ithacahikers

Tuesday August 30th

Spruce Pond to Jones Hill, Tinker Falls area, Onondaga County

Hike cancelled due to weather.

Wednesday August 31st

Finger Lakes Trail from Connecticut Hill Rd

Hike report by Jim

Sixteen hikers and one dog met on Connecticut Hill Rd near Lloyd Stark Rd for an intended out and back hike of the FLT.

As Dave B was in the group for this hike that original plan changed, and I relied on Dave’s knowledge of the CT Hill area to craft a loop through the woods.

The group stayed on the FLT until nearing Boylan Rd, at which time Dave led the group along some interesting winding country trails through the woods.

The group arrived back at the cars at the allotted time, another enjoyable hike successfully completed.

Saturday September 3rd

Roy Park Preserve

Hike report by Jim

Sixteen hikers met for a hike of the more northerly Roy Park Preserve boardwalk and trail towards Hammond Hill State Forest

Two additional hikers and five dogs arrived later and joined the main group on the trail.

The group had to share the trail with many other families and individual dog walkers.

Weather conditions were perfect; sunny, warm, and with a slight breeze. Light cloud cover did little to block the sun or the view of the blue sky overhead.

The footpath was dry but I did notice that the trail had a good number of blowdowns blocking the trail compared to our past hikes here

The hike to Hammond Hill Rd went quicker than expected, in part due to the dry trail conditions I think.

The group entered the Hammond Hill State Forest from the parking lot at the dead end of Hammond Hil Rd,  intending to do  one of our routine out and back hikes on the  yellow and blue trails to burn up hiking time. At the last minute I opted to take the group down the access trail to Camp Earth Connections which is located on the seasonal portion of Hammond Hill Rd; we had only recently hiked the blue blazed trails, and the last several hikes we’ve done in Hammond Hill State Forest have all run over time by a significant length of time, so I was concerned with ending on time today.

Reaching the seasonal portion of Hammond Hill Rd we turned to the south and did a road walk until it was time to turn around and return to the trail back to the Roy Park Preserve

The group reached the Park Preserve several minutes early, and many in the group ended up standing around in conversation with other hikers.

All things considered, a good hike.

Photos by Jim and Leigh Ann

Photos by Cian

Photo Album by Cian

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TBbdDXqdZBRnm4az7

Sunday September 4th

Lindsay Parsons Preserve

Hike report by Jim

Welcome to Annie and Danielle for their first hike with the group.

Twenty one hikers and two dogs met for a very sunny and humid hike of the Lindsay Parsons Biodiversity Preserve property.

I’d scheduled this hike hoping that the goldenrod in the fields would be as of yet untouched; the larger fields turned out to be mowed, but the smaller Coleman Lake observation loop and some of the smaller fields along the hike route proved to be standing tall with goldenrod.

The group first completed the small lake observation loop at the south end of the parking lot, then quickly jumped onto the main blue yellow and red trails.

The sun was fairly intense as the group crossed the open fields, so I cut out as much of the field walking as I could to speed the group into the shade of the forest canopy. A quick photo by Coleman Lake and the group was on its way

Trail conditions were good, with dry footpath throughout the Preserve.

After crossing the railroad tracks the group splintered into around four subsets of hikers, with the lead elements completing the orange and purple loops and getting back to the cars before the other hiking subgroups.

Everyone came out of the trails safe and reported having a good hike.

After the hike many of the group reconvened at hiker Hanks house for an enjoyable afternoon of grilling and summer picnic fare.

Photos by Cian

Photo Album by Cian

https://photos.app.goo.gl/s3DEDAgasyHNbSHZ6

Report from Spain

Hike report by Nancy Holzner

I walked the first segment of my Camino today, from Ourense to Cea. Just over 13.5 miles. I had the trail to myself almost the whole time. I saw four cyclists and one hiker. Galicia is green and hilly, reminds me a bit of Ithaca.

First hour today was like walking up Buffalo St for three miles!

Hike Report Tuesday August 23

Hike report by Jim

For this weeks Tuesday “farther away” hike two hikers drove to the Keuka Rail Trail for a hike of part of that trail system. Inclement weather during the commute time seems to have scared away more hikers, but by the time we arrived at the trailhead the weather had cleared and we had no further issues for the remainder of the morning.

Norm and I did our own respective hikes, with Norm hiking his own hike and looking for fossils, mosses and other natural stuff along the trail.

There was some demolition of one of the cascade viewing areas going on very near our trailhead. There was some other use of the multi-use trail going on while we were there, including bicyclists, day hikers and joggers.

My own experience was more of  a casual stroll along the route. As this was my first visit to this particular trail I stopped often to read the various signs and look at the vestiges of the trails time as  an active rail route.

Hike Report Wednesday August 24

Hike report by Jim

Fifteen hikers met for a hike of the Cayuga Nature center trails and a portion of the Black Diamond Trail. We normally reserve this hike for hunting season, but I thought that it would be a good hike for the end of summer.

It was a sunny day and it was a relief to be under the forest canopy after initially hiking across the open fields from the parking lot in the morning heat.

We stopped briefly at the animal enclosures at the Nature Center before walking to the near-by trailheads. The summer youth programs were still in full swing, with dozens of kids running around the grounds. My first exposure to the Nature Center was during my own youth, and its nice to see a new generation still taking part in the programs they offer.

Most of the trails here are enjoyable, although the blazing along much of the loops of trails need to be touched up. Portions of some trails get more use than others; the less travelled trails require a bit of bushwhacking this time of year as you make your way across the forest floor. One of the water crossing bridges is also wildly askew and unsafe to cross, so the group always resorts to a direct stream crossing there.

The group completed the trail loops and stopped at the treehouse a short while before moving on to the Black Diamond Trail for a short out-and-back hike to bring the hike to a full two hours

After the hike several hikers reconvened at a hikers near-by residence for a swim in the lake.

Hike Report Saturday August 27

Hike report by Jim

Eighteen hikers and one dog met on Comfort Rd in the Town of Danby for an out and back hike on the FLT.

This section of the trail is often quite muddy in spots, but on this hike day the footpath was largely dry, even with the recent rains we’ve had in the area.

From Comfort Rd the trail gradually and almost imperceptibly winds downwards, something you really don’t notice until its time to walk back to the cars for the return leg of the hike.

The recent rains really seemed to “green up” the ferns and other ground cover along the trail, the colors seeming to pop out at you as you walked along the trail.

There are a few stream crossings along the route, but all were dry.

One crossing in particular has been slightly re-routed a few feet up the stream, something I was happy to see, as the previous crossing involved a more or less straight vertical drop of several feet as it crossed the stream. Other recent trail maintenance such as fresh blazing and tree cutting were visible; thanks to the volunteers who maintain the trails to our benefit!

The trail at one point emerges briefly out onto an open field; here we paused briefly for a group picture before hiking onwards. Other than that one field and the fields at the turn-around point, this entire hike is walked in the “green tunnel”.

The group reached the open field I use as a turn-around point for this hike; the return leg of the hike with its gradual uphill climb was uneventful, and we arrived back at our cars at the two hour mark with no unusual events to report.

Album from Leigh Ann

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO7ccToYTDF9MhAQ_U_UXmk4qND8PxcwWgp3tKRBFCmoligyf_RMiehDIDMW0Yp2Q?key=UW1rZk9wT01lSmRoSDdrUVE4WkR3NlQ2M0NpRG5B

Hike Report Sunday August 28

Hike report by Jim

First, welcome to new hikers Doug and Mike for their first hike with the group!

Eighteen hikers and one dog met for this hike; most meeting on Townline Rd, with one walking from their house to meet the group on the trail.

Eighteen hikers and one dog met for this hike; most meeting on Townline Rd, with one walking from their house to meet the group on the trail.

The main group set off from our cars on the red-blazed trails of the Thayer Preserve. It was a warm sunny day, and trail conditions were good. Before long we were out of the woods in the fields behind the South Hill Cidery; here we had a surprise, as there are several unexpected and very occupied “glamping” tent platforms set up along the Woodline facing the field. We moved quickly through that area and returned to the woods and the trail as it snaked towards the utility line right-of-way near West King Rd.

Pausing there for a few group photos we moved on to West King Rd, crossing over and continuing on the FLT spur trail towards Yaple Rd. This section of trail is often quite muddy, but we had no such problems on this hike.

The open fields near Yaple Rd were full of tall goldenrod and other plant life, but the main trail had been mowed somewhat recently and was easily navigated.

Reaching Yaple Rd the group paused a moment before starting the return trip.

The return leg of the hike was uneventful Once past the glamping area we diverted to the blue blazed Toms Trail that crossed the now-dry streambed and snaked its way along the opposite side of the streambed.

Arriving back at Townline Rd a few minutes early, the group went our separate ways; some of us reconvened for a planned gathering at the South Hill Cidery. This was my first visit there and a nice end to an excellent hiking day.

Photo from Leigh Ann

Album from Leigh Ann

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN3gdsz6G6J3O01KVe639baH7SwMTA1l7rEn6STHWkP0YAXDcKI7MTVbJcLrekj7w?key=NDNrLVBmSmdmQlBka19iaG9fUFNXcTlVLWlHNEFB

Tuesday August 16

Steege Hill Nature Preserve, Chemung County

Hike report by Jim

Eight hikers and one dog met to hike the Steege Hill Nature Preserve in Big Flats. Unlike last year, this hike was dry: no precipitation and no wet trails. A vast improvement on last year’s hiking conditions. I had no formal route planned, other than not wanting to repeat the blue and red trails from last year.

We set out from the parking area and took the access trail up the hill, as it slowly makes its way to the first trail intersection. Here, we opted to hike the lengthy yellow-blazed loop trail, which involves a long downhill segment and the inevitable upward climb on the reverse side of the loop. Nothing proved too steep of a grade.

Last year, blueberries were beginning to ripen when we visited this preserve. This year we hiked a bit later, and they had already gone by for the most part. In the future this hike will need to be planned earlier in the month for those in search of trailside food sources.

We took the blue-blazed trail to the nearby white-blazed trail, which had a much more significant downhill and uphill climb. We hadn’t hiked this particular loop last year, and the map reconnaissance I did failed to account for the actual time to complete the loop based on the steep inclines on the reverse side of the loop. As a result, we ran over the scheduled hike time by a significant amount. (Another option, which we did not try, is taking a side trail to a service road that leads directly back to the access trail to the parking lot; in the future I’ll take that route if the group is concerned about completing the hike in two hours.)

Norm, as he often does, did his own hike of the area and had a run-in with a rattlesnake along the trail. He survived to tell the tale and share his photos.

No bears were observed by any member of the group.

Wednesday August 17

Texas Hollow State Forest, Hector

Hike report by Jim

Eight hikers and a dog met at Texas Hollow State Forest for a hike of the FLT and loop trail there. It was a warm day, and as we set out there was a short period of light rain that barely penetrated the forest canopy. By the time we had traversed the short section of trail from the parking lot and arrived at the pond area, the rain had dissipated.

Very quickly we arrived at the blue-blazed loop trail and took that side trail, climbing the hill above the pond area. We then returned to the FLT and continued on, crossing over the many dry streambeds as the trail slowly crept upward.

The trail reaches a point where it begins a serious upward climb, and the group split up into smaller clusters of hikers who pressed forward at their respective hiking speeds. Eventually we reached the one-hour turnaround point and started the return trip to our cars.

Bypassing the loop trail, we took the slightly shorter and more direct FLT route, arriving back at the cars with five minutes to spare.

Overall, this was a very straightforward hike with no extraordinary events to report.

This hike represents 3.5 FLT miles for hikers working to earn the FLT60 patch.

Saturday August 20

From South Danby Road west on the FLT, Danby State Forest

Hike report by Nancy L.

On Saturday, August 20, 19 people and two dogs gathered on South Danby Road to walk west on the Finger Lakes Trail. It was a pleasant, cool morning.  

The trail was quite pleasant with a thick bed of pine needles. Initially the going was easy, but in the end we got a workout.  The first uphill portion was just practice for the second, which was quite steep.  

In between we crossed a new, well-built bridge labeled “Dave’s Bridge” to honor our ubiquitous and endlessly helpful trail maintainer, Dave Priester.

We hiked a little beyond where we intersected the Abbott Loop.  We reached another picturesque creek and beautiful bridge before turning around to retrace our steps.

Photos by Nancy L.

View Cian’s photo album.

Sunday August 21

Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenters Falls, Cayuga County

Hike report by Jim

Seven hikers met on an overcast day for a hike of the Carpenters Falls and Bahar Nature Preserve area in Cayuga County.

A light rain was falling as we started out from the parking lot toward the newly constructed Carpenters Falls observation area. Soon the rain increased in intensity. We went down a short flight of stone steps to check out a lower falls observation area, then returned to the parking lot of start the trail toward Bahar Preserve. Several of us retrieved umbrellas from cars as the rain volume increased.

The trail along the gorge was largely uneventful; hiker James reported frequenting the area as a teen, before the trail system was created, and pointed out several smaller falls and cascades along the stream’s path that, for whatever reason, haven’t been afforded official viewing areas from the trail system on the bluffs above.

Throughout the hike, rain volume increased and decreased. Umbrellas would be put away when the rain would slacken, then come out again in short order as the deluge returned.

The unimproved trail grew increasingly muddy as the rain continued. Careful route selection on steeper descents to avoid slick tree roots prevented any accidents from occurring.

The group reached the shoreline at the bottom of the trail and spent a few minutes looking out over the lake. In the interest of time, we opted for a road walk back to the cars.

By this time the rain had stopped and the sun was out. While a misty fog still lay in the low areas, the views across the lake to the opposite shores were greatly improved from just a short time earlier in the hike.

After the hike several hikers reconvened at Summerhill Brewing in Locke. With a change into dry clothes and some good food, it was an enjoyable end to what had been one of our wetter hikes in recent memory.

View Nancy L’s photo album.

Tuesday August 9

FLT, Sugar Hill State Forest, Schuyler County

Hike report by Jim

Eight people and one dog met in Schuyler County for a first-time Ithaca Hikers group hike of the FLT in Sugar Hill State Forest.

Having never hiked the trails in the immediate area, we spoke to State Forest staff who were on site at the car camping area there. They advised we should stay on the FLT due to muddy conditions on the multi-use trails there.

Our hike consisted of an out-and-back hike of a green tunnel section of the FLT. Trail conditions were good overall.

While the area was nice, it lacked the sort of significant viewsheds, geographical landmarks, etc., that make a particular hike location stand out in my mind. I doubt that we will be making a return trip to the area, given the drive time. Those who want to car camp in the forest would likely enjoy the area.

The length of the hike was 3.5 miles for those earning their FLT60 patch.

After the hike, a number of hikers stopped by Casey’s saw business and were treated to a wonderful demonstration of saw repair by Casey. Thanks for giving us your time, Casey!

Wednesday August 10

Virgil Mountain, Cortland County

Hike report by Jim

Twelve hikers and one dog met in Cortland County for a hike of the FLT on Virgil Mountain.

Temperatures were moderate compared to recent days, which made the hike much more enjoyable. A small amount of rain fell during the hike but gave us no problems.

After we left the parking area, the group made a short road walk to where the trail starts toward the peak. The trail initially runs through some open woods alongside a grove of evergreens, then begins a series of ups and downs, crossing a few streambeds, which were dry on this hike.

Eventually the trail begins a more or less straight climb up the hill before it emerges onto the seasonal portion of Van Donsel Rd., where we paused for a quick photo. From there, a short hike brought us to the area behind the Greek Peak upper chair lift. Here we paused to check out the apparatus and admire the views cross the valley.

The group continued to the peak, where some berry harvesting took place. A short walk beyond the peak brought us to an overlook area, where the clear skies gave us an excellent view across the valley.

After milling about for a short while (and picking more blackberries and raspberries) we turned around and made our way back down the hill, arriving back at our cars about 15 minutes beyond our normal hike time.

Today’s hike counted as 4.6 FLT miles for those attempting to earn their FLT60 patch.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Saturday August 13

Logan Hill Nature Preserve, Candor

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Fifteen hikers and two hiker dogs met at Candor High School to climb up into Logan Hill Nature Preserve. After a week of fronts and thunderstorms, the sky was so clear that it looked like the far hills were cut out of cardboard. Trees, wildflowers, and grasses were shiny, healthy, and waving in the breeze.

This hike was unusually satisfying today, and it wasn’t just because of the company and the weather. A few weeks from now is when the preserve mows all the fields to keep them fields. So, mid-August is a great time to visit because the wildflowers and tall fields of grass are still uncut, and the well-mowed and wide trail goes through them where it crosses the fields.

The elevation gain on this roughly 4.5-mile hike is front-loaded. From Candor High School to the eastern turn-off to the yellow trail, Water Road/Logan Hill Road ascends to the hilltop through the preserve. The yellow trail is well marked and fairly level. It loops two miles out and back through tall deciduous woods, deep hemlock forest with a rapidly deepening gorge, and fields with ponds and “hills are alive” views. The yellow trail comes out on Logan Hill Road about half a mile to the west of where it went in, and the hike along the road to the initial trailhead is lovely.

Because the road at the top is not good for vehicles with low clearance, it’s unusual to see any vehicles on the one-lane road. We did see one, and the driver let us know he had just seen some coyotes crossing the road.

This hike took just under two hours to do. After hanging out to chat in the High School parking lot, some of the hikers headed to the goat dairy in Candor.

View Cian’s photo album.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.

Sunday August 14

Potato Hill State Forest, Caroline

Hike report by Jim

Twenty hikers and four dogs met on Level Green Rd. for  a hike of the FLT towards Blackman Hill Rd. and beyond. Trail conditions along this section of the FLT today were the driest I can recall ever seeing in my time with the group. And we benefited from not having to encounter the ground bees that the group has run into during previous summer hikes on this section of trail.

The first quarter of this hike involves a very gradual climb toward Blackman Hill Rd. Along the way we enjoyed the use of two new trail bridges that replaced some older models that were definitely starting to show their age.

Just before Blackman Hill Rd., we stopped to check out the newly built parking area near the trail crossing. I feel that it’s a little small for our larger group hikes, but individual hikers will certainly be able to put the parking lot to good use.

We crossed Blackman Hill Rd. and soon reached the open meadows. Skies were clear, and we could see the far-away peaks that were two or three ridgelines distant.

After a short pause for a group photo, we plunged back into the woods for a gradual decent toward Rt. 79. Here, the forest trees open up a little more than what was prevalent on the Level Green Rd. side of the trail; the trees are somewhat more distant from each other, and the low-lying forest growth doesn’t greatly impede line of sight across the forest as it does in so many other hike locations.

We reached our turnaround location just before the FLT begins a serious descent towards Rt. 79. From there, we made our way back to the open fields and, beyond those, the descent back to Level Green Rd. and our vehicles.

Today’s hike came out to 4.5 FLT miles for those trying to earn their FLT60 patch.

View Cian’s photo album.

View Leigh Ann’s photo album.