Category: hike reports

Report to Hikers: week of Sept 2-Sept 8

Hello Hikers!

Wed Sept 4

Lands belonging to the YMCA, Coy Glen, Longhouse and EcoVillage, West Hill

The weather forecast was predicting a moderate risk of thunderstorms, but we didn’t pay much attention to it. Then, about halfway through the hike, we started to hear thunder, just as we were about to go out into the big fields to the south of EcoVillage. We decided to get back into the woods on the assumption we’d be better protected from lightning by a canopy of trees. It started to rain quite hard and it rained all the way back to the cars, but it didn’t actually pour and there was no lightning or high wind. I enjoyed being out in the storm myself.

Official head count: 19H, one D

More photos:

Jack V

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Sat Sept 7

Lindsay Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, West Danby

Official head count: 28H, eight D

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Sun Sept 8

Two hikes starting from Lake Road at the Jim Schug Trail, Dryden

The main group walked up the hill in the right background — there’s a lovely overlook on the other side of the hill:
Meanwhile, three of us walked up to the far end of the picturesque big field and then turned back without tackling the steep hill — we walked back to the cars and then walked on the Schug Trail.
This is Dryden Lake; the hill in the background is the one that main group climbed.
In addition, yet another group of hikers chose to do a 100% flat hike, so they walked on the Schug trail from the start — so we managed to cover all the bases.
Hopshire was deserted and we had a very lively fun time

Official head count: 27H, nine D

Report to Hikers: week of Aug 26-Sept 1

Hello Hikers!

Tue Aug 27

Deputron Hollow Road and Olefski Road, East Danby

Deputron Hollow Road is worth a few words of appreciation. It runs through an undeveloped and heavily wooded area of east Danby between Route 96B and Coddington Road. There are a smattering of houses at the east end of the road; otherwise, it’s all in the woods. There was probably a reason it was constructed in the past, but it’s not possible to deduce the reason now. The road seems to go nowhere at its western end. I’m not complaining, because it’s a delightful woods road to walk on, especially on a dark cloudy day. There’s a deep gorge running along the south edge for much of its way, with a stretch of Six Mile Creek running in the bottom. The effect of the road dropping away before you and the heavy and somber tree massing in the gorge is really spectacular, and I get a big kick out of walking by. Definitely a strange little road, and a real pleasure.

Official head count: 16H, three D

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Sat Sept 31

South Danby Road east to the Tamarack Lean-to on the FLT

I was doing a pretty good job of corralling the people to pose for me as they arrived — then we got a surge of hikers at the last minute and the group took off and I was left missing a number of people
Tiger’s very experienced at taking photos in the woods, but it was just too dark for her this time — she took tons of shots but this is the only one that came out
This is typical of what the other shots looked like

Official head count: 31H, five D

Get-together at Katharine’s

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Sun Sept 1

Country roads and park trails at upper Treman SP

Official head count: 21H, two D

More photos:

Jack V

Report to Hikers: week of Aug 19-Aug 25

Hello Hikers!

Thu Aug 22

Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve

I missed one hiker who arrived late

Official head count: 19H, two D

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Sat Aug 24

Connecticut Hill WMA with Dave B — Rowell Hill

The walk started right on time, and Dave got us back to the cars at precisely the 2-hour mark. He really has a knack for such precise timing, though he’s not usually this exact. He routinely times the hike ahead of time using a stop-watch function on his phone, and then keeps track of our progress using mileposts he’s created.

There was one mishap on the walk. Bad Dennis was stung twice, only the second and third times he has ever been stung. ” I was stung twice by ground wasps near the wood “bridge” (just planks) on the way back down the trail we used to go up.  Roger knocked several small wasps off my backside and inner thighs–I had one up my shirt sleeve ;  his dog was limping on three legs–I think the dog upset the ground nest.  Might have a small reaction to them.”

Official head count: 33H, seven D

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Sun Aug 25

The Pinnacles look-out from the southern approach, Danby SF

This was a special day for Tiger and me — exactly 15 years ago, on the last Sunday of August 2004, we took our first hike with the group, after taking over as coordinators — it was a small-scale beginning — there were only two other hikers, Roger and another person who left the trail a while ago — I’ve enjoyed the 15 years of hiking since then greatly
A few years ago I started to have an occasional disruption of my vision known as an ocular migraine, though in my particular case I don’t actually have headaches. The event leaves big blind spots in my vision and can be accompanied by areas of extreme brightness, making it hard for me to see. I got hit with an episode about a half-hour into the hike — I had to turn back and hang on to Tiger’s arm and stumble along clumsily until the condition resolved after a while.

Official head count: 23H, eight D

Report to Hikers: week of Aug 12-Aug 18

Hello Hikers!

Wed Aug 14

Flat Rock to the Cornell Dairy Bar

Official head count: 25H, four D

More photos:

Annie

Jack V

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Sat Aug 17

Hammond Hill SF ski trails

Official head count: 17H — I had to skip this hike — stuck at home with diarrhea

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Sun Aug 18

Monkey Run Natural Area, north side of Fall Creek at Hanshaw Road

Official head count: 21H, four D

More photos:

Annie

Report to Hikers: week of Aug 5-Aug 11

Hello Hikers!

Wed Aug 7

Woodard Road NW to Hines Road on the FLT, Enfield

The second part of the hike, beyond Hines Road, was totally overgrown and impassable, so we urned around.
We decided to make the walk into a loop by coming back on the road rather than retracing our steps through the woods
The roads here don’t seem particularly dramatic, but they have a wonderful country feeling that I think is really special. Very quiet and deserted.
Corner of Woodard Road and Stonehouse Road. I assume this is the house that gave the name to the road. Very beautiful and mysterious.

Official head count: 18H

More photos:

Jack V

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Sat Aug 10

Rim trail along Shindagin gorge, upper Shindagin Hollow SF.

Nissed getting three people ….
Normally when we emerge from the woods we head down a narrow steep path to the stream at the bottom of the gorge — but the path was so overgrown most people didn’t want to go down — so we walked down Shindagin Hollow Road to the bottom instead
It’s a lovely walk and really just as satisfying as going down to the stream

Official head count: 20H, six D

More photos:

Annie

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Sun Aug 11

Taughannock Falls SP, rim trail and gorge trail

It ws a gorgeous morning, the kind of day you’d expect the park to be jammed, but it actually wasn’t very crowded

Official head count: 21H, four D

More photos:

Jack V