ithacahikers

Wednesday April 13

FLT from Ridgeway Rd. toward White Church Rd.

Hike report by Jim

Twelve hikers and one dog set out from the FLT parking area on Ridgeway Rd. near Coddington Rd.

It was  a warm and sunny morning, with none of the rain predicted for later in the day. I definitely over-dressed for the weather, and it wasn’t long before most of the group took advantage of short pauses to shuck layers of coats and other outer clothing.

The trail initially runs close to residences and ponds located near the parking area. The gentle grades, twists and turns as the trail winds through the pine forest and grasses not yet started towards their summer growth spurt creates an enjoyable rural hike atmosphere.

Soon, before the badly flooded portion of the trail that has been closed for a couple of hiking seasons, we took a short detour that pus us on the old railway right of way that runs along the creek. While the FLT officially uses a roadwalk alternative to avoid the flooded area, after we’d completed a previous hike at this location the nearby residents gave our group permission to use this route over the less preferred roadwalk.

Once on the old railbed the group made good time, quickly reaching the turn that takes the FLT north toward White Church Rd. After crossing White Church Rd., we encountered the only really flooded or muddy portion of the trail on today’s hike, a short stretch between the various fields that is almost always flooded regardless of the season. Aware of the potential for ticks, we walked atop the old rushes from last season that border the FLT treadway in order to avoided the water-logged trail surface. Some members of the group found the view here so enjoyable that they paused to occupy a bench rather than proceed further.

After crossing the fields we re-entered the woodline, crossing over a couple of footbridges and the rushing water below us.

After reaching the base of the mountain at exactly the hour mark, we turned around and retraced our steps. Other than stopping for a couple of quick group photos the return trip to Ridgeway Rd and our cars was unremarkable.

For those hikers who are attempting to earn their FLT60 patch, todays hike total was 3.2 FLT miles.

More images by Cian

Saturday April 16

Bob Cameron Loop, Connectivut Hill, Newfield

Hike report by Jim

Twelve hikers and two dogs met on Tower Rd. in Newfield for a hike of the Bob Cameron Loop.

Conditions were generally wet, damp, and foggy, due to the intermittent rain that had been falling through the evening and early morning.

Despite the general dampness, the trail was mostly free of mud except in the lower elevations and around stream crossings. The downhill portions I was expecting to be very muddy were mostly mud-free.

The fogginess lent some excellent atmospherics to the hike.

Before I realized it we had completed the lower loop of the hike and started to ascend the opposite side of the stream crossing. The climb up the hill through the various switchbacks was unremarkable although enjoyable.

We found ourselves back on Tower Rd. half an hour early, so we jumped across the road and took the FLT for several minutes of out-and-back to bring the hike up to the appropriate duration.

Hikers trying to get their FLT60 patch this year can consider today’s hike to be .5 FLT miles toward their goal.

Leigh Ann’s photo album

Cian’s photo album

Sunday April 17

Rim trail along Shindagin Hollow gorge, Shindagin Hollow SF

Hike report by Jim

Seventeen hikers and two dogs met on Shindagin Hollow Rd. for a hike of the Shindagin rim and bicycle trails.

Weather conditions changed throughout the hike; it was overcast with occasional sun at the start of the hike. By the time the group completed the rim trail and started down the bike trail to the stream crossing, the first snowflakes were starting to fall. For the remainder of the hike, snow flurries alternated with clear skies, with the sun making random appearances. No one complained that I heard; conditions simply added to the character of the hike.

The rim trail was very appealing. Minimal mud along the path was limited to mainly around the small stream crossings. The lack of leaves on the trees gave us unobstructed views down the embankments and through the forest. The periods of heavy snowflake activity lent a very wintery feel to the hike, and when the snow stopped and the sun shone down on the group, the contrasting shades of light and dark through the trees, combined with the dark tree trunks against the fresh white snow, made for interesting visuals.

The descent to the streambed after the rim trail was uneventful. The stream crossing gave us pause due to the water levels, but Katharine with her rubber boots was soon standing mid-stream assisting the group across the stream.

The bicycle path along the stream was, as always, very enjoyable from a hiking and visual perspective. The group paused at the golden shoe for a group photo before pressing onward.

Coming out onto the seasonal road, we walked Shindagin Hollow Rd. back to the lower parking area across from the Jeep trail; from there we jumped back onto the rim trail and took that back to our cars–a far better option than road walking the entire way back up the hill.

A warm welcome to Rebecca, Remko and Felipe, on their first hike with the group!

Cian’s photo album

Leigh Ann’s photo album

Wednesday April 6

South Hill Rec Way/Six Mile Creek, south side, rim trail

Hike report by Jim

Fifteen hikers and one dog met on Crescent Place for a hike of the South Hill Rec Way and Rim Trails.

The forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning proved to be entirely inaccurate, so we did not have to deal the rain or its after-effects that I’d expected would be an issue during the hike. Temperatures were cool and there was little sun, but there was also very little mud on the trail. Streams had a decent amount of water flowing, but nothing that was too difficult to deal with.

The group set a good pace today – so good that we finished the hike a good 15 minutes earlier than normal.

Hikers started on the Rec Way before turning onto the blue-blazed rim trail. It was an enjoyable hike; we could look down the slope at the passing waterways and reservoirs through the leafless trees.

We had a few dog walkers , trail runners, and other hikers to contend with throughout the hike.

Back on the Rec Way, we walked toward Burns Rd and then back for about 20 minutes total to finish the outbound leg of the hike. Then we set off on the Rec Way in the direction of  Hudson Street. Arriving back at the cars early, most of the group opted to continue toward Hudson Street and return to Crescent in an effort to hike a bit longer. In the end we still finished significantly early, but no one was complaining.

Anyone planning on using the Rec Way from Crescent in the next week or two should be aware that, effective April 7, there will be no on-street parking due to street work.

Welcome to Jan on her first hike with the group!

Saturday April 9

Lick Brook

Hike report by Jim

Twenty hikers and one dog met on Townline Rd for a hike of the Sweedler Preserve and Lick Brook, with additional hike time on part of the Thayer Preserve’s “ Tom’s Trail”  to round out the hike to a full two hours.

A light rain was falling as hikers arrived at the parking area, but as soon as the hike started the rain stopped for a time.

The descent to the forest floor was uneventful, the group winding its way down the hill, the chatter of hiker conversations behind me the dominant sound I could hear from the front of the line. The leafless trees offered no obstruction to views and let us see a great distance across the flatlands below as we approached the bottom of the slope.

As always, it was nice to walk along the upper parts of the trail immediately off Townline Rd, where the treadway closely follows the stream coursing below us. The water flow was in great quantity today, and I enjoyed watching the stream as it coursed toward the valley floor below.

At the valley floor, the group quickly made its way to the waterfall there.

After a quick pause we continued on our way, following the FLT footpath as far as the railroad trestle before turning around.

Nancy L led the group up the hill. We threaded our way through the various switchbacks until we again reached Townline Rd. As we climbed back up the hill the rain returned, slightly harder than at the beginning of the hike but not in quantities or in such force as to be detrimental to the hike.

Once back at the cars, some hikers opted to call it a day and head for home. The remainder of the group crossed the road and jumped onto the Thayer Preserve Toms Trail for  a quick circuit of that trail loop.

After the hike a small group of hikers met in Ithaca for a post-hike lunch at Thai Basil.

Warm welcome to hikers Ruthie, Nancy S, and Frances on their first hike with the group!

Today we also had long-time Ithaca Hiker Eckhart and his hiking partner Sophie join us after along absence from the group.

For those hikers counting their FLT miles towards the FLT60 patch, I would count today’s FLT mileage as 1 mile toward your goal.

More images by Cian

Photo album by Leigh Ann

Sunday April 10

Special Hike with Other Area Hiking Groups, Abbott Loop, Danby State Forest

Hike report by Jim

Forty hikers and five dogs met at Station and Bald Hill Rds for a hike of the Abbott Loop. I tried my best to get an accurate head count of both people and dogs but that’s the closest I could come.

In addition to Ithaca Hikers, we had representation from the American Pilgrims on the Camino from Meetup, the Cayuga Trails Club, Ithaca Dog Hikers, and the Ithaca Outdoor Adventure Club, as well as hikers’ friends who don’t belong to any local group.

At the start of the hike, we saw some steady snow flurries, a last cold blast of winter to greet hikers as we headed for the hills (literally).

The group made its way up the seasonal portion of Bald Hill Rd to the first turn onto the Abbott Loop that sends hikers in a counterclockwise direction on the Loop. After a brief pause at the Pinnacles, the group made its way down the southwesterly side of the slope to the far connection with the seasonal portion of Bald Hill Rd.

Once there, hikers could choose to continue on the full loop or take a shortcut and return to their cars. About half of the group opted to do the full loop, while the others took one of two routes back to their cars.

The loop hikers pressed onward, making several successful water crossings before reaching Michigan Hollow Rd. After Michigan Hollow Rd, the snow returned but did not persist for long; instead, the wind was soon whipping through the treetops, encouraging hikers to hasten their pace.

The stretch of trail between Michigan Hollow Rd and Hill Rd had some of the muddiest stretches of the trail today, although the mud and running streams on the trail were constant companions.

Turning northward, the loop soon meets the FLT, and hikers were heading west toward Hill Rd. Crossing Hill Rd and descending towards Michigan Hollow Rd, we encountered the only other people on the trail that we were to meet all day.

After crossing Michigan Hollow Rd we were soon back on the Abbott Loop itself, a last climb and descent, one last stream crossing, before the end of the Loop came in the form of the seasonal portion of Bald Hill Rd appearing in the distance.

I acted as sweep for a good portion of the hike and my time, for my first complete circuit of the Loop, came in at exactly 5 ½ hours.

I want to thank everyone from the various hiking groups who participated in today’s hike. I hope that we can repeat these joint hikes again in the future and build some enduring connections between the various local hiking groups.

For those hikers who competed the loop and are tracking your FLT miles toward the FLT60 patch, your FLT mileage for today was 1.6 FLT miles.

More photos by Leigh Ann

More photos by Nancy L. and Randy

More photos by Cian

Hello Hikers!

Wed Mar 30

Hike report by Jim

Boylan Road to Carter Creek Road, Connecticut Hill WMA

Nine hikers and a dog met on Boylan Rd for a first time group  hike of the blue blazed trail that runs from the seasonal part of Boylan Rd towards Carter Creek RD.

Temps were cool, but the ups and down of the trail warmed everyone up nicely.

Snowpack was minimal after the recent snowfall, with none of the deep snow and ice build- up I’d encountered on my test hike of this trail a month ago.

The blazes immediately off Boylan Rd ( directly opposite the FLT ) are barely visible, apparently due to someone attempting to destroy the blazes;  a short ways down the trailthe blazes  are almost new, which helped seeing the blazes from a distance during the hike.

The trail passed through a series of  enjoyable monoculture evergreens and mixed tree species.

Other than a couple of short sections the trail was a steady downhill almost the entire distance.

At around the hour mark into the hike the group left the trail and took a short side trail down to the streambed, where there were a series of small cataracts. Water flow volume over the small falls was very good, making conversation at a distance somewhat difficult.

After leaving the streambed the group bushwhacked to the near-by Hulford Rd, which we walked back to our cars.

The group arrived at our cars at a perfect two hour mark. Hikers who might want to extend this route can follow the blazed trail to its southern terminus on Carter Creek Rd.

Welcome to Steven on his first hike with the group!

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Sat Apr 2

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Texas Hollow SF, Schuyler County

Fifteen hikers and three dogs met where the FLT crosses South Hill Road just south of 79 in Bennettsburg, and we hiked east into Texas Hollow for an out and back. The outbound part of the trail heads gently upward through pretty woods and alongside a string of large and small fields in the first half mile.

This was an ideal time of year for this hike because there were no leaves on the trees. Nothing but trunks and branches stood in front of the wide view of Texas Hollow to our left. For most of the way, the trail parallels Texas Hollow road along the hilltop, and the trail is pretty much flat. It was mud free except for a few easy-to-avoid places in the entrance field, and there was no ice.
The hikers were remarking how lovely this section of trail was. Casey (who was leading and had done this section once) and Jack V. (who lives nearby and had done this section of trail a lot) were giggling about how things were going to change soon.

The last 1/4 mile down into Texas Hollow from the east is a set of tight but shallow switchbacks followed by a long, steep, and narrow stretch of trail down to Texas Hollow Road. It only took about five minutes to go down and ten to go back up. However, two hikers decided to walk back on roads rather than the trail because the trail gave one of them some vertigo.

As we were heading back toward the cars, the clouds opened, and the character of the day changed. We stopped briefly near the entrance field to check out a small pond, then arrived at the cars at exactly 11:30. We had only gone about 3.2 miles out and back on the trail, but it was a satisfying hike, and nobody really wanted to leave.

Photos by Leigh Ann

Leigh Ann’s full album is here

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Photos by Cian

Cian’s full album is here

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Sun April 3

Hike report by Jim

International Loop, Virgil

13 hikers and 3 dogs met in Virgil for a group first-time hike of part of the International Loop

It was a cool, somewhat windy morning.

I left for the hike and in the few miles from Freeville to Virgil the day was transformed from a cool, clear morning to blowing snow that was sticking to the ground.

The group started by crossing Daisy Hollow Rd and making the initial ascent; the first thirty or so minutes of this hike is pretty much all uphill.

From our exploratory hike of this area a couple of months ago I knew that I wanted to take the group first along the blue blazed Irvin Trail; this trail section skirts some nice sections of Cristina Creek before it starts a more substantial and serious climb up the side of the hill. This climbing portion isn’t terribly bad thanks to the numerous switchbacks along the way. The trail climbs through a mix if evergreens before finally leveling out towards the middle of the hillside.

After a quick stop to make an entry in the trail register the group continued out climb, finally crossing the crest of the hill.

By this point of the hike there are numerous trail intersections, end even having been there once before and consulting a map during this hike, I somehow missed an intersection on both the outbound and return legs of the hike. The worst outcome of this was that we got to repeat short sections of trail before jumping onto the correct trail at a following intersection.

Eventually the group stopped at our turn-around point, the blue blazed small pond spur.

Turning around the group re-traced most of our steps, opting at a couple of points to take trail sections we hadn’t explored on our first hike of the area in February.

By now the snow had stopped, but with only a small coating of snow on the grass, and the frequent mess of mud and pools of water not being froze, some of the portions of the downhill return leg of the hike proved to be more exhilarating than planned for those who came close to losing their footing. We only had one hiker fall during the hike, with no injury resulting, so it could have been worse.

One benefit to the return leg is that the hikers get more of a long view of the opposite valley through the leaf-less trees and through the cuts provided by utility right-of-ways.

The nice part of this hike is that, while the trails at the top of the hill can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the trail network, the return leg of the journey  is much simpler to figure out as all trails, no matter which one is picked, eventually spill out onto Daisy Hollow Rd.

Photos by Leigh Ann

Leigh Ann’s full album is here

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Photos by Cian

Cian’s full album is here

Hello Hikers!

Wed Mar 23

Hike report by Jim

YMCA and EcoVillage lands, West Hill

13 hikers and 2 dogs met in the parking lot of the YMCA Outdoor Education complex on Route 79 for a hike of area trails.

I had pre-hiked the local trails the previous day to find a route that was mostly mud-free; it was impossible to hike without finding at least SOME mud along the way, but I think that the route I had planned out managed as best as conditions allowed.

The group made its way across multiple trail within the YMCA complex until finally exiting onto the Coy Glen Natural Area blazed trail system.

We made our way to the trail system for Ecovillage, which is entirely unblazed and a bit of  a spiderweb of interconnecting trails. Wanting to avoid our past practice of hiking across the open areas of Ecovillage, I kept the group within their trail system, making a large loop until we returned to YMCA property.

We made our way back to the cars, arriving back at the parking lot a few minutes early because, despite having taken a lot of notes on my previous hike, we got turned around at the very end and re-entered the YMCA property closer to the parking lot that I had intended to.

Overall it was still an excellent hike,  despite the periodic muddy patches we encountered.

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Special snowbird hike report from Randy and Nancy L — Joshua Tree National Monument

Report by Randy

We set off from home at 7:15 AM and headed towards Joshua tree. After an hour and a half we arrived at Hidden Valley, where we climbed around the rocks,  and took a short nature walk.  Nancy met a guide who was leading 4 women and it turned out he was related to one of Nancy‘s coworkers at Cornell.  Small world. 
We then headed to a place called Split Rock. We found a parking spot after ignoring the “Parking Lot Full” sign, and hiked to Skull Rock.  This is one of my favorite hikes in the park.  It’s loaded with cool stuff. We even spotted a couple of quail.
It was early afternoon, and our meager snack food was depleted.  We called it quits and headed to 29 Palms where we found a family-owned Mexican drive-in restaurant.
Made it back home in time to jump in the hot tub before dinner!
Looking forward to returning to Ithaca…I think.

Complete photo album

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Sat Mar 26

Hike report by Nancy H

FLT east from Logan Rd., Finger Lakes National Forest

Eight hikers (and no dogs) gathered on a rainy, snowy morning on Logan Rd. to hike the Finger Lakes Trail eastward toward Burnt Hill Rd. On the initial long climb, we were pelted by very wet snow for the first mile or so. Trail conditions were what you’d expect in March—wet everywhere, deep mud in places, and some slippery spots on stream crossings and wooden bridges.

Gradually the snow stopped. We passed several old stone walls and commented on some distant views that won’t be visible in a few weeks when the leaves come out. When we reached the turnaround point at the second intersection with Burnt Hill Rd., the clouds were starting to break up. At that point, one hiker decided to return to the cars via the road; the rest of us turned around and retraced our steps on the FLT. Soon we could hear birds singing and see patches of blue sky. By the time we returned to Logan Rd., the sun was shining and it was about 10 degrees warmer than at the start of the hike. In a few minutes over two hours, we’d hiked just under five miles (one hiking app measured our distance at 4.87 miles and another reported 4.99 miles).

We entered the woods in winter and emerged into spring. As one hiker put it, “a typical March hike.”

Photos by Leigh Ann

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Photos by Cian

Complete album

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Photo by Casey

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Sun Mar 27

Hike report by Jim

Layen Road to Bruce Hill Road and beyond on the FLT, Danby

11 hikers met on Layen Rd in Danby for a hike of the FLT to Bruce Hill Rd and beyond.

At the beginning of the hike the wind was whipping through the treetops around our cars, so I figured that crossing the open fields would be “invigorating”, which they were.

A small amount of snow had fallen overnight, leaving a thin layer of snow on the ground that gave the hillsides a mottled appearance.

The first open fields were quite windy, but once we were in the trees the wind was barely noticed.

For the most part the treadway was fairly nice; there were some muddy parts that hadn’t had a chance to freeze in the recent short cold snap. While inconvenient these parts of the trail were short in duration and quickly traversed.

Once beyond the first water crossing the main body of hikers was off like a shot, making good time across the rolling hills that the trail passes through in this area.

The group paused briefly at Bruce Hill Rd; once across that road we stopped briefly to check out the small quarry located in that area.

Reaching the open fields South of Bruce Hill Rd, the group turned around nd re-traced its steps back to our cars. The snow picked up throughout most of the return trip, giving that portion of the hike much more of a wintery sense to it than we had for the outbound leg of the hike.

Other than a couple of CTC day hikers and  a single dog walker, the group had the trail to ourselves today.

Photos by Leigh Ann

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Photos by Cian

Complete album

Hello Hikers!

Wed Mar 16

Hike report by Jim

Kingsbury Woods, Jersey Hill, Danby

Three hikers met on Jersey Hill Rd for a hike of the Kingsbury Woods Conservation Area.

The day had started out foggy; so foggy that some of us had had concerns while en route to the hike of the day lending itself to an enjoyable hike. Which, in the end, is exactly what we had

When I left my house, Freeville was nearly devoid of any meaningful amounts of remaining snow. Arriving at the parking area on Jersey Hill Rd I found a considerable amount of remaining snow, even if it was in a state of retreat during our hike on this warm day. This was not unexpected, and since I’d worn my summer hiking  shoes with their less aggressive snow traction, I chose to wear nanospikes for probably the last time this winter hiking season.

Hikers crossed Jersey Hill Rd to climb the small flight of stairs to the kiosk, where we paused briefly to make a trail journal entry.

From there the trail follows Lick Brook for a while before deviating into what Leigh Ann referred to as our “flagpole hike”. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but the odd shape of this parcel does result in a single trail system that somewhat resembles a flag on its pole.

I was the only member of the group who had been here, and my sole previous winter hike had informed me that we wouldn’t be getting a two hour hike out of a single pass around the trail system.

During the hike the sun shone brightly, reflecting off the snow that remained in the woods and on the fields we passed near. The warming weather revealed frequent stones set in the muddy path that I had not seen in my previous winter visit; someone has gone to great effort to emplace stones in the muddier portions of the trail at this location.

Knowing that we wouldn’t get a complete hike out of a single circuit, I was in favor of stopping to explore along the way whenever the opportunity presented itself. So we struck off across Conservation land a time or two when old logging roads presented themselves.

Mud wasn’t too bad on the open portions of trail; a couple of stream crossings were required, but while the water was flowing well during the hike it was not at such a depth that it presented any great difficulties to passing hikers.

At one point in the hike the group encountered past Ithaca Hiker Scott, who was out with his new puppy. Scott passed along some information about the part of the conservation on the parking area side of the road that we were unaware of, before we parted ways.

Reaching a point in the trail leading back in the direction we had walked in from, the group turned around and revisited the trail going in the opposite direction. This brought us back to our cars with about twenty minutes to spare, so we crossed the road and explored the streambed as well as the high bluffs of the conservation area above the small parking lot.

Overall this was a great hike day and location. I encourage other Ithaca Hikers with an hour or two of available hiking time to give it a try.

Photos by Leigh Ann

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Special report from the Ithaca Hikers Snowbird Division

These reports were written by Randy, who is spending time with Nancy L in the Southern California desert area

Tuesday, March 15, Hike up Black Mountain
We drove about half hour straight uphill to the trail head leading to Black Mountain. The hike was quite steep with an overall elevation gain of a little over 2600 feet. The summit at 7700 feet had a fire tower, but was locked.  Most of the hike was on dry sandy granite, but at the top there was semi-crusty snow about 6 inches deep. It was a little slippery so we donned our one pair of yak tracks, mine on the right foot and Nancy’s on her left. We got up and down in 4.5 hours, a little over 8 miles.

Complete album

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Friday, March 18,  Hike down Potrero Valley 
After a large breakfast of homemade chili rellenos and tamales, we set off on an adventure close to home. We took the golf cart to the edge of our gated community and hiked south into an area we had not explored, but was practically in our backyard. We followed the dry creek bed until finding a way across to the other side. We then continued north following a faint trail.  Overall hike time was about three hours and we covered about 7.5 miles.

Complete album

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Sat Mar 19

Hike report by Jim

Fisher Settlement Road west on the FLT, Danby SF

19 Hikers and 2 dogs met on Fisher Settlement Rd for a very muddy hike Westerly on the FLT  At least half of the treadway covered by the group consisted of active run-off, mud, or remaining snowpack.

It was still an excellent hike despite the trail conditions.

Temperatures along most of the trail were in the 60F range at the beginning, and had gone up to around 65F by hikes end.

The water crossings were uneventful, and remaining snowpack created a cooler microclimate around the streams that had fog and noticeably cooler temps in the immediate vicinity. Nancy H likened it to walking into a walk-in freezer.

Other than dog walkers and some equestrians we encountered on Curtis Rd, we saw no other persons during the hike.

Welcome to new hikers Celine, Jennifer, Tom, Sally, Ivana, and Lisa, as well as K9 Charlie, on their first hike with the group.

Ticks are active this year; I know someone who found a tick on themselves following a local hike earlier this week.

Hikers should use whatever sprays they are personally comfortable with and should conduct tick checks after a hike to verify that they haven’t acquired any unwanted hitchhikers during the hike

For those tracking their FLT mileage for the year to qualify for this years FLT mileage patch through the CTC,  Saturdays hike totaled 4.4 FLT miles

Link for those interested in the FLT mileage patch for 2022:

https://www.fingerlakes.org/news/announcing-flt60

This is the 60th year since the FLT was created, and the FLTC’s cross-county hike series is hiking the FLT in Tompkins County this year, so hikers will be seeing a bit of local FLT promotional effort this year.

Photos by Leigh Ann

Complete album

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Sun Mar 20

Hike report by Jim

Roy H Park Preserve into Hammond Hill SF, Dryden

19 hikers and 2 dogs met at the Roy Park Preserve for a hike of the hill leading towards the Hammond Hill ski trails.

The day had already hit the projected high temperature of 42F by the time I arrived at the parking lot on Irish Settlement Rd. A stiff breeze foretold of the rain that was projected to arrive in the afternoon.

We set off across the boardwalk, crossed into the woods and quickly encountered the first muddy patches of several as well as blow-downs that we would find on the hike.

The climb up the hill towards Hammond Hill Rd was uneventful, as we were hiking on bare and relatively dry footpath at the higher elevations.

Approaching Hammond Hill Rd we were again encountering long stretches of boggy, muddy  trail.

Pausing for a few brief photos on Hammond Hill Rd, we crossed the road and plunged onto the multi-use trails on Hammond Hill itself. We found a good amount of persistent ice pack still on the footpath, with more rotten ice concealed under the mud at various points. Reaching the blue trails we turned and hiked those for a few short minutes until it was time to turn around and descend the mountain back to our cars.

Our timing was more or less perfect, as it was only a few minutes later that the rain let loose for a few minutes, encouraging hikers to call an end to the hike day and head for home.

Reminder to hikers: Ticks are active again. Please check yourselves out after hikes. Before hikes use whatever sprays you are comfortable with before hikes to discourage them from going home with you. Dog owners don’t forget to check your four legged hiking partners.

Non-Hike report stuff:

In the interest of furthering social interactions among hikers, as the spring warms up I will be occasionally scheduling a Saturday hike near an outdoor  location where we can meet post-hike and socialize a bit while we have a bring-your-own beverage or snacks. The occasional Hopshire post-hike meetings will also resume once its nice enough for them to return to their outdoor seating. When Jack leads his Finger Lakes Forest hikes we can expect to resume the Grist Iron post-hike gatherings.

Hope to see you all on the trail!

Photos by Leigh Ann