ithacahikers

By Jim R

Jim is the coordinator of the Ithaca Hikers

This is a short report of my curtailed section hike of the FLT for a few days in mid-May. I will warn the reader that there are no photos accompanying this report. I did have a camera AND a Go Pro AND a cell phone with me the entire time, but I  paused only a few times to even consider taking pictures throughout this short section hike.

On Sunday the 16^th of May, the Ithaca Hikers did a group hike of Upper RH Treman State Park from Woodard RD. Following the group hike I had lunch with Katharine, who then drove me to the junction of Rockwell and Porter Hill Rds in Enfield.  I picked this start point for my own walk based on having done most of the FLT from where I left off last Fall in Danby as part of the group hikes I’ve done with Ithaca Hikers; I saw no need to walk solo over miles of FLT footpath that I’ve demonstrably done with the group at some previous point. These criteria left out a few short miles of road walk in Danby that I will do as a day hike at some point.

Based on last Falls experience where I had problems during my last section hike in obtaining water along a route with little in the way of running water after a dry summer, prior to Sundays group hike I pre-positioned a couple of gallons of water along my first days projected route. Other than that, I’d done no hike route reconnoitering, as it was mostly an area I was fairly familiar with, having grown up a few miles away.

Most of you in the group know that I absolutely abhor most road walks, and I knew going into the hike that much of the first days route consisted of  a paved road walk. Hopefully as the years go by, some of these road walk sections can be replaced by re-routes through woods and fields. After walking to the bottom of Porter Hill Rd, the FLT turns left and continues up Trumbulls Corners Rd. Other than a short jog into the woods at the Stevenson Forest Preserve, the FLT route runs along Trumbulls Corners Rd to Rumsey Hill Rd. The short distance inside Stevenson Forest Preserve was a welcome reprieve from asphalt and passing vehicles.

Reaching the bottom of Rumsey Hill Rd, I did notice in looking up Rumsey Hill Rd from the intersection that the pitch of the road seemed a little more severe when observed from on foot rather than from the comfort of motorized transport. The slog up Rumsey Hill Rd was slow, and reaching the next turn onto a section of ( flat ) ( ! ) Connecticut Hill Rd. This section of the hike, along with the next turn onto Griffin Rd, was unremarkable at best, punctuated only by the occasional car that went roaring by.

The Griffin Rd section is relatively short, perhaps a quarter mile at best. Reaching the point on Griffin Rd where the FLT plunges into the woods to continue South was the highlight of my afternoon. Finally, woods!

The trail section South of Griffin Rd is fairly standard FLT stuff for our area; stands of CCC-era pines, with the footpath winding its way amongst them. I think that any of us with little effort can name a dozen similar FLT miles elsewhere in our county. The FLT map shows one observation area along this portion of the trail, a power line right-of-way. It was, I thought, a little under-whelming, and so I continued on my way after taking a quick look.

Soon enough the hiker comes to and crosses over Cayutaville Rd and then in quick order the Southern end of Black Oak Rd. Crossing over that road, a hiker finds themselves clambering the final feet of elevation gain towards the summit whereon is located the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area radio tower that we’re all familiar with from previous hikes. I stopped here and resupplied with water from my pre-placed cache and had dinner. By now the daylight was quickly ebbing, and so I found myself bivouacking on Connecticut Hill. This had been my planned destination for the day given what I saw as a late start to the hike.

As part of my hike planning I had purchased a Garmin InReach Mini satellite communication device, and had pre-arranged with a couple of our Ithaca Hikers to send them both a pre-made message indicating that I had made camp for the night. Part of this planned daily text gave them GPS coordinates to my message location. They had instructions to contact 9-1-1 the next morning if neither hiker received my message by the end of the day.

The first night was unremarkable; I enjoy sleeping out in the woods, and I found Connecticut Hill to be a relaxing location to make camp.

On Monday morning I woke, had a quick breakfast, broke camp and started hiking with no real issues. Hiking South on the FLT, the next road crossing is another section of the multi-tentacled Connecticut Hill RD. South of that piece of Connecticut Hill Rd I knew there would be a reliable water source, and so I planned to stop there and top off my water supply.

It was here that I ran into my first hiccup of the hike. My water supply consists of a three liter Camelbak hydration bladder, in which I put only water. On the side of my pack I keep a one liter plastic bottle; this is used for my cooking water in camp, and I add various tea packets or drink mixes to the contents of the bottle during the day. This is important to me so that I don’t get bored with just plain water over a prolonged period of time. Many hikers who prefer water bottles over water bladders say that they have a hard time tracking their water consumption when drinking from a water bladder. I know from many years in the military what my typical rate of water consumption is, and I keep the plastic bottle as a reserve supply if the bladder runs dry.

Reaching the stream south of Connecticut Hill Rd, I stopped and got my water purification system out of my pack. This consists of a Cnoc brand water bag, a Sawyer Squeeze water filter, and Aquatabs. The Aquatabs are a backup purification method that’s supposed to kill off a few things that are known to slip past the Sawyer Squeeze filter. The system worked pretty well for me last Fall, even when I was forced to draw water from stagnant shallow pools of water. I last tested this system at home a week or so before this hike when I laid out the contents of my pack and tested items like the filter, treated clothing with permethrin, and ran through my packing checklist.

On this day when I collected water and tried to run it through the Sawyer, I found that the Sawyer was completely stopped up; it wasn’t allowing any water through at all. This was a problem. I collected enough water to fill my hydration bladder, added enough Aquatabs and set off along the trail.

Coincidentally at that time, as I climbed the hill towards Boylan Rd, I received a text from Nancy L asking how the hike was going. I explained my issues with the water filter, and she agreed to pick up a replacement filter and meet me along the trail. I agreed pretty readily to this plan, as I didn’t want to rely solely on the chemical purification tablets for the duration of my hike. They might kill off the microscopic stuff, but my visual satisfaction with merely chemically treated water left something to be desired.

I continued hiking, and by the time I got to the part of the Trail where it crosses Connecticut Hill Rd near Cabin Rd, Randy and Nancy L were pulling in with my replacement filter. They wanted to hike with me a short distance and show me some of the aspects of that part of the FLT that they were familiar with from their many local hikes; this was a welcome offer, as they were the first people I’d seen on the Trail since I started.

The three of us hiked Westerly towards and across the Tompkins- Schuyler County line, Randy and Nancy pointing out the many traces of past human habitation and other aspects of the Trail in that area that they knew of along the way. Reaching Todd Rd we crossed over that, and then immediately turned onto the Easterly end of the Van Lone Loop Trail; Randy and Nancy wanted to show me a bivouac area they knew of along that loop. Descending the hills towards  the water we followed the Loop, soon coming to the area they’d described to me. While not an official bivouac site, the close proximity to water, some informal seating and other basic amenities made it a welcome place to set up camp for the night.  Randy and Nancy wished me well and set off back towards their vehicle.

I dropped my gear, had dinner, and set up camp for the night along the stream that raced loudly just a few feet away from the tent. As with my other nights, I skipped having a fire; I was more interested in sleep than sitting around a fire.

Somewhere around 7 PM, I heard the sudden arrival of cars on near-by Todd Rd, the loud rock music and slamming doors announcing the arrival of carloads of people.

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This is Part 1 of a two-part report. The second part will appear tomorrow.

Hello Hikers!

Monday May 17

This report was written by shesse. Photos by Tiger/shesse.

We have a new weekly event — road walking out in farm country — provided it’s not too hot. Our first walk was along Red Mill Road in West Malloryville, NE of Freeville

Fabulous morning to be out in a farm area. The temperature was 60 at the start, 70 at the end. Just right for a walk in full sun the whole time.

This walk takes us up on a relatively flat hilltop with views of rolling hills in all directions (depending on where you’re standing).

There’s a big dairy-cow operation here, of the modern type (cows don’t leave the barn). You can spy a few of the cows in the photos.

This is the type of operation that allows a farmer to make a decent profit while we all get milk for $2 a gallon, the same as 20 years ago.

The scenery along this walk is completely pleasing. The fields were ablaze with dandelions.

There’s hundreds of cows in this farm but there was barely a whiff of manure smell, except when a big tanker truck with spraying equipment passed on its way to spread liquid manure on a nearby field.

Official head count: eight hikers

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Wed May 19

Hike report by Leigh Ann

Connecticut Hill Wildlive Management Area

Hi, everyone.

Nine hikers and two big, playful puppies met at the western junction of Boylan and Connecticut Hill Roads at 12:30 p.m. This was later in the day than our usual because turkey hunting ended at noon.

Connecticut Hill was a chartreuse explosion under a bright blue sky, and the humidity was so low that it looked like the shadows in the forest had been cut out of cardboard. This was one of the hottest days of the year so far. The creeks and streams were running, which was great for the hot puppies and fun for the hikers. Fallen leaves on the forest floor were dry, and the chartreuse of the blooming trees ended up on our boots.

We went west down to a big creek where there are several tightly stacked chimney-like cairns. Then we headed north and east up to the top of a quarry where there is a view that never disappoints, regardless of the season. The chartreuse explosion was especially impressive there. Then we continued northeast and spent ten minutes picking our way around a big clear cut before climbing uphill through lovely hemlock forest on the “sink trail,” which has a big, steel sink at the top. The sink is rusted out – not good for collecting water, but close enough to the cars to be encouraging.

Thank you, Nancy, for leading this fun hike!

Best wishes,

Leigh Ann

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Sat May 22

Hike report by Jim. Photos by Tiger & Cian

Ridgeway Road to White Church Road and beyond on the FLT, Brooktondale

Nineteen hikers met on Ridgeway Rd for a hike of the FLT Eastward towards White Church Rd and beyond.

Because of long term trail footpath flooding the group in recent months when hiking this section have road-walked to the former railroad crossing area at the low point in the road; that’s what we did today.

Temps were on the warm side ( high 80s F) , which is why I had decided on a relatively flat hike today.

A significant number of bugs were airborne, resulting in a few hikers resorting to head nets and rain gear or long sleeves for self protection against the flying annoyances.

The old railbed portion of the trail that runs along Wilseyville Creek was trimmed back and an easy walk today.

After making the turn towards White Church Rd the group found that the portion of the trail running through  fields south of White Church RD had not been mowed yet, but the fields were not so overgrown as to make this a problem.

Hikers crossed over White Church RD and passed through the fields on that side of the road.

Approaching the base of Roundtop Hill hikers found the only muddy portions of todays hike, but nothing so bad as to make the trail impassible.

With progress on the out-bound leg of the hike having been relatively fast, a half dozen hikers opted to continue on the trail, climbing Round Top until it was time to turn around.

Progress back to the vehicles was uneventful, with the bulk of the hikers arriving back at their cars at precisely the two hour mark.

A chance encounter with a property owner at the vehicles may lead to permission for our group to cross their private property in the future and avoid the flooded areas that have required road walks for this hike location.

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You can see Cian’s complete photo album here

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Sun May 23

Report by Jim. Photos by Tiger and Cian

Bald Hill Road south to Michigan Hollow Road, Danby SF

13 hikers and 3 dogs met at the junction of Bald Hill and Station RDs for a walk of the seasonal portion of Bald Hill RD

This particular route was selected due to recent high temperatures and the relative ease of walking this route.

The group most often hikes parts of this route for our Pinnacles hike. On todays hike we found that there was minimal water or mud on the flatlands near the parking area. The lower sections of the road that are often churned up mud were flat and easily navigated on this hike

The initial climb, past the old cemetery and the turn towards the Pinnacles, was a comfortable walk. Once under the heavier canopy of leaves it seemed as if temperatures dropped several degrees. Only the accompanying and persistent onslaught of bugs deterred from the hike.

While this hike was mostly a road hike, there was still a lot of visually interesting sights along the road if one slowed to observe. The play of light and shadows along the rows of CCC-era evergreens, the occasional explosion of white flowers from Dogwood trees and other colors from various flowers were all of interest on this hike. Some members of the group paused to take note of the birdsong heard from close to the trail.

Other users of the trails and roads were minimal; we had to yield a time or two to passing cars and motorbikes, and I saw only a single user of the Abbott Loop on this day

The fastest members of the group made it  far as Michigan Hollow Rd, while the rest of the group was happy to meet the returning fast walkers on their way back to their vehicles.

*****

You can see Cian’s complete photo album here

Hello Hikers!

Wed May 12

Hike report and group photo by Jim

Virgil Mountain, Cortland County

Ten hikers and four dogs met on O’Dell Rd for  a hike of  the FLT  on Virgil Mountain

The day started out a bit overcast, although the temps were cool and comfortable; pretty much perfect hiking weather.

When first stepping off O’Dell Rd onto the FLT, the hiker passes by a large stand of the CCC-planted pines that we see on so much of the state land we hike through. On days like today those stands of trees, standing in their uniform rows, impart a little bit of the “atmospherics” onto a hike, to use Stephens word.

The first quarter mile or so of trail is a mix of gradual rolling ups and downs, with a fair amount of muddy spots, many with  sections of corduroy filler to get  hikers through the muddy parts.

By the first and second stream crossing our hikers found themselves walking on some thick layers of pine needles interspersed with the usual roots and rocks. All in all, not a bad walking surface.

Hikers pass through and along at least three distinct streams on this hike; the sounds of the flowing water was a great companion on this particular hike today

The incline is a gradual and continuous climb throughout this hike.

Soon enough our hikers found themselves at the only crossing of an improved road on this section of trail, at Van Donsel Rd. The group paused to allow the dispersed end of the hiker line to catch up with the main body; everyone rested a bit and then turned to the task of charging up the second half of the outbound leg of the hike

Once on the other side of Van Donsel the elevation gain begins in earnest. Soon hikers found themselves passing the chair lift apparatus for Greek Peak ski resort; here the FLT turns to parallel the ski trails for a while.

Pausing to make an FLT trail journal entry, the group then summited the mountain peak, stopping to admire the summit marker and then continue on to the near-by observation point that looked over the valley. By now the sun was out, and with the clear atmospheric conditions the group could see ridgelines and peaks many miles distant.

After a quick group photo, we turned around and hiked our way back down the trail, stopping only at one point to catch a view of the valley from the top of the ski lift area of Greek Peak.

All in all it was an excellent hike.

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Sat May 15

Hike report and group photo by Jim. Six photos by Cian

Finger Lakes National Forest — Logan Road west to Satterly Hill Road, Burdett

8 hikers and 2 dogs met on Logan Rd near Burdett , for  a Westerly walk of the FLT in that area I was very interested in this particular hike, as I don’t recall ever being with the group when the Hikers have walked this section in the past.

A 9^th hiker caught up to the main group shortly after we set off.

A 10^th hiker with 3 dogs arrived late and walked the trail as a solo hike, but never met up with the main group until we had completed the outbound leg of the hike and were back at the cars.

The day was sunny and warm, and clearly the better weather lately has caused the undergrowth to really take off.

Shortly after leaving Logan Rd the Trail takes hikers through a lush field. Throughout this hike the Trail is generally very narrow and closed in by the undergrowth along the footpath. As we pushed our way through the undergrowth I was glad that we checked out this section of the Trail when the trail-side greenery was not at its full summer growth stage.

After getting through the fields, hikers enter a very nice section of woods, with the Trail wandering through nicely spaced mature trees.

Eventually the Trail brings hikers to a well built bridge of recent vintage; clearly a lot of effort went into making sure that this bridge would stay in its place. The group paused here for  a group photo before moving onwards

There were  a few muddy spots along the lower lying areas of the Trail, but nothing too difficult to deal with.

Before long the Trail begins a gradual long steady climb up a hillside.

It was on this hilly part that we had our only real issue; the FLT in this area is criss-crossed with a myriad of horse or other type trails and footpaths, with little in the way of blazing to send a hiker in the correct direction.. At one point the FLT takes a right turn; the group followed those blazes, but by the time we reached Satterly Hill RD it was clear that the trail we were following was not in fact the FLT. The panoramic view of the surrounding area from that location more than made up for any error in trail use.

A short roadwalk brought us to the current FLT footpath where it crosses the road, but we found that further progress forward was halted due to the Trail in the area being closed due to hunting. As it was nearly time to turn around, the group followed the correct Trail, noting on our descent where we had made the directional error on our upwards climb.

The return trip to the cars was uneventful, although we did eventually encounter the last Ithaca Hiker to arrive.

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You can see Cian’s fill photo album here

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Sun May 16

Hike report by Leigh Ann. Six photos by Tiger

Woodard Road NE into upper Treman SP, Enfield

Hi, everyone.

This was a great spring morning for an atmospheric road/woods hike that hinted at impending storms for the afternoon. At 9:30, nine hikers and two dogs set out east from Woodard Road on the FLT to the junction with the CCC Trail. From there, we took the CCC trail south over Fishkill Creek to Butternut Creek Road. The Road was mostly dry, but the creek was full, and we paralleled it on the road until we reached the hard left turn onto Van Ostrand Road.

From there, we took Van Ostrand Road up over the hill to where the panoramic view opens out to the north. The mackerel sky had briefly opened out to blue by then. When we reached Thomas Road, we headed north on that into the state park, through lovely fields growing up with young pines and white-blooming autumn olive trees.

From the end of Thomas Road, we hiked to the South Rim Trail and down to Lucifer Falls, which were bright white and had a nice deep bass tone. We saw numerous other people and dogs on the South Rim Trail. But from the Lucifer Falls overlook, it was clear that the North Rim Trail is not open yet – at least where it goes up beside Lucifer Falls. 

At that point, another hiker and three more dogs happily joined the main group. We hiked down the South Rim Trail to the mill. From there we took the CCC trail and FLT back to the cars, arriving about 25 minutes early.

We stood around the cars visiting with each other for a while. Then we farewelled Jim Rolfe, who used this as his starting point for a week of hiking west on the FLT. Thank you, Jim, for planning this beautiful hike!

Best wishes,

Leigh Ann

Hello Hikers!

Wednesday May 5

This hike report was written by Jim

Star Stanton Road west into Hammond Hill SF, Dryden

Ten hikers and one dog met at the end of the maintained portion of Star Stanton Hill Rd, for a hike of the FLT in the area of Hammond Hill. An eleventh hiker arrived late and met the group on trail.

There was some concern about expected weather conditions at the beginning of the hike; a weather front moving through the area had the trailhead in a misty rain that was barely noticeable.

Hikers climbed the seasonal portion of Star Stanton Hill Rd in a Westerly direction. Passing into the abandoned section of  Star Stanton Hill Rd, hikers found this portion of the FLT well-blazed with fresh paint, which I believe was a change from the last time we’d hiked this section.

Passing a chained off split in the road, hikers soon found where the FLT takes a sharp turn off of Star Stanton Hill Rd and into the forest.

Stepping into the woods we were soon passing through small clumps of  evergreens and passing over small well-supplied water crossings. Our last time through this area the evergreens had been covered in fresh snow. This time, the forest floor was springing forth with new growth that had not yet grown so high as to screen our view of the surrounding forested area.

Climbing a small hill we found ourselves on the yellow blazed trails of Hammond Hill, whose multi-use trails share this part of the woods with the FLT.

The group made quick progress, following the white FLT blazes as we travelled from yellow to red blazed trails. It seemed that a mist hung in the air, resulting in  a sort of diffused lighting along the trail in places. While there were the occasional muddy patches and standing pools of water of trail, even the worst of these were easily circumvented and our journey continued.

I had not planned on using any of the Hammond Hill trails to create a lollipop or circuitous route of travel, and had only brought an FLT map with me, not the more detailed Hammond Hill trail map with which to alter my original thoughts for an out-and-back hike. After an hour we simply stopped, turned around and re-traced our steps along what was now a  mostly downhill trek back to the cars. As we made the return trip, weather conditions worsened slightly, with a rain that was more noticeable, and intermittent winds that seemed to push me down the trail as if to encourage me to leave the hill and return to civilization.

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Sat May 8

Hike report and photo by Jim

Kennedy SF, Cortland County

The trip to Saturdays hike in Kennedy State Forest was as unique as the actual hike.

Those who travelled to the trailhead via Virgil Rd ( State Route 392 ) were treated to picturesque low lying fog hanging over the mountains, and fresh snow layered in the fields almost as soon as crossing into Cortland County

Five hikers set off from the trailhead; two late arrivals met us on the trail in mid-hike.

It was a cool, damp day, the forecasted rain holding off until after the hike was completed.

The chill at the beginning was enough to require gloves and an extra outer layer, much of which were cast off during the hike.

The forest floor, in places where the trail had not been made into a muddy stream, had a unique shock-absorbing quality today which gave the hiker the sensation of walking across a spongey surface. The roots and mud, often a hazard on this trail on wet days, was not particularly bad today for me. A few near-spills, quickly arrested by poles or by sliding onto firmer ground. One hiker wandered far enough off trail at one point to run into the barbed wire, but nothing life threatening.

Water levels in the streams were higher than many hikes in this forest in the past, but this was not unexpected. Hikers were able to find narrower areas to bound across the streams to continue our journey.

The loggers were active in the far distance, and the muddy trails they’re using were encountered a couple of times as we made our way through the forest.

I reversed our normal direction of travel once reaching the intersection with the blue blazed trails; this time we remained on the FLT until reaching the yellow blazed side trail which in turn led to the blue blazed trails which returned us to the FLT on our return leg to the parking lot. There was no particular benefit to this route today, but it seemed to be a nice break from our traditional routes of travel for this forest.

This was a great hike.

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Sun May 9

Hike report by Jim

Yellow Barn SF, Dryden

Ten hikers and three dogs met for a hike of the Yellow Barn State Forest area

The day was cool, with only intermittent short periods of sunlight.

Hikers set off down the seasonal road from the parking area, skirting carefully around the various pools of water which were at their maximum capacity and overflowing due to recent rains. Despite this, the sections of trail were mostly passable, with little in the way of mud to impede our progress.

We initially tried a secondary approach to the horse fields that involved a woods walk along various ATV and snowmobile trails. Green growth of flowers and vegetation stood out on the forest floor along our path. The group eventually chose to return to the seasonal road and approach the fields along a route we use more regularly on this hike.

Entering the equestrian fields we found them to be unoccupied; we quickly skirted the fields to arrive at the entrance to the loop trail on the opposite end of the equestrian fields which was our ultimate destination.

The loop trail was an enjoyable mud-free hiking experience, and at the hour mark the group opted to press ahead to complete the loop rather than turn around immediately to return to the fields.

After completing the loop trail the group returned to the equestrian fields, where we countered the only horse and rider of the day.

A quick retreat down the seasonal road brought the group back to our cars ad the successful completion of another hike.

Hello Hikers!

Wed April 28

Hike report and 4 photos by Nancy L .

Doll Hill, Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area

10 hikers met at the top of Rowell Hill Road on a nice spring morning.  Rowell hill road actually goes up Doll Hill.  The drivable part ends neat the top of the ridge of Doll Hill.  We followed a trail that heads mostly South and relatively level along the side of the hill.  The going was easy.  The forest in this area was nicely lit without much undergrowth or leaves on the trees which provided a nice view to the west of the nearest hills west of Doll Hill including Rowell Hill and Porcupine Hill (listed north to south).  At the south end of this hillside traverse there is a small ruin.  Then the trail heads downhill.  When the trail leveled off we came to a large ruin surrounded by the ubiquitous purple flowered vinca and even a patch of daffodils. The remains of. a carriage can be seen spread around.   In fact we followed an evident carriage road down to Carter creek from there.  It’s lined by a row of large trees probably sugar maples.  The road remains crossed the creek but we didn’t go that way.  We followed a trail near the creek on its east side as we headed back north along the base of Doll Hil. We passed by the remains of a beaver dam. There is another creek crossing at the north end of this section.  At this point we crossed the creek and took a trail up to Carter Creek road.  Some of us took this road north back to Rowell Hill road and then took a right up that road to the cars.  The rest of us went back across the creek to a trail that went up through hummocky hemlocks to doll hill ridge again and our cars.

Three more photos. by Tiger

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Sat May 1

Hike report by Leigh Ann. Photos by Tiger/shesse & Cian

Bald Hill Road to the Abbott Loop and The Pinnacles look-out, Danby SF

Hi, everyone.
This morning, 11 hikers met up at the junction of Bald Hill and Station Roads. We hiked the section of the Abbot Loop that heads east from Bald Hill Road to the Pinnacles and back to Bald Hill Road. This is a steep and reliably enjoyable hike.

Although the weather didn’t look promising at the start, the cold and overcast sky broke open when we were almost to the Pinnacles. Within ten minutes, the sky went from overcast to clear, and the view from the Pinnacles was magnificent. The ponds in Linsday Parsons Preserve were ringed with fresh grass, and the ponds across Route 34 were more evident than usual. These included the pond containing the Rookery, where tree stumps stick out of a pond and provide nesting sites for osprey and other birds.

Under the bright blue sky, every bud was a chartreuse-colored leaf jewel. The top of the hill was dry with only a few tiny patches of snow from last night’s storm. This was a nice change from the water slog that was the first part of the hike, where there were 2-3 inches of standing water across many parts of the trail.

When the Abbot Loop recrosses Bald Hill Road, you get to decide whether you want to retrace your steps over the Pinnacles or take a 20-minute road hike back to the cars. Most people chose to take the road back, to avoid the water slog. The funny thing is that when the sun was out and the day was warmer, the watery parts were more attractive, so it didn’t seem like so much of a slog.

Thanks to Steve and Susan for leading this hike!

Best wishes,

Leigh Ann

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You can see Cian’s complete photo album here

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Sun May 2

Hike report by Jim. Photos by Cian

Shindagin Hollow SF — FLT east from Shindagin Hollow Road to South Road

Fifteen hikers and three dogs met on the seasonal portion of Shindagin Hollow Rd for a hike of the FLT towards the Shindagin lean-to and beyond to South RD

It was a bright, sunny day as the individual members of the group arrived at the meeting location. Once under the canopy of new leaves it was  a mixture of direct sunlight and shadows as we moved through the forest. Many other day hikers and outdoor enthusiasts were sharing the same natural spaces as our group.

The flying bugs far outnumbered the members of our group; those without bug headnets were in for a long arduous bug-swatting experience on this hike.

Crossing the footbridge we couldn’t help but observe the high water levels and fast-flowing streams from this weeks snow ( ! ) and rainfall. Climbing the hill on the outbound leg, every few feet of forward movement involved crossing over one of many small rivulets that were running across the footpath ( if you were lucky ) or entirely down the trail thereby turning it into a small streambed ( if you were really unlucky ). The sight of new flowers and forest greenery rising from the ground were welcome sights for everyone.

The group found a small family unit occupying the lean-to, so we passed by quickly so as to not disturb them. Climbing the hill beyond the shelter involved traversing trail that was almost entirely reduced to a soggy mess of roots and mud.

Most of the group reached South RD before turning around and re-tracing their footsteps to the cars.

After reconvening on Shindagin Hollow RD, some members of the group drove to Gulf Creek Rd where the bicycle trails come out onto that roadway. A short hike down the bicycle trails brought the group to the stump where for many years a gold colored shoe has resided. On our recent hike it was found that the shoe was now missing. Thanks to the generous donation by Nancy H, a new gold shoe now resides on the stump.

You can see Cian’s complete photo album here