those tracking their FLT mileage toward the FLT50 patch, today’s hike included about 0.5 FLT miles on the Yellow 4 trail.

Welcome to Alice on her first hike with the group!

Saturday April 22

Stevens Suspension Bridge & Cornell Natural Areas

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-five hikers and a dog hiked the Cornell Natural Areas. Our group filled up and overflowed the Forest Home Drive parking lot, with several cars parked on the side of the road. The morning started out with mostly clear skies and a cooling breeze.

We started out by crossing the recently rebuilt suspension bridge. Norm is of the opinion that the new bridge sways even more than the old one. I’m not sure about that – having 20-plus people crossing the bridge together was sure to get it moving.

On the other side of the bridge the group turned west, following the creek. After a quick photo stop, we continued on, soon finding where the bridge’s original deckboards are being repurposed in muddy areas of the trail.

We climbed the hill to the golf course. As it was a nice weekend day, the course was in heavy use. We navigated around the green’s perimeter, finally arriving at the road that leads to the horse barns. Here we ran into a major snag: The road is shut down entirely to pedestrian traffic, even though it was a weekend with no active construction work underway. The signage indicated open trails for hikers’ use, but there were no directions for finding the nearest one. After a quick exploratory walk into the barn area looking for an open route, we turned around.

Backtracking slightly, we walked along the woods’ edge on a service road we’d never checked out. I hoped that we’d find a trail into the woods, but there was none. After completing a big loop around an open meadow, we returned to the golf course, where we took a trail that skirted the other side of the fenced-in horse fields we normally cross. This got us back onto our normal route.

By now, about six hikers had peeled off to do their own route. We eventually ran into them at hike’s end, back at the cars.

My group continued on, taking the orange-blazed trail on the bluffs high above the streambed. The trail eventually turns and descends the bluff down to stream level, where we followed the trail back to the suspension bridge.

On the Forest Home Road side of the bridge, we did a quick loop of the blue- and red-blazed trails, which got us back to the cars only five minutes later than normal.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday April 23

Finger Lakes Trail, Connecticut Hill, Newfield

Hike report by Jim

Including late arrivals, today we had 29 hikers and two dogs. We met at the junction of Boylan and Hulford Roads, where there’s a decent amount of parking for any number of vehicles. In the past, I’ve started this hike from Connecticut Hill Road near Tower Road, but the trail from that area passes through some muddy sections that I wanted to avoid today.

From the parking area, it was a short walk to where the FLT crosses the seasonal portion of Boylan Road. We crossed an open field; other than two small areas that were logged a couple of years ago, this was among the few portions of the hike route where the FLT didn’t pass through forested areas of Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area.

Overall, the FLT footpath was in excellent shape, and the blazing was very easy to follow in this section. Elevation gain and loss is fairly minimal over the duration of this hike. A couple of stream crossings were uneventful, and we didn’t encounter much in the way of muddy trail until we were almost at Cabin Road.

Continuing beyond Cabin Road, it was only a short trail section before hikers reached the seasonal portion of Connecticut Hill Road at an hour into the hike. So we turned around and retraced our route, with Casey leading the way.

Total FLT miles for this hike, for those working toward their 2023 FLT50 patch, were 4.49.

A warm welcome to Ranjita, Dan, Minnie, Andrew, and canine hiker Chestnut on their first hike with the group!

View Nancy and Randy’s photo album.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

A note from Nancy H.:

At the end of the hike today, one of the hikers jokingly suggested to Jim that he should start using ChatGPT to write the hike reports. Jim did write his report for us, as usual, but after he sent it to me, I fed it into Chat GPT and told it to rewrite the report in a variety of authors’ styles, including Hemingway, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Emily Dickinson, and those you see below. Here are some highlights:

Dr. Suess

Oh, the hikers went out on a Sunday so bright, 29 strong with 2 dogs in sight. They met at the junction of Boylan and Hulford Rd, With plenty of parking for each hiker’s load.

The trail was new, not the usual hike, Avoiding the mud, it was a change they’d like. The group crossed an open field with much glee, Then entered a forest, oh what a sight to see!

The footpath was perfect, with blazes so clear, Easy terrain for all, with nothing to fear. They crossed a few streams, not a problem at all, And muddy sections were few, toward the end of the haul.

After an hour of hiking, they reached a seasonal road, Turning back now, following their same footsteps code. For those seeking FLT50 patch, they hiked 4.49 miles, With a warm welcome to new hikers and Chestnut, the canine with smiles.

So, the hikers had fun on this bright Sunday day, And vowed to return to hike again someday.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Upon a fair day, a fellowship of twenty-nine valiant hikers, accompanied by two trusty canines, gathered at the crossroads of Boylan and Hulford Rd. Their hearts beat with a longing for adventure as they began their journey.

Forsooth, this trail was a deviation from their usual path, leading them through an open field and the wilds of the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area. Alas, the path was true and well-marked, with blazes as clear as the light of day.

The elevation was modest, the terrain serene. They crossed streams with ease and pressed on through the woods, their eyes taking in the beauty of their surroundings. But lo, as they approached Cabin Rd, the trail grew muddy, testing their mettle.

With fortitude, they pressed on until they came upon the seasonal portion of Connecticut Hill Rd, an hour hence, and began their homeward journey, led by the intrepid Casey.

For the FLT50 patch seekers, the hike spanned 4.49 miles, a feat of great courage and endurance. They welcomed new companions to their company, Ranjita, Dan, Minnie, Andrew, and Chestnut, the canine with a keen sense of smell.

Thus ended their journey, but their hearts remained aflame with the thrill of adventure, and their souls enriched by the majesty of nature.

Raymond Chandler:

It was a Sunday, like any other, when twenty-nine hikers and two canines convened at the junction of Boylan and Hulford Rd. The parking was ample, but the mood was restless. I watched from afar, noting the faces of the group, their intent unclear.

The trail, not their usual, veered away from Ct Hill Rd, and instead they walked through an open field. Two areas were logged, and the rest of the trail was shaded by the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area.

The footpath was in impeccable condition, with the blazes leading them easily. The terrain was gentle, elevation gain and loss minimal. A few uneventful stream crossings and some mud towards the end, but nothing to perturb the most seasoned hiker.

At the hour mark, they turned around, following the same path back. Casey, their leader, led the way. The FLT50 patch seekers clocked in at 4.49 miles.

Ranjita, Dan, Minnie, Andrew, and Chestnut, the canine with a keen nose, were new to the group. They held their own, no questions asked.

I stood there, watching as the group dispersed. Their faces, unreadable, their intent unclear. What brought them together, I wondered, and what drove them forward? I guess I’ll never know.

I kinda loved ChatGPT’s imitation of Chandler’s hardboiled style, but I don’t think we’ll be sending out AI-generated hike reports any time soon!

Wednesday April 12

 South Hill Rec Way/Six Mile Creek, South Side, Rim Trail

Hike report by Jim

Fourteen hikers and one excited dog met on Crescent Place for a hike of the South Hill Rec Way and the forest trails that run adjacent to it. The day was sunny, warm, and dry, and the first buds of spring were emerging on the trees around us. There was still a reasonable amount of water flowing in the creeks we crossed, but I assume that as the dry conditions persist they will dry up soon enough.

Hikers made a quick stop at the stone stairs that descend to the creek, and then we took a looping trail to the overlook above second dam.

While trying to navigate the narrow, spiny trail beyond second dam, we encountered multiple nests of ground bees on both the initial descent and the climb up the other side. This forced me to drop my plans for the second hour’s route, and so we ended up simply walking the Rec Way back to our cars.

We arrived at our cars with a few minutes to spare, but it was still an enjoyable hike.

Saturday April 15

Loop hike on the eastern branch of Carter Creek, Connecticut Hill, Newfield

On Saturday morning, we received word that there was a major law enforcement incident happening on Trumbulls Corners Road, not far from our hike location. Police were looking for an armed man on an ATV. You can read about the incident here.

Because there was a potentially dangerous person being pursued in the area, the hike was officially canceled.

Nancy L. and Randy went to the starting point to meet anyone who didn’t receive the cancellation notice and showed up for the hike. The suspect was arrested shortly before our scheduled hike time, so those who’d arrived at the meetup point decided to hike.

Hike report by Randy O.

Seven gritty hikers and one well-behaved but overdressed dog hit the trail for a four-mile loop down one side of Carter Creek and up the other.

There were two uneventful stream crossings on a warm and sunny day. The gnats were out in force, and although they did not bite they were a real nuisance. Repellent seemed to work a little.

There’s been an active beaver working at the large pond near where we park the cars. We heard one owl making a lot of noise.

And I think everyone was relieved to hear before they started hiking that the wanted person had been caught.

View Nancy and Randy’s photo album.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday April 16

Long Point State Park and Aurora Brewing Co., Aurora

Hike report by Jim

The group lucked out today!

The weather report for the next week is less than promising, with the return of colder temps and several days of rain in the forecast. By the time warm weather is expected to return, the state parks will be close to starting to charge entrance fees again for the summer.

As I drove from Freeville to King Ferry, there was still a morning chill, and the fog was still thick. By the time I turned onto Route 90 in King Ferry, the sun was out and it was looking like the day I’d been hoping for when I scheduled this hike.

By the time I turned onto Lake Rd. and started the descent toward Long Point State Park, the last of the morning fog was burning off the lake in front of me.

Long Point State Park is a bit of an odd duck. It’s close enough to Ithaca to be a destination option, but small enough that it tends to get overlooked by many locals, thanks to the other state park options around Ithaca.

Ultimately, 12 people arrived at Long Point for a hike of the trails there. This was the first time the group has hiked at this park, and I had only prehiked the trails once last fall when I was deciding whether this might be an option for Ithaca Hikers.

We set off into the woods, and soon we were hiking along a nice ravine. It was too shallow to earn the title of “gorge,” but it had some sheer rock faces along the streambed that elevate it to beyond simple “ravine” status.

After a short distance, we turned into the woods for a loop that took us through a nice section of forest trail that borders the park boundary in places. Here we could see spring flowers dotting the forest floor in yellow-hued abundance. The dogwoods are flowering, and while the undergrowth is starting to produce leaves, views of the surrounding forest floor were not so obscured as to feel that you’re walking in a green tunnel.

Last fall, I hiked this trail system right after the leaves had fallen, resulting in a less obvious footpath as there are no blazes, only the occasional trail sign. On today’s hike, the footpath was extremely obvious most of the time, the only exception being the trail sections that traversed some of the open fields and brush-hogged areas.

At the far end of the forest loop, we had the option of circling a large, open field or sticking closer to the edge of the treeline; the group opted for the treeline, as the open field offered no relief to the sun’s glare which by now was unrelentingly hot on exposed skin that had not yet adapted from our long winter months of multilayered dormancy. None of the group burst into flames in the sunlight, so there’s a positive note…..

Some of the next section of trail had been getting brush-hogged last year, and it’s a little depressing to walk across this huge swath of open field that’s really a layer of ground-up brush underfoot. Some hikers speculated that perhaps the state is planning to turn the field into some sort of camping area. I know that when I worked for the state, we tended to brush-hog some of the open fields a couple times each summer just to keep the growth under control. Those areas didn’t get further development until long after I left that job.

Turning south, the trail system again borders the park boundary. In this area the cedars along the trail drew some attention from hikers. Most of the non-natural colors along the trail were a plethora of No Trespassing signs, which made it clear that hikers are not welcome to leave the established footpath.

We reached a service road, which we took back to the ravine, returning via that route back to the parking lot. With some time to spare, we walked to the nearby shoreline and wandered the paved footpaths there, ultimately arriving back at the cars about 10 minutes early.

After the hike, most of the hikers reconvened at the nearby Aurora Brewing Company, which opened its doors a few minutes early as our group pressed our forlorn faces to their doors giving them our best “feed us” faces.

The brewery has an excellent variety of drinks and prepared foods. After we made our food and drink selections, we quickly claimed a picnic table on the outside covered porch area, which has  a good view of the lake and the surrounding vineyards.

Thanks to all who came on the Sunday hike, and to those who were able to socialize afterwards!

View Leigh Ann‘s photo album.

Wednesday April 5

On this Wednesday, we had two hike options: our regular hike, led by Jim at and around Mulholland Wildflower Preserve, and a longer alternative hike of the FLT through lower Treman, led by Casey.

Mulholland Wildflower Preserve, Ithaca

Hike report by Jim

Ten hikers met in the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve on Giles Street in Ithaca for a hike of the trails to the Second Dam overlook, as well as some other trails in the area.

Our group’s cars filled the small parking lot, and only a few other people shared the trails with us on this midweek morning. Although foul weather was predicted for the afternoon, we enjoyed clear skies during our hike.

We followed the lower trails as they wound across the forest floor, pausing occasionally to take photos of the cascades or the small waterfalls flowing down the cliff faces.

Eventually, the trail turns and starts climbing the hillside toward the Second Dam access road, which provides a wide hiking trail as far as that dam.

Before reaching that road, however, I opted to take the narrow blue-blazed footpath that goes along the hillside far above the water before arriving at an observation point directly above second dam. There, we rejoined the access road as far as the overlook before turning around and retracing our steps back to the parking area.

After we’d arrived at the parking area, we opted to cross Giles Street and walk to the opposite side of the bridge, where we entered the trail system for Wells Falls.

Several hikers took the higher, blue-blazed trail that climbs the hillside before coming out at an observation area directly above the falls. This trail concludes its short loop by returning to Giles Street by the bridge. From there, we took the lower part of the blue-blazed trail to the base of Wells Falls.

Back at Giles Street, we realized we still had around 15 minutes of hike time remaining. Some hikers chose to use up that time doing a sidewalk hike of Giles Street toward Hudson Street, while others decided to end their hike a few minutes early.

FLT through lower Treman to Butternut Creek Rd.

Hike report and photo by Joe

Two showed up for the alternative Wednesday hike, an out-and-back of the FLT from lower Treman to Butternut Creek Rd. It was a little overcast, but a perfect temp for a jacketless journey.

Saturday April 8

Hoxie Gorge, Cortland County

Hike report by Jim

Fourteen hikers met on Hoxie Gorge Road in Cortland County for a hike of the FLT through part of Hoxie Gorge State Forest. The day was sunny with a spectacular blue sky, and the sunlight streaming through the trees mottled the forest floor. Temperatures were cool, and light breezes made the hike very enjoyable.

From the parking area for the McDermott Nature Trail, we walked a short way to the blue-blazed trail. This trail, formerly a section of the FLT footpath, is now downgraded to an access trail to the current FLT.

This beginning section of the trail, including the McDermott Nature Trail, is part of the Hoxie Gorge Nature Preserve maintained by SUNY Cortland for educational purposes.

I’ve previously found this blue-blazed section of trail to be enjoyable as it weaves its way through the forest, sometimes passing close to the flowing stream before climbing back up the hillside, where it shares some trail distance with the McDermott Nature Trail.

Today we found the access trail suffering from some severe footpath damage from blowdowns and running water that will require trail repairs or some major rerouting in the future. Multiple blowdowns along the FLT required sidestepping trees or attempts at the limbo as we slithered under tree trunks.

The last couple of times we’ve done this hike, we’ve taken the FLT toward Hoxie Gorge Freetown Rd. My thinking was that this section of trail, as it passes through lowlands and crosses several waterways, was likely to be a wet, muddy, miserable slog. So I opted to take the group in the other direction, toward the Hoxie Gorge lean-to and Underwood Hill beyond it. In this direction, the FLT stays on some higher ground, which today proved to be mostly mud-free, although we did encounter small patches of mud here and there.

There were a couple of water crossings along the way, but the volume of water in the creek was not so much that it made those crossings hazardous.

For the most part, the footpath on this section of the FLT is enjoyable, although as Joe said at one point the trail still requires careful attention as it winds its way up and down the hillsides and across some rooty sections.

Eventually we reached the Hoxie Gorge lean-to, which is situated on a nice hillside near the streambed. From the lack of journal entries and a significant amount of untouched downed wood around the structure (which would’ve long since been burned at a more frequented lean-to), I have to assume that this lean-to doesn’t see many visitors.

After writing a brief trail journal entry, I saw that we had some time left on our outbound leg. The group agreed to hike a few additional minutes toward Underwood Hill, on my promise of a good view from a field in that location.

We did reach the edge of the field, although time didn’t allow us to continue to the crest of the hill, where there’s an excellent view of the valley and where the property owner has placed a picnic table for hikers to use. There is a small parking area on Underwood Rd, and I’m thinking that at some point in the future it would be worthwhile to start a hike from that location so that the views and the rest of today’s hike can be enjoyed in the opposite direction…

After pausing to admire the field,we turned around and retraced our steps until we reached the McDermott Nature Trail. That yellow-blazed trail offers a more direct route back to our cars. Ultimately, we did run over on our time by a few minutes, but everyone seems to have enjoyed the hike.

Based on the FLT map mileage, today’s hike was 4.4 FLT miles, for those working to get their FLT50 patch this year.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday April 9

Connecticut Hill, Newfield

Hike report by Nancy L.

Twenty-four hikers and two dogs gathered at the corner of Carter Creek and Rowell Hill Roads on a sunny, crisp spring morning. Hikers were offered two hikes: a road walk along Carter Creek Road and another hike that included a trail walk to the east of Lloyd Stark Road. Due to some confusion about the routes, most hikers turned onto Lloyd Stark Road and eventually followed Randy and me into the woods to explore the plateau at the top of Rowell Hill. 

The initial walk up Lloyd Stark was quite steep for a climb of nearly 500 feet,  but the trail on Rowell Hill was quite gentle. We took note of a small pond on the trail where some egg masses were spotted. There wasn’t much vegetation, but this allowed the sunlight to penetrate the woods. Occasionally, we also had views of the surrounding hills and fields.  Rock walls and evidence of a small foundation could be seen. At the end of the hike, some hikers were able to visit with a horse and rider.   

A smaller group hiked out and back on Carter Hill Road.

Welcome to canine hiker Challa!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.