Category: hike reports

Wednesday, November 15

Camp Barton

Hike report by Mark S.

A large group, especially for a Wednesday hike, met at Camp Barton. The weather was perfect – cool and sunny. Twenty-seven hikers and three dogs began the hike by heading up the steep rim trail. One hiker felt it was too steep and explored the flat area.

After the initial ascents, the uphill becomes far more gradual. The hikers enjoyed views of the 3 waterfalls of Frontenac Creek. The flow was not at its best, but the views were still impressive. The hikers also enjoyed the beautiful mossy areas that are found along the rim.

The group next entered the main gorge and hiked to the base of Frontenac Falls. Since the water levels were low, this was a reasonable group activity. 

After returning to the main area of the camp, the group decided to check out one additional small but high falls that is found next to the winter camping area of Barton. The falls, as expected, were dry, but people enjoyed seeing the other areas of the camp. 

Several people decided to take alternate routes back, and all returned safely to their cars.

Saturday, November 18

Ithaca City Architecture Tour

Hike report by Nancy L.

Thirty hikers and three dogs met in the parking lot at Esty between Albany and Plain Street in the city of Ithaca, for an urban walking tour led by  Randy Olson and Nancy Lorr.

The day was sunny but cool. To start off we visited the first black fraternity right on the block before heading for State street and a cluster of historic buildings including a famous early Queen Anne style house as well as the State theatre. After visiting the old Ithaca college, the Post office and an old County Courthouse, we headed over to Cascadilla Gorge. We got a good workout climbing the gorge. The view along the trail which hugs closely to the cascading creek was quite impressive.

Crossing College Ave the group walked onto the Cornell campus, where Randy led us on a circular route which included  Bailey Hall, the Ad White House and Morrill Hall, the first building in the Arts Quad. Bonuses included a garden of labeled rocks in the Engineering  quad and a modern sculpture of glass called PolyForm designed by Jenny Sabin. We stopped at Libe Slope, where we had a great view of downtown and the area beyond west hill thanks to clear skies. We encountered the Cornell marching band several times. We could even hear them playing inside the Uris library while on Libe slope. 

On the way downhill back to town, we stopped by Telluride Hall, a house notable for its residents, including Francés Perkins, the first female resident who was concurrently the Secretary of Labor and Richard Feynman. We also visited Llenroc, Ezra Cornell’s house. The group continued to the city cemetery and then walked downhill to the Fall Creek neighborhood where we finished our circular route back at our cars. 

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

View Nancy’s photo album.

Sunday, November 19

Potato Hill State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Thirty nine hikers and three dogs met on Level Green Rd for an out-and-back hike of the FLT towards Blackman Hill Rd and beyond. This is hike 29-1 of our regular hike locations:  https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-29.

While it was opening weekend of gun season all of the hunters in the area were returning to their vehicles as I arrived for the hike. The day was cool and clear with an occasional breeze. The group got a little bit of a late start as last minute arrivals continued to arrive for several minutes after our normal start time.

Once we were past all of the pre-hike instructions, the group set off, with Casey and Leigh Ann setting a good pace for the group. There’d only recently been a couple of rainy days, so the usually muddy trail sections at the beginning of this hike were in full quagmire mode, with the recently fallen leaves concealing the muddy surprises beneath. Once past that first section of trail, things improved, the leaves concealing the normally obvious footpath beneath; trail maintainer Lucy G has recently re-blazed the trail section, so the route through the trees was clear, thanks to the frequent and newly applied blazes. Thanks to Lucy and all other trail maintainers for your on-going efforts!

The “new” bridges from last year at water crossings were still greatly appreciated today. I always enjoy most the section of trail through the pines in the area of the trail register, followed by the open fields near the usual turn-around point. Crossing Blackman Hill Rd, the group entered Summerland Nature Preserve: https://www.fllt.org/preserves/summerland-farm-preserve/. The day was mostly clear, and as I looked into the distance, I could see rainclouds dumping their watery burden in the area of the furthest visible ridgeline.

Because the FLT beyond Summerland Preserve is a hunting season closure the group settled for a long lap around the perimeter of the open fields before we returned to Blackman Hill Rd for the return leg of our hike. Hikers arrived back at our cars with a few minutes to spare, so some hikers did a short road walk south on Level Green Rd, while others continued their hike a short distance on the FLT towards 76 Road before turning around (the hunting closure on that stretch of the FLT doesn’t start right at Level Green Rd ). As the hikers started leaving the first drops of rain began hitting our cars. Good timing, in avoiding the rain that followed.

After the hike several hikers stopped at Brookton Market and gathered at hiker Mary W’s near-by home for food and refreshments. Thank you, Mary, for opening your house to the group!

Welcome to Mary, Toni and Fan on their first hike with the group!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, November 8

Yellow Barn State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Thirteen hikers and a dog met at the end of Signal Tower Rd for a hike of Yellow Barn State Forest. This is hike 33 on our list of regular hike locations:

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

The day was cool, and there was a dusting of fresh snow on the ground. The group set off down the seasonal road that extends beyond the end of the maintained portion of Signal Tower Rd. This location has been the site of some recent residential development, but soon we were past the new house lots and following the old logging road in a southerly direction. Reaching a fork in the road we turned towards the horse fields to the east and walked the edge of the fields until reaching the cross-country ski loop at the end of the second field. The group completed a loop of the ski trail and returned to the horse fields, re-tracing our steps back to our cars. The wind had picked up by this point, the sun had come out, and the new snow was quickly melting from the forest floor around us as we reached the cars.

Edit: if you were on today’s hike, be sure to check yourself well after getting home. I picked up a tiny hitchhiker somewhere along the hike route today.

Saturday, November 11

Black Diamond Trail

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-two hikers and a single dog met in the Jacksonville Rd parking lot for the north end of the Black Diamond Trail for an out-and-back hike of the Black Diamond Trail. This is not a hike that currently exists on our list of regular hike locations. The day was cool and overcast, although the sun made a limited appearance during the morning.

The group set off without incident and quickly broke down into distinct subsets according to people’s walking pace. The fastest group hiked a total of 7.25 miles during the hike. We encountered a few other day hikers and dog walkers during the hike, but the trail was surprisingly empty for a weekend.

Welcome to Joy and Linda on their first hike with the group!

Sunday, November 12

Ekroos Rd Roadwalk

Hike report by Jim

Twenty three hikers and a single dog met on Ekroos Rd, just over the line into Tioga county, for a rural out-and-back road walk. This is hike number 54-1 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-54

We are more often here as a late summer or winter hike location for the group, and I like it best when the colors are changing or we’re in the depths of winter and the plowed roads here make an easy hike when so many other locations are snowed in. The road was shut down for several months and unavailable to the group, however, so today it made for a nice hunting season road walk.

Temperatures were on the cool side, with a little bit of breeze that chilled you until the hike started. The skies were generally overcast. The outbound leg of this hike is a gradual decline until nearly the end, when it becomes more of a serious downhill grade that’s often entirely impassible due to ice build-up when we are here in the winter months. A nice motivation to make that last downhill descent and climb back up on the return leg of the hike is a small ravine that runs alongside the road in that area. There are a couple of houses towards the turn-around point, and a new post-and-beam house is going up along the road as well. There is one spot along the route where the view opens up across open fields to the south and hikers are rewarded with views of the distant peaks.

On today’s hike the group made it to the intersection with 76 Rd inside of Tompkins County before turning around and re-tracing our steps.

On today’s hike the group had a new hiker Caroline with us. Caroline is a journalism student at Ithaca College and came on the hike to interview members of the group on our views about preserving green space for the future generations. A completed video product including our interviews will be released via an on-campus source in the future. I’ll be sure to send out a link of that video to the group after I receive it.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday, November 1

Lime Hollow Nature Center

Hiker report by Jim

Nineteen hikers met in Cortland County for a hike of the Lime Hollow Nature Center trails, hike # 37 on our list of regular hike locations: 

https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-37.

The day was cool with light breezes as the group gathered in the parking lot on Gracie Rd, a dusting of snow on the ground remaining from the overnight low temperatures. Hikers initially set off in a westerly direction on the Lehigh Valley Trail, before turning onto the Hawthorne Connector (currently undergoing a re-route ) and completing a circuit of the High Vista Loop. Returning to the Lehigh Valley trail we quickly turned onto Hermits Way and then Fen Way, which took the group in a circle back to the Lehigh Valley Trail. Here the group encountered a fairy large group of school kids , the only other people we saw during our hike today. Returning to Gracie Rd the group continued on the Lehigh Valley Trail in an easterly direction until we reached Maple Run. The group hiked to the Chicago Bog, paused briefly for some photos, and continued on the Philips Memorial Trail to the lower parking lot on Gracie Rd. From there we took the Esker Connector back to Maple Run, then back to the Lehigh Valley Trail and our cars. As we arrived back at the cars a light snow began to fall; despite ending a few minutes early I heard no complaints from the hikers.

Saturday, November 4

Buttermilk Fall State Park

Hiker report by Jim

Twenty-eight hikers met on Yaple Rd in the Town of Danby for a hike of trails around Upper Buttermilk Falls State Park. This location is hike 10-2 on the list of our regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-10.

This was a re-attempt of an earlier hike this summer which had been rained out soon after we started that hike; my intent today was to simply re-do the planned route of the earlier hike, which would have had the group circling Lake Treman and visiting the La Tourelle trail along the way. Unsurprisingly we found that the website for Buttermilk Falls State Park was not updated and while it showed that all trails were still open, this was not the case. Entering the park via the FLT spur trail the group paused at the dam for a group photo. Since the path across the dam was now seasonally closed I re-routed the group to the Bear Trail and upon reaching West King Rd we did a partial loop of the Gorge and Rim Trails. Returning to upper Buttermilk Falls State Park the group road walked back to the Treman Lake Trail and returned to Yaple Rd. We ran into numerous other park patrons along our route; the warm weather and dry trail conditions added to the hike being an enjoyable fall morning for everyone compared to the last hike here.

A warm welcome to Eric, Arlene and Michael on their first hike with the group!

Sunday, November 5

Hammond Hill State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-eight hikers and two dogs met on the paved portion of Canaan Rd, just over the county line in Tioga County, for a loop hike of some of the Hammond Hill State Forest trails. This was hike 31-2 on our list of regular hike locations: https://www.ithacahikers.com/hike-31 .

The day was a little overcast, and throughout the hike we were getting small amounts of precipitation and wind. Still, overall, an enjoyable morning to be on the trail. From the parking area the group did a loop of the Rabbit Run snowmobile trail, followed by multi-use trails blue 1, yellow 6 and 7, with yellow 8 trail thrown in as a quick out-and-back last-minute addition to burn up some time. We had the trails to ourselves except for one bicyclist we encountered along the way. Trail conditions were excellent. The group got back to our cars about ten minutes sooner than expected.

Welcome to Chuck, Andrew and Andrew’s canine hiking partner Porsche, on their first hike with the group!

Wednesday October 18

Watkins Glen State Park

Hike report by Nancy L.

Seventeen hikers met where the Finger Lakes Trail crosses Whites Hollow Road and there is a blocked access road to the park, called Punch Bowl Road. The FLT follows Punch Bowl Road a short distance and then cuts off toward a feeder creek to Watkins Glen gorge. 

A short distance along the trail, we came to a nice pond, probably the Punch Bowl. In that spot is a large, enticing, but seemingly unused, pavilion.  From there we followed the Finger Lakes Trail along the creek. Shortly beyond the pavilion, there is a tall sheer dam with a waterfall.  

A bit later, the trail joins up with an old dirt road that proceeds gradually downhill. It passes under a very tall and impressive railroad bridge. 

From there, we proceeded more steeply downhill until we reached a stairway down to a bridge over the Watkins Glen Gorge to the Gorge Trail. There was time to explore a long stretch of the gorge and its dramatic geology.  

On the way back, we were able to return to the cars more quickly by taking the roadlike portion of the FLT and then staying on various parts of the Punch Bowl Road until we were back at our starting point.

View Nancy and Randy’s photo album.

Saturday October 21

Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale

No report was submitted for this hike.

Sunday October 22

Kennedy State Forest

Hike report by Jim

This was the first time the Ithaca Hikers have taken this particular route in Kennedy State Forest, so prior to Sunday morning there was no number assigned to this hike on our hikes list. Since getting home I’ve added it to our hikes page as hike #40-5.

Fourteen hikers and a dog met on the seasonal portion of Owego Hill Road in Kennedy State Forest, for a loop hike on a very rainy and windy day. I warned the group ahead of the hike that, based on my prehike of the route on Saturday afternoon, I expected the hike to run over our normal two-hour duration by about 15 minutes.

Starting from where the Spanish Loop turns back into the woods after a long road walk section, the group travelled downhill, making a stream crossing and following the stream for a while before starting a fairly prolonged uphill section. After that initial climb, the path mostly levels off as it winds through a mix of hardwoods and pines. The Spanish Loop crosses a utility right-of-way and an old logging road or two, which breaks you out of the woods and gives a brief view of the sky and surrounding area.

On today’s hike, we passed by a couple of springs and bivouac sites at various points, indicated by signage placed by trail creator/ maintainers Alex and Michelle Gonzalez. The trail displays some of the attention to detail that Alex and Michelle are known for, such as short stone walls lining the trails or chairs situated at critical points so that solitary hikers can pause to rest or enjoy the views in their journey through the woods.

The Spanish Loop weaves its way through some nice sections of forest and passes by the end of the new Ukraine Loop. Continuing to the FLT, we turned west, crossing over Owego Hill Road again and continuing on the FLT for a fairly long descent.

Here, the FLT again loops through some nice sections of woods as it follows a stream, and crosses one or two intersecting trails that lead to other parts of Kennedy forest. Despite the persistent and fluctuating volume of rain, hikers at various times noted the silence we were experiencing in the woods (other than the hum of conversation in the line of hikers).

We reached the other end of the Ukraine Loop, which is a 1.1 mile mix of uphill and switchbacks and more woodsy walks through the forest along streams and through logging roads. The group took the Ukraine Loop back to Owego Hill Road. This put us within a 10-15 minute road walk back to our cars and the end of the hike.

Overall, trail conditions were muddier than I had observed on my prehike of the route Saturday afternoon. The steady rain had transformed a few short sections of trail into flowing streams. At various points along the route, the footpath was awash with a variety of colors from the leaves covering the ground.  The route is well blazed.

Despite my early pessimism about going over our usual two-hour hike time, the lead hikers arrived back at their cars at exactly the two-hour mark.

We had the trails to ourselves today; we encoutnered no other hikers along the way.

Thanks to all who showed up for the hike despite the weather! I expect to bring the group back to this hike in the future when better weather conditions prevail.

Wednesday October 11

Finger Lakes National Forest

Hike report by Mark S.

Nineteen hikers and one dog met near Reynoldsville for a loop hike of the Finger Lakes National Forest trails. Two additional hikers showed up late,
and they headed north on the Interloken trail.

This hike is not on our website’s hike list. I chose this hike hoping for peak fall colors, but the colors were rather muted and the day was fairly gloomy under the forest canopy. Temperatures were cool, but hikers warmed up within a few minutes of starting the hike.

I led the group on an entertaining loop combining forest trail and open fields. The views from the fields were somewhat hazy at a distance but still very enjoyable. We had some light but manageable breezes while traversing the open fields, and no rain at all over the duration of the hike.

We did a short out-and-back on the Ravine Trail to Burnt Hill Road. Three hikers extended their hike by continuing on the Ravine Trail loop.

Saturday October 14

Roy H. Park Preserve and Hammond Hill SF

Hike report by Jim

Seventeen hikers met in the north parking lot of the Roy H. Park Preserve for a hike into Hammond Hill State Forest. This is hike #32 on our hike list.

The sky was overcast at the hike’s start. We crossed the boardwalk and entered the forest. In the past, I’ve often found the lower parts of the trail system to be very muddy, but these weren’t in bad shape today. We ascended the hillside, and I noticed some downed trees along the way that are overdue for being removed. I also noticed that, with the freshly fallen leaves obscuring the trail, there is a real shortage of red trail markers in many places between the parking lot and Hammond Hill Road. This was particularly a problem on the return leg of the hike. Although it would be difficult to get seriously lost on this section of trail, the issue should be addressed.

We reached Hammond Hill Road and stopped briefly for a group picture before proceeding with the hike. The climb to Hammond Hill Road had gone very quickly, so Casey C. took over leading the group and we continued onto the Hammond Hill trail system, taking the yellow-blazed trails to the seasonal part of Canaan Road and beyond before turning around.

On the return leg of the hike, light rain started to fall. This turned into a steady rain by the time we’d reached our cars.

We shared the trails today with a good number of runners, dog walkers, and bicyclists.

Sunday October 15

Upper Treman SP, Enfield

Hike report by Jim

The rain fell Sunday until we were just getting our hike underway. Despite the wet morning, 17 hikers and four dogs met on Woodard Road in Enfield, where the Finger Lakes Trail crosses, for a loop hike spliced together from the FLT and several roads and park trails. This is hike #12 on our website. 

Hikers posed for a group photo and then set off on the FLT toward the bridge that crosses Fishkill Creek. Once across the bridge, we took the seasonal portion of Butternut Creek Road to the junction with Van Ostrand Road. When we emerged onto Van Ostrand Road, the sun came out, and the remainder of the hike was an enjoyably sunny day with some light breezes.

We walked Van Ostrand Road until we turned onto Thomas Road, which led us back to Butternut Creek Road and the continuation of the FLT into upper Robert Treman State Park.

In the park, we walked to the Lucifer Falls overlook on the Rim Trail before splitting into two subgroups. The smaller group took the Rim Trail back to upper Treman. Because the stone stairs and the Gorge Trail have not yet closed for the season, this was our last chance to enjoy those parts of the trail system. The larger group of hikers took the stone stairs down to ground level at the base of Lucifer Falls before taking the Gorge Trail back to the upper park.

From the area of the Old Mill, hikers took the CCC trail back to the FLT and from there back to our cars. There were many other hikers on the Gorge Trail, some from distant locations, which surprised me. I stopped to talk to one person from a group of hikers similar in size to our own and learned that they were visiting from Delaware. Other than on the Gorge Trail, though, we didn’t see many other people on this hike.