Category: hike reports

Wednesday August 23

Hinchcliff Family Preserve, Spafford, Onondaga County

Hike report by Jim

Ten hikers and  a dog met for a hike of the red- and yellow-blazed trails at the Hinchcliff Family Preserve above Skaneateles Lake. The day started out cool and cloudy, but by the end of the hike the sun was out and temperatures had noticeably climbed.

Trail conditions were good. There’s a new switchback trail reroute on the yellow loop that makes the climb away from the old homestead a little easier than in the past.

The views over the hills toward the lake near the end of the yellow-blazed loop are always a high point of this hike.

We ran into very few other hikers during the hike, although we did see other hikers leaving as we arrived and arriving as we departed.

Saturday August 26

Hammond Hill State Forest from Star Stanton Road

Hike report by Jim

Fifteen hikers met for a loop hike of the green- and yellow-blazed trail system of Hammond Hill State Forest in Dryden. At the hike’s start, the day was overcast and somewhat cool–perfect hiking weather.

I found out in the day or so before our hike that we would be sharing Hammond Hill with both the Cayuga Trails Club and the Nordic ski club, although we didn’t actually run into either group during our hike.

What we did encounter along the way were a couple of wandering day hikers who went to the hill relying on their online maps, which were no good when they lost connectivity. We also met a couple of equestrians, a family group or two with dogs in tow, mountain bikers, and a lot of single hikers with or without dogs. In short, it seemed like everyone wanted to be in the forest today!

Our hike ran over on the planned time, which is a common problem for us on Hammond Hill. I keep tweaking our route, but we always seem to run over our usual two-hour hike time. There are some newly created blue-blazed trails on Hammond Hill, which will give me a chance to experiment with some new routes!

A warm welcome to Priyanka and Nitin, who joined us on their first Ithaca Hikers hike!

Sunday August 27

Bock Harvey Forest Preserve and Riemen Woods, Enfield

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-five hikers and four dogs met in Bock Harvey Preserve and Rieman Woods in Enfield. Cool temperatures and a sunny day greeted us as we set off from the cars. Mature goldenrod filled the fields above the parking area near the lean-to, where we paused for a quick group photo.

We reached the FLT and turned toward Rieman Woods. After completing that loop, the group returned to the FLT and took the trail back to Rockwell Road, crossing open pastures and traversing some nice woodlands along the way. The return leg of the hike took us on a side trail with some very nice old-growth trees.

There was very little water in the streams along our route. Dave B. was along for the hike, and he provided much insight into the preserve and its history.

We returned to our cars with a few minutes to spare.

A warm welcome to Meng Lin, Issac Hao, Zhonglin Wang, and Zheng Hao on their first hike with the group!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Wednesday August 16

Robinson Hollow State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Nine hikers met on Harford Slaterville Road for an out-and-back  hike on the Finger Lakes Trail through Robinson Hollow State Forest.

The day started out somewhat gloomy. The trail had some water seepage through the beaver dam, as is usual. The old logging road that starts the climb up the hill showed signs of some minor recent washout, probably from all the rain we’ve been having.

After cresting the top of the hill, the trail passes through a utility right-of-way and another old logging road, then it descends toward state Route 79.

We turned around and retraced our route, returning to the cars through a light rain.

Hiker safety note: There is an active bald-faced hornets’ nest on the right side of the trail, just before you reach the utility right-of-way. The trail maintainer has been advised, so you might find the area taped off if you do this hike in the near future!

Saturday August 19

Upper Treman State Park, Enfield

Hike and cookout reports by Jim

Fourteen hikers and two dogs met on Woodard Road for a hike into upper Robert Treman State Park as a prelude to our summer cookout at Roger’s house.

The group took the CCC trail into upper Treman, where we grabbed the Rim Trail to the overlook area opposite Lucifer Falls.

The route then took us down the stone staircase, where we again paused before the wooden bridge so that hikers could see Lucifer Falls from ground level. Leigh Ann commented that some of the group had never had an opportunity to see the falls from that angle, so I was happy that they got to experience something new today.

We crossed the bridge and then turned and walked back to the upper park via the Gorge Trail. From there, we took the CCC trail back to the FLT.

At that point, some hikers headed off to Roger’s house early. Leigh Ann led the rest of the group across Butternut Creek and followed the FLT  until it was time to turn around. I opted to cross Woodard Road and continue on the FLT in that direction.

A couple of hiker safety notes about this route, for those hikers who might want to try it out for themselves as a solo hike:

First, the CCC trail near the park worker’s house is extremely overgrown, so long pants are advised. I assume that maintaining this trail section is the responsibility of the park (they converted it from campsites into the CCC trail after I left the state park’s employment in the late ’80s, so I’m not sure about that). This is a concern mainly because of the high probability of issues with ticks. This section of trail should be a quick trim job for a park worker with a riding or push mower.

Second, the stone staircase from the Rim Trail toward the Gorge Trail has some seriously deficient (to my mind) stonework on the steps. I understand that budgets are tight, but this has been an issue for several years now, and seeing how other parks have been staying on top of issues like this, it really reflects poorly on Robert Treman Park. It’s a serious safety issue for people using the stairs, so be forewarned to take the stairs carefully.

Welcome to Deanne and Leagh on their first hike with the group!

View Cian’s photo album.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Summer Cookout at Roger’s

About 50 hikers stopped by Roger’s house over the course of Saturday afternoon to enjoy some food and drink and to catch up with Ithaca Hikers old and new.

The day was a little cooler than normal, but some brave souls did dare to take a swim in the pond.

A silent auction was held, raising some money to assist in defraying the costs of our website and Meetup page. Hikers also put donations in boots set up to collect money toward the cost of those sites and the chicken we grilled (Randy reported a significant spike in the cost of chicken this year, and he paid for the birds out of his own pocket).

Many thanks to Randy, Nancy L., Bud, Kai, and Jack V. for volunteering to help Roger set up on Saturday morning. On Sunday, Christina, Eckhart, and Mary assisted Roger in breaking down the tables and chairs, washing dishes and pots, and generally putting away those items until next year. (A gentle reminder to the group that assistance breaking stuff down and cleaning up after the party is equally important as any prep work done the day of the party. Roger is a gracious host in opening his home to us and providing so many of the materials used in the party; making the clean-up easy on him and his family is the least we can do for them.)

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday August 20

Monkey Run Natural Area, Varna

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-six hikers and three dogs set off from Monkey Run Road on the Cayuga Trail for a loop hike of the red-, yellow-, and orange-blazed trails on the south side of Fall Creek.

The weather was great for hiking. There were a few other day hikers on the trail system, but not as many as I expected for such a great day.

The group managed to keep up a good pace, but with such a long conga line we had to stop periodically to let everyone catch up.

We encountered a small amount of mud along the route, but nothing to worry about or slow us down.

Welcome to Maria on her first hike with us!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday July 30

Mt. Van Hoevenberg

Hike report and photos by Randy O.

While in the Adirondacks, Jim and I climbed to the summit of Mt. Van Hoevenberg from the north side.  The day was sunny, warm, and dry, and the bugs were nowhere to be seen. There was a reasonable amount of water flowing in the creeks we crossed.

There were only a few cars in the lot when we started the hike, but as the day progressed, we saw lots of hikers enjoying this well-engineered trail.

We logged about four miles over five hours, with a one-hour lunch stop at the top.  Overall, it was a great hike, as the photos show.

View Randy’s photo album.

Wednesday August 9

Bob Cameron Loop, Connecticut Hill

Hike report and photo by Jim

Eight hikers met at the end of Tower Road on Connecticut Hill for a hike of the Bob Cameron Loop, with part of the Finger Lakes Trail included at the end as time filler.

Trail conditions on the Cameron Loop were good, with no blowdowns and very little mud encountered. This is always a concern, especially on the  downhill portions.

A minimal amount of water flowed in the streams, but considering that it’s August we often see nothing in the streams this time of year.

Temperatures were warm, bugs were at a minimum, and the humidity, while noticeable, wasn’t as oppressive as it can be this time of year.

Hikers completed the loop with about 30 minutes to spare, so we crossed Tower Road and continued hiking on the FLT in a quick out-and-back to use up the remaining time.

Saturday August 12

Buttermilk Falls State Park, Ithaca

Hike report by Jim

Twenty-three hikers and a dog hiked into Buttermilk Falls State Park from Yaple Road. We made it to and from the La Tourelle trail before the rain started falling heavily. The remainder of planned route around Treman Lake and the Bear Trail was cancelled, and we returned to our cars.

About half of the hikers left the hike after reaching Yaple Road. The rest followed Casey toward the back trail entrance off Comfort Road to use up the remaining hike time once the skies cleared.

Welcome to new hikers Misa, Josh, Steve, and Nina on their first hike with the group!

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday August 13

Logan Hill Nature Preserve, Candor

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Seventeen humans and one dog hiked the yellow trail on Logan Hill this morning. Most met at the Candor High School parking lot, and one hiker met the rest of the group after driving up the gnarly, extremely rutty and rocky seasonal road to the top and finally finding a place to park. This road is a fine, steep hike but not a fun drive in a car – and once you’ve started the seasonal part in a car, you’re committed.

The trail, but not the fields, had been trimmed since last Saturday, so wildflowers were everywhere. A little later in the season, the fields get mowed. The trail itself was not muddy, but it was clear that there had been a lot of rain the previous day. There were many, many mushrooms and amphibians (efts and tiny toads) on and beside the trail.

The weather was big, puffy, dark clouds against blue sky, so the hike was in sun and shadow the whole way. This is a good time of year to do this hike.

Wednesday August 2

Black Diamond Trail

Hike report and photos by Tom B.

Fourteen of us set out on the Black Diamond Trail from the parking lot on Houghton Road at the back of Cayuga Nature Center’s property.  We had a strong suspicion that others may have gone to the Nature Center itself, but those who found the map pin had a beautiful day for a brisk hike up the trail  The fastest group made it all the way to the falls overlook center, but most of us settled for the railroad bridge with its own smaller falls.  The water was running nicely there and at other spots along the way. 

Though the day was not particularly hot, six of us wound up at my house for quick dip in the lake – very refreshing!  Perhaps there will be another occasion when we are hiking on the west side of the lake and a larger group can come for swim.

Leigh Anns pictures from the Wednesday hike:

8-2-23 Black Diamond Trail – Google Photos

Saturday August 5

Shindagin Hollow State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Sixteen hikers and a single dog met on Braley Hill Road in Caroline, in the dual parking lots just above Bald Hill School Road. This was a loop hike combining parts of the blue, yellow, and red bike trails; a snowmobile trail; and a short section of the FLT.

Since I took over the group we’ve only done this hike once, last winter, and we came up short on time on that hike. On Friday I prehiked the area, checking out some of the bike trails we’ve previously bypassed, in an effort to improve our time on this hike as well as possibly include some of those other trails in a new hike for the group in parts of Shindagin State Forest that we’ve previously missed out on. I premarked today’s route with engineer tape due to the maze of trails – it’s easy to get lost on if not careful.

After an initial hike route briefing and group picture, we set off on the blue-blazed bike trails east of Braley Hill Road, trails that take the group through towering monoculture pines followed by a gradually descending arc of trail footpath that was gentle on the knees.

The bugs that hunted me down as a solitary hiker on Friday were not so obvious on Saturday’s hike. The only buzzing I heard was from the group of hikers behind me.

Eventually the blue-blazed trail intersects with both the FLT, which we initially bypassed, and a snowmobile trail that leads back to Braley Hill Rpad. After reaching Braley Hill Road, our route jogged briefly before taking the FLT west. In this area, there is some evidence of recent windstorms, which have sent a few trees crashing down, although nothing that we couldn’t work through.

After we reached the various red-blazed bike trails, the group turned north, working our way through a series of turns on different red-blazed trails that eventually terminated in a yellow-blazed section of trail we’ve hiked before. This final downhill section of trail brought us back to our cars only five minutes late – but that was still much better than a too-short hike.

It was only after returning to the parking lot that we ran into our first significant number of bike riders, unlike Friday when I repeatedly encountered groups of both bicyclists and other hikers on the trail.

photos by Leigh Ann

More pictures from leigh Ann:

8-5-23 Bald Hill – Google Photos

Cian’s photo album from this hike:

Shindagin Hollow Blue Trail August 2023 – Google Photos

Sunday August 6

Cayuga Trail

Hike report by Jim

Nineteen hikers and two dogs met at Lower Creek and Hanshaw Roads for a hike of part of our adopted section of the Cayuga Trail to check on trail conditions.

The weather was sunny and warm, and bugs along the trail were minimal.

The group initially walked from the trailhead to Route 13, then we turned around and hiked the Cayuga Trail toward Freese Road as far as some of the open fields beyond the Cornell Outdoor Rec pavilion.

We skipped our usual stops along the creek, as time was a concern.

Trail conditions overall were good, and it looks as if we won’t need another trail maintenance day until early fall.

Welcome to new hiker Todd and his canine hiking partner, Lexi, on their first hike with the group!

Photos by Leigh Ann

Leigh Ann’s Photos: 8-6-23 North Monkey Run – Google Photos

Annual cookout assistance needed

Regarding the cookout at Roger’s on the 19th:

Our party host Roger needs help with set-up on the morning of the 19th and break-down on the morning of the 20th. If interested in helping, please contact Roger at rogerbeck50@gmail.com.

As always, if you are attending the picnic you are free to bring food to share with the group.

Hiker Recognition:

On her recent trip to the high peaks, Ithaca Hiker June Meyer has completed all 46 of the high peaks. Congratulations June!