ithacahikers

Hello Hikers!

Wed Sept 2

This report was written by Jim

Rural roads in east Danby — Marsh, Deputron Hollow and Olsefsky roads

On September 02 2020, ten hikers and four dogs met at the corner of East Miller and Marsh Roads for a hike of the seasonal portion of Deputron Hollow Rd.

The weather overall was cool; the outbound leg of the hike saw steady periods of sunshine which was particularly appealing as it created alternating pools of sunlit road and stretches of relative dimness . We also saw the first fal leaves of the season.

Having grown up on the edge of one of Ithaca’s gorges, I always find hike locations that proceed along the edges of plunging gorges to be particularly appealing; this hike  is one such example of that.

The past damage to the surrounding hillsides and road surface from logging operations is largely corrected or minimized from what I had observed in past summer hikes of the area. Many of the fallen trees have been cleared out, although some trees and limbs remain. The road surface is no longer the maze of churned mud and pools of water that it was at its worst

The group continued along the seasonal portion of Deputron Hollow Rd, turning around shortly after reaching the maintained paved portion of the road.

While re-ascending the hill, part of the group chose to take a side road to extend their hike time. Sporadic rainfall that was starting at around this time convinced a smaller portion of the group to make a beeline directly back to our cars .

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Sat Sept 5

West Hill walk on lands belonging to the YMCA, Cornell (Coy Glen) and EcoVillage

Fantastic morning, cool, relatively dry and intensely sunny

The first half of the walk is in deep shade, starting even before you get out of the parking lot on Route 79

There’s pretty much no shade at all on the second part of the walk — miserable when it’s hot out, but perfect on a mild morning with the goldenrod blooming

Much of the walk here is on a maze of branching and forking trails, completely baffling the first few times you try to find your way

This trail is a genuine loop with no overlaps. There’s a brief last leg in the YMCA woods.

14 hikers

six dogs

More photos:

Cian

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Sun Sept 6

We have two reports for this hike, because of confusion about where the group was supposed to meet up

South Danby — FLT east to the Tamarack Lean-to

Report #1, by Leigh Ann

Hi, everyone.

Sixteen hikers and five dogs met up on the Finger Lakes Trail between Fisher Settlement Road and Tamarack Lean-to. Three hikers parked on Fisher Settlement Road, where a recent group hike toward the west started two weeks ago, and the rest parked on South Danby Road, where the Google pin for the hike description was. After some texting back and forth to figure out what was happening, everyone agreed to head east.

By the time we got to the lean-to, we had all met up.

Amazingly, there were people camping at the lean-to. They must have been surprised at their campsite being invaded, but they were good-natured about it. We might have woken them up, because they were stretching, but we were talking loudly enough that they would have heard us when we were several minutes away.

The morning was softly cloudy. It had rained the night before, and the temperature never rose out of the high 60s all through the hike. So, although it was humid, it was never oppressive. The trail was springy rather than muddy. Sunlight started coming in about halfway through the hike, and it cast fuzzy, leopard-print shadows on the trees and forest floor. The air looked peach-colored, but this may have been because I was craving a peach.

Best wishes,

Leigh Ann

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Here’s report #2, written by Jim

On Sunday September 6^th three members of the Ithaca Hikers met on Fisher Settlement Rd where the FLT crosses.

The group had recently hiked West on the FLT from this road crossing, and I’ve wanted to get a good hike in an Easterly direction while we have good fall weather.

It had rained the previous evening, and hikers found that temps were cool but enjoyable once we got moving.

This section of the FLT, to South Danby Rd and beyond is notable for the distance of pine forest that the trail traverses. The damp ground and pine needles combined with the modest terrain elevation changes over the length of the route  made for a pleasant hike today; the recent rain and changes in sunlight and shadows really caused the colors of the undergrowth to visually “pop” as we progressed through the forest.

The trail traversed through some interesting sections of both open areas and green tunnel effect.

Our small  group crossed South Danby Rd and continued on the FLT, eventually catching up to the larger group of Ithaca Hikers who had set out from the South Danby Rd FLT crossing. That group was already on its way back from the shelter the group normally uses as  a turn-around point. The return trip to the cars was uneventful.

More photos by Cian

Hello Hikers!

Wed Aug 26

This report was written by Jim

Snowmobile and ski trails, Yellow Barn SF, Dryden

8 hikers and 1 dog met on Signal Tower Rd for a walk through the Yellow Barn Forest area.

The walk through the seasonal road/ snowmobile trail part of the walk was uneventful. Conditions have been so dry for such an extended time that water levels and muddy conditions normally encountered on this area of the hike were greatly reduced or non-existent.

Evidence of yesterdays recent wind and storm activity, in the form of freshly broken tree limbs, were often encountered.

Hikers entered the equestrian fields we normally cross on this hike and found the grass to be around ankle height.

Weather conditions were sunny with a slight breeze throughout most of the open field portion of the hike.

By the time hikers reached the cross country ski loop on the southerly end of the equestrian fields, about half the group decided to turn around and head for their cars. The remainder chose to forge ahead, completing a circuit of the ski trail and getting back to their cars only a few minutes later than normal.

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Sat Aug 29

Hike cancelled because of predicted rain and thunderstorms

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Sun Aug 30

This report was written by Jim

Roy H Park Preserve into Hammond Hill SF, Dryden

Nine hikers and six dogs met at the North parking lot of the Roy park preserve. A tenth hiker arrived later.

Upon arrival at the trailhead the first hikers were met with darkening skies and cooler  temperatures than in recent days,

As the remainder of the group arrived, winds pushed the dark clouds from overhead, bringing with them bluer skies and the promise of good hiking weather.

The group set off across the wooden boardwalk; within minutes of entering the forest we were feeling the first misty drops of water falling from the skies through the forest canopy. As we climbed the hills towards Hammond Hill Rd, the level of precipitation grew, never to a level of great discomfort or inundation thanks in part to the overhead leafy cover.

The usual muddy spots on the climb were found to be bone dry today, although the roots and rocks on the trail were increasingly slick from rain.

The group, which had splintered during the quick thirty minute climb, reconvened on Hammond Hill Rd to assess our next steps. The Hammond Hill parking lot was found to be about half full, and the group could see a mix of equestrians, bicyclists and hikers flowing from the Hammond Hill multi-use trailhead. Our small group of hikers opted to risk running into more trail users and began the climb up the Hammond Hill yellow trail system. Luck held with us and we did not encounter a single user of the trail not associated with our group.

Notable for this section of trail were the many recent felled trees, so freshly fallen that they still bore their full compliment of green leaves. Some of these trees had fallen across the trail and been pushed back. None appeared to have been cleared through normal trail maintenance efforts. I can only assume that these were fatalities of high winds in the last day or two.

Hikers turned around at the first trail intersection and began our descent back towards the Hammond Hill parking lot. As we were running ahead of schedule, we opted to explore a side trail the group normally doesn’t take. That trail led us to the area opposite Camp Earth Connections. Returning to the parking area via the seasonal portion of Hammond Hill RD, Ithaca Hikers began a quick descent and return to the Roy Park Preserve North parking lot.

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Meanwhile ….

…. Three more of our super-regulars were out on the Abbott Loop in Danby as part of another event. This hike was organized by the Finger Lakes Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino for people interested in the Camino de Santiago to get together.. One of our regulars, Jana, was simultaneously training for an upcoming FLT hike. Some Ithaca Hikers will be repeating this hike next week to help Jana prepare for her September hike. (Info provided by Nancy H)

Hello Hikers!

Wed Aug 19

This report was written by Jim

Rail trail between Freeville and Dryden

12 hikers and 5 dogs met on Springhouse Rd on the Dryden Village line, at the parking area for the Dryden Rail Trail

Hikers first walked towards the village of Dryden on a mowed, well-maintained and almost civilized section of trail. Upon reaching the first buildings inside Dryden Village and the end of the trail, hikers turned and retraced our steps  to Springhouse Rd.

Continuing towards the Village of Freeville, in this section of the walk hikers were often inside a “green tunnel” which concealed the surrounding fields from our view. This was a big change from the last time we’d walked this trail in the spring, when the trees had not yet leafed out.

Despite the surrounding greenery there were still several breaks in the foliage which gave us views of the fields and waterways we were walking past.

This was particularly true at the road crossing at George RD, which offered a stunning sun-lit Easterly view across the fields near the William George Agency.

Upon reaching the paved roadway in Freeville near the village sewer treatment plant, hikers again turned around and retraced their steps to their vehicles on Springhouse RD.

While this trail is not  a favorite of mine due to the almost omnipresent sound of vehicle traffic from near-by state route 38 and heavy use of the trail by others, these were not noticeable problems for the group today.

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Sat Aug 22

This report was written by Leigh Ann

Woodard Road south into Upper Treman SP, Enfield

Thirteen hikers and six dogs met up at the spot where the FLT crosses Woodard Road on the western side of Treman State Park. This woods hike was a good choice (thanks, Steve and Susan), because the day quickly became hot and the air was still. It was very dry and sunny.

We headed east on the FLT to the CCC trail, past the mill at the Upper Treman parking lot, and east on the rim trail.

The plan was to bop down to the Lucifer Falls overlook and then back west to pick up the FLT where it comes close to the rim trail and take the FLT back west to Woodard Road.

We followed that plan but discovered – when found and advised of this by a State Park employee – that the state park trails are one way. He didn’t make us turn around, because we were only going about 0.2 mile the wrong way.

At Treman, the Rim Trail (the one on the south side of the creek) is for going up and the Gorge Trail (on the north side of the creek) is for going down. This is good to know, and here is an update on the state park site.

Best wishes,

Leigh Ann

More photos:

Cian

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Sun Aug 23

This report was written by Jim

Dabes Diversion Loop trail, Virgil, Cortland County

8 hikers

3 dogs

Hikers and their dogs met in Cortland County at the Dabes Diversion Loop trailhead at the junction of Bleck and Hauck Hill RDs.

It was  a great day for a hike. I was glad to finally be able to do this loop with the group, after my hike on this trail  earlier this year had to be handed off to Nancy L after my leg injury.

Temperatures were definitely felt by some members of the group on some of the up-hills, and the occasional breeze was greatly appreciated. The sunlight as it filtered through the trees, creating a mix of shadow and light on the forest floor, was observed and commented on often within the group.

Hikers proceeded through the mix of hard and softwoods found in that section of forest, cresting the hill and finally descending down towards the overview of the farmers fields at the junction with the FLT.

Hikers took a long minute to enjoy the view over the valley; on the suggestion of one hiker the group made a short detour to the near-by  shelter on the FLT. None of us in Sundays group had  seen it recently, or at all. We found the shelter to be occupied by some section hikers from Rochester, so we quickly returned to our regularly scheduled hike.

Descending on the FLT towards Bleck Rd hikers found water levels in the streams to be minimal depth. Crossing over Bleck Rd, hikers continued on the FLT to the Kuzia cutoff. The Kuzia cutoff runs through a section of woods that the DEC has recently cut back, but it was not intrusive to our enjoyment of the hike.

Upon reaching the seasonal portion of Hauck Hill RD, the group returned to our vehicles.

Hello Hikers!

Wed Aug 12

This report was written by Jim R

Jim Schug Trail, Dryden

Ten hikers and three dogs met at the Lake RD parking area of the Jim Schug Trail.

Temperatures were not as high as I had feared they would be, but the weather report still reported  the humidity level as uncomfortably high after the heavy rains of the previous evening.

Hikers enjoyed a leisurely walk along the shaded Jim Schug trail towards Dryden Lake Park. After pausing in Dryden Lake Park for a few pictures by Stephen, the group continued to Chaffee Rd and picked up the Shug Trail where it continues towards Dryden Village for the remainder of the first hour. 

The return trip to the vehicles in the second hour was uneventful.

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Sat Aug 15

Report by Jim

Jenksville SF, Tioga County

Ten hikers and five dogs met at the DEC parking lot at the crest of  Allison Hill Rd in Tioga County, in order to walk a portion of the multi-use trail system of the Jenksville State Forest. Many of the hikers commented on the beauty of the surrounding area they had passed through as they drove to the trailhead.

The state designates most of the trails in this state forest as either easy or moderate in difficulty. Elevation gain and losses were minimal throughout the hike route

Weather conditions were warm and pleasant, with the sun giving some good contrasts of light and shade as we proceeded along the trails. Trail conditions were mostly dry, with only an occasional slightly muddy spot in low-lying areas. Hikers passed through various stone walls and other remnants of the areas previous agricultural uses.

Prior to the group arriving I had spoken to a couple of other arriving hikers who were more familiar with the trail system in this forest. They  gave me some advice on parts of the trail to hike in order to get a view of the surrounding fields. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to modify our route today to get us to the suggested portion of the trail system. Definitely something to plan for a future hike……

The group only saw only about a quarter of the trail system. There are plenty of additional hikes that could be led throughout this forests trail system. I would recommend that anyone trying to hike this forest do so only with a map in hand, due to the somewhat confusing trail layout.

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Sun Aug 16

This report was written by Jim

Fisher Settlement Road west toward Curtis Road and then east toward Travor Road, Denby SF

Twelve hikers and six dogs met at the FLT crossing on Fisher Settlement Rd in the Town of Danby

It was a great sunny day for a hike, although it did seem a  little on the warm side as you’re churning up the trail to reach a local hilltop…

This particular stretch is often found to be muddy in the lower regions of the trail; hikers found no such conditions today

Hikers and dogs initially went Westerly towards Curtis RD. Upon reaching the recently replaced footbridge near Curtis RD, hikers chose to retrace their steps rather than continue on towards Curtis RD, due to recent reports of bee activity in the area closer to Curtis RD.

Upon returning to  Fisher Settlement Rd some hikers opted to head for home. The remaining hikers crossed the road and continued Easterly on the FLT.

I’ve always found this particular stretch of the FLT to be inviting due to the layers of pine needles you find yourself walking through on this part of  the trail.

Upon reaching  South Danby RD hikers continued  until it was time to turn around.

More photos:

Cian

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There’s an excellent story about the little bridge in the photo above. This account is from Gary M of Cayuga Trails Club:

The beautiful new locust-decked trail bridge across the little seasonal creek about 500 yards east of  the Curtis Road trailhead was finished about a month ago.

This project started two years ago with a request for permission to cut the stringers – two large hemlocks that were standing about 100 yards uphill. The DEC Forester agreed to the project and flagged the trees. David Priester led the process of chainsawing them, cutting to size, stripping bark, dragging them into position, and decking them. He carried all materials and tools in on his back. He did the majority of the work alone over the course of several days to assure other trail workers were not put at risk for Covid.

Several winters ago, a group of Ithaca hikers crossed what passed for a decrepit bridge in this spot in cold, icy conditions and at least one hiker fell. Others actually crawled over the old bridge to avoid injury.

That incident, reported in Steve’s weekly email report that week, was the inspiration for this project, and David finally completed it a few weeks ago.

I thought you and the group might want to know a little of the history before crossing the bridge, and recognize David for his efforts and hard work to make the FLT safer for hikers, especially when we get word on hazardous conditions.

It’s pretty much an ongoing , everyday process. We’re lucky to have David in this role.

Hello Hikers!

Wed Aug 5

This report was written by Leigh Ann V

Potato Hill SF, Caroline — Level Green Road east to Blackman Hill Road and beyond

Six hikers met this morning at the junction of Level Green Road and the FLT to hike east to Blackman Hill and back. Just to the east of Level Green Road is a section of woods that the DEC has been working on, so there are a lot of trees down – but not in an especially unattractive way. It opens up some view. This section of the trail has been rerouted since the last time I was on it, and it is noticeably less steep. It also has a new, CCC-quality set of stone steps right on the western side of Blackman Hill Road.

Most of Hurricane Isaias passed to the east of us yesterday, and the area around the hike felt washed clean. The air was cooler at this time of day than it has been in months, and the trail, woods, and field were surprisingly not muddy. Fair-weather cumulus clouds became more numerous as the hike went on. Most of this hike is in forest, and when a cloud passed over the sun, the woods became dark and delightfully moody. East of Blackman Hill Road, the trail comes out in a field that used to have a sun dial at the top. On a clear enough day, you can see to Pennsylvania from there. We could. It was a “Hills are Alive,” Sound-of-Music experience to walk along the well-mowed trail through tall, August-blonde grass. We made it to a logging road somewhere east of the field and turned around, so we got all of this awesomeness twice.

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Sat Aug 8

This report was written by Leigh Ann

Bald Hill Road to The Pinnacles look-out, Danby SF

This morning, thirteen hikers and six dogs met up at the corner of Station Road and Bald Hill Road for a hike up to Thatcher’s Pinnacles on the Abbot Loop. We hiked south on Bald Hill Road until we got to the northern crossing point of the Abbot Loop, then turned east on the Abbot Loop. This part of the trail ascends fairly steeply to the Pinnacles, and today the climb was nice.

The weather changed a lot through the hike, but it was always cool and humid. At the start of the hike, the woods were slightly foggy with lighter patches here and there as the sun started to come through. The Pinnacles and woods around it looked like a temperate rain forest. All of the leaves were wet and silvery with overcast sunlight. About 45 minutes into the hike, the sun broke through and the silvery leaves on the trees and ferns turned bright, saturated green. Compared to earlier in the hike, everything took on a golden color. Sun fell in spotlights on the forest floor, and it was so humid that my glasses stayed foggy.

As usual, we spread way out on this well-known trail. By the time we reached the southern crossing point of the Abbot Loop on Bald Hill Road, we were everywhere. Some of us walked back the way we came, and others went back on the road. This was a great choice of trail for the day.

Best wishes,

More photos:

Cian

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Sun Aug 9

This report was written by Jim

Circuit around Lake Treman, Upper Buttermilk Falls SP

15 hikers

6 dogs

The group met on Yaple Rd and set off on the FLT spur into Buttermilk Falls State Park. Once on the circuit trail around the lake the group split into two distinct groups of about equal size. Even within my subset of the group there was a good amount of social distancing going on.

It was  a beautiful sunny day for a hike, with moderate temps, slight breezes at appropriate intervals, good humidity and not too many other people or dogs on the trail.

Hikers proceeded to the dam crossing and once up the hill on the opposite bank hit the spur trail to La Tourelle. After reaching the terminus of that spur we re-traced our steps to the lake trail and continued on that. The groups pace was fairly quick, so before we knew it we were back at the cars. Three of us opted to continue on the FLT spur to round out our two hour time , with Leigh Ann continuing on solo even beyond that as it was such a nice day to hike.

More photos:

Cian