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Yellow Barn SF, Dryden
Official head count: 16H, two D
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Doll Hill, Connecticut Hill WMA — with Dave B
We came upon an old well that Dave estimated was about 15 feet deep. Norm, who’s greatly interested in moss, climbed down the upper part of the well shaft by straddling his feet on the rock walls to get some moss samples.
Official head count: 23H, six D
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Rained out
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Road walk — farm fields south of Mecklenburg — N Shuler Road and Morris Road
Official head count: 19H, five D
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Van Lone Loop, Alpine — with Randy and Nancy
Official head count: 27H, seven D
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It was a gorgeous day out, and the vibe when we got to the house was wonderful, bucolic and relaxed. I love snack get-togethers — I ate probably much too many salty things — woke up in the middle of the night feeling alarmingly thirsty
Virgil Creek flood control project, Dryden
Official head count: 15H, seven D
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South Danby Road east on the FLT to Tamarack Lean-to, Danby SF
Official head count: 20H, five D
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Treman SP on the FLT from Route 13-34-96
If you really hustle on the long steep outbound leg and don’t stop to rest, it’s possible to reach a spur trail that allows you to return on the more picturesque rim trail. We never attempt this because our group simply walks too slow. But this time an aggressive sub-group broke away from the start to try to make the loop in two hours. The rest of us kept our normal pace.
This is the group I was with, undergoing the customary group shot at this clearing. Right after this, our speedy group appeared and rejoined us, demonstrating definitively it’s possible to do the rim trail loop in two hours …. though one person in that group fell behind — no one waited for him — he couldn’t find the spur trail and had to retrace his steps back.
Official head count: 22H, eight D
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Hammond Hill SF, ski trails off Hammond Hill Road
Official head count: 23H, six D
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YMCA land and big overgrown fields at Ecovillage, West Hill
We spent 45 minutes walking in the YMCA tract, which is heavily wooded — lighting and shadows too poor for me to attempt any photos — you can get an idea from these two shots at the start of the trail what it was like. Annie did take a number of woods shots — link below.
Out of the woods and into the brushy fields of Ecovillage — this is Rachel Carson Way, the main entrance to the development. It has a great casual country feeling.
We rarely get to walk through overgrown fields like these, especially on a wide mowed path, and I really enjoyed it. My only complaint is that there are a lot of big utility poles sticking up on this Ecovillage property.
There’s a mishmash of trails here and it can be confusing. Tiger sketched a map using Google’s satellite view and we did well following that.
For reasons too complicated to get into, our hike broke into three groups early on — two of the groups never got into the fields — one made it over to Coy Glen on Elm Street Extension instead.
Official head count: 17H and five D. We also had a first-time hiker who set out to join us but she found she’d misunderstood where we were meeting and she’d left her phone at home — so she didn’t get to hike.
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Six Mile Creek — south side rim trail starting at Crescent Place, South Hill
Official head count: 30H, eight D
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Malloryville countryside — with Bob B
This is a viewing platform in the middle of the Malloryville bog — there’s some significant plant growing in the middle of the enclosure but I missed what it is because I was distracted trying to get a shot — there’s some very nice woodwork inside the bog but the plank boardwalks can be treacherously slippery and slimy — one of the hikers slipped and fell, landing first on her ass, then her elbows, and then immediately smacking her head on the boardwalk — this person was Tiger — no serioius damage
Here’s a view of the beaver dam — Bob felt the top was too soft for us to walk on, so we forded the stream just below the dam — lots of tremendously gooey mud — one hiker toppled over while crossing and got wet up to her waist
Jack V in the Fall Creek flood plain — here’s what he was photographing
This hike has wonderful variety — I’m putting it onto my Top 12 list
Official head count: 22H, nine D
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Bob B got two iPhone shots of the stream crossing at the dam, which was a bit exciting for all of us — see here and here
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Potato Hill SF, Caroline
It was very warm, above 80, and sultry — just bearable in the shade of the trees
When we hit Blackman Hill Road we always then cross a very large field with spectacular views to the south all the way into Pennsylvania many miles away — after milling around for a few minutes so I can get some shots where there’s enough light ….
But there was a motion made to skip crossing the field in the hot direct sun and to get right back into the woods
Back into the woods won by a split vote
I love the field but it was undoubtedly cooler in the woods
Official head count: 23H, five D
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Finger Lakes National Forest, Burdett — FLT from lower Burnt Hill Road to Logan Road
Great classic early fall morning on the trail — mid 40s, dramatically gloomy, fresh breeze, raining a little on the last leg of the drive to the trail head and then off and on for the first half of the hike — fabulous atmospherics
There’s a pond and a field right off to the side on the first leg of the walk but I failed to see either — too busy talking — Jack V got a shot of the pond — I liked the lean-to
As I mentioned in the hike announcement, this was the first time we did this hike — the woods are very nice, above average in quality I would say — condition of the trail is very good
Many lively ups and downs along the way — no one had to worry about being cold
We did the last return leg on Burnt Hill Road instead of returning through the woods — this is a first-rate country road
It’s a bit hairy for driving — this was the only car that passed us while we were walking on it
Even though this was our first time doing this hike, we managed to get back in exactly two hours, thanks to some very accurate timing advice from Jack V, who had been here before
Official head count: 14H, nine D
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Shindagin Hollow SF — from Braley Hill Road to Shindagin Hollow Road on the FLT
Official head count: 23H, eight D
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Shotgun season for deer doesn’t begin until mid-November, but hunting for small animals and birds began Sunday Oct 1. We don’t stop hiking during this season, but some private landowners who allow the Finger Lakes Trail to cross their property do close their land for hunting starting Oct 1. Our hiking pal Gary M, head of the Cayuga Trails Club, asked me to refer you to this list of FLT closures, and to remind you to honor the private landowners’ requests.