Category: hike reports

Report to Hikers: week of Nov 11-Nov 17

Hello Hikers!

Wed Nov 13

Six Mile Creek, south side rim trail, South Hill

Official head count: 13H

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Sat Nov 16

Buttermilk Falls SP — rim trail, Bear Trail and Lake Treman trail

Official head count: 32H, four D

More photos:

Jack V

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Sun Nov 17

Lime Hollow Nature Preserve, McLean

Maybe you noticed our snowbird couple I said would be heading south earlier in the week ….. their furnace broke at the last minute ….. forced to stay around to deal with it

Official head count: 32H

Report to Hikers — week of Nov 4-Nov 10

Hello Hikers!

Wed Nov 6

Lands belonging to the YMCA, Coy Glen and EcoVillage, South Hill

The last time we did this hike we had to cut it short when a thunderstorm abruptly started rumbling nearby, and it started to rain hard. Couldn’t have been more different this time — a really beautiful morning
We came upon a small house on a grassy lane surrounded by overgrown fields and seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The owner spied us walking by and invited us to come into his front yard and admire his view to the east — very nice indeed

Official head count: 13H

More photos:

Jack V

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Sat Nov 9

Shindagin Hollow SF — Shindagin Hollow Road to South Road and beyond on the FLT

I’m pretty sure this was the first time we’ve done this trail stretch with snow on the ground. Normally it doesn’t start to snow until hunting season is under way — by the time hunting ends in mid-December, Shindagin Hollow Road is iced in uuntil spring
In fact, even though this was the first real snow of the fall, and we came the next day, the access road was already a little icy in spots, and some of the hikers found the ride down the steep hill disconcerting
Our two regular dogs who ran away last weekend were well behaved this time — Diego, who is the instigator, spent the whole walk on the leash — Ruby generally doesn’t bolt on her own
Only a couple of the hikers wore foot tractioin — I was betting the trail didn’t have time to ice up yet

Official head count: 19H, two D

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Sun Nov 10

Danby SF — Loop trail from Bald Hill Road to Diane’s Crossing and back

Last hike with us until next spring for our snowbirds Judith and Dick, in the lead here — they head south this week
Diane’s Crossing
Here’s the scene Leigh Ann was photographing — looking south over Michigan Creek
This is always a fun spot to stand around for a few minutes
At the Chestnut Lean-to — we’ll be having our popular hot dog cook-out here in late January

Official head count: 26H, eight D

More photos:

Jack V

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Our regular hikers Randy and Nancy recently traveled in Spain and France and did some hiking in the Pyrenees — you can see their photo album here

Report to Hikers — week of Oct 28-Nov 3

Hello Hikers!

Wed Oct 30

Watkins Glen SP gorge trail

If you haven’t been here in a while, the main entry area has been completely redone. What used to be a big parking lot has been transformed into a very pleasing landscaped area that sets a much better mood for entering the gorge.
This is an overview of what it looks like now.
Coming here so late in the season really cuts down n the crowds — we had it almost, but not quite, to ourselves
Many visitors pay extra to get bused to the top of the gorge, so they can skip any uphill stairs. We always walk up the gorge and come down the Indian Trail, which runs along the north rim. This charming cemetery is just a few steps off the Indian Trail.

Official head count: 13H

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

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Sat Nov 2

Michigan Hollow Road to Hill Road and beyond, Danby SF

Official head count: 17H, one D

More photos:

Jack V

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Sun Nov 3

Hammond Hill SF ski trails, Dryden

The small black dog and the brown and white dog in this shot, Diego and Ruby, dashed off into the woods chasing an animal just as we were getting back to the cars — Roger, who’s been bringing them to the hikes for many years, spent two extra hours in the woods searching for them — as the search dragged on, five of us drove back to the trail head from Hopshre, where we were drinking beer, to help — the search effort was hampered by very poor phone reception.
Otherwise, we had a great walk — wonderful atmospherics …. dark brooding clouds, snow off and on, a few sprinkles of rain
We ran into other people hiking on the trail more often than usual — but by the time our lost-dog rescue squad got back to the parking lot after 1 pm, there was no one else around and the woods seemed bleak and a little ominous

Official head count: 22H, six D

More photos:

Jack V

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Jack recently came back from a trip to Morocco. You can see his travel photos here

Report to Hikers — week of Oct 21-Oct 27

Hello Hikers!

Wed Oct 23

Woods road walk — Curtis Road, Danby SF

We got a good bit of rain the afternoon and evening before the hike, and it was still very wet when we arrived at the trail head — the air had a wonderful mild damp quality, and the light was extremely bright but a little misty — very nice!
This miniature horse lives in the farm area at the top of Curtis, and he’s always interested and energized when our group comes hiking here — I think farm animals are amused at the novelty of a group of walkers coming into their neighborhood
I picked this woods road because I thought it would be less slippery and muddy than one of our usual forest trails after all the rain we’ve had this month — that was pretty much the case, but not entirely ….

Official head count: 18H, five D

More photos:

Jack V

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Sat Oct 26

Malloryville countryside, with Bob B

The beaver dam crossing was especially tricky this time because the water had overtopped part of it, forcing us to walk along the extreme downstream edge — some hikers chose to cross the stream at the base of the dam instead ….
Here’s another view of the scene — I took the lower crossing myself — pretty challenging — you can see a photo of me in Annie’s photo album of the hike, looking like I’m about to fall down
One of the two old railroad trestles — it’s much higher above the creek than it looks in the photo
Bob’s property abuts the Malloryville bog, and we entered the bog this time by walking up his amazingly long driveway to his house and garage — I saw a photo op
In the bog — there are some pitcher plants inside this observation platform

Official head count: 21H

More photos:

Annie

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Sun Oct 27

Hike rained out. According to the various rain loggers, it rained briskly between 9 and 10, and just a little between 10 and 11; then the rain stopped.

Report to Hikers: week of Oct 14-Oct 20

Hello Hikers!

Wed Oct 16

Black Diamond rail trail, from Perry City Road to Willow Creek Road, Ulysses

It took me a long time to warm up to this trail. When it opened a few years back, Tiger and I checked it out by getting on it at the south end, in Cass Park. I hated the huge electric transmission line poles and the highway running right next to the walkway. Later we tried out the trail from its upper end, at Taughannock Park. No ugly infrastructure, but I thought it was boring.
More recently, we’ve had occasion to walk on the central portion of the trail. I’ve been very surprised at how different this stretch is, and how pleasant. The scenery along the way is extremely good, fields and clumps of woods and distant views
Always a high point of our walks — a strange-dog meet-and-greet. The dogs clearly enjoy it, and it always produces a sense of subdued high spirits
There was a big rainstorm rapidly approaching us from the south, and the air had a lovely damp sultry quality to it. Really nice morning to be outside.

Official head count: 15H, six D

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Sat Oct 19

Connecticut Hill WMA with Dave G — Carter Creek Loop

Dave said a lot of leaves had come down since earlier in the week thanks to the wind and rain — it really opened up the woods and we had great views into the neighboring hills — I’d say late October on a sunny day with plenty of colored leaves still up makes for a gorgeous hike here
Our nature photographer Annie, with her sister Margaret

Official head count: 27H, 10 D

More photos:

Annie

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Sun Oct 20

Shindagin Hollow SF, Braley Hill Road to Shindagin Hollow Road on the FLT

Official head count: 26H, seven D