New Hiking Brochures for 2016

Springwater Trails has published two new brochures including our calendar of hikes.

The Winter 2016 Brochure includes hikes on Sundays at 2:00PM from January through March. The Bicentennial 2016 Brochure contains nine hikes held on the third Sunday of each month starting in April.

On April 17, 1816, the State Legislature passed an act to create the town of Springwater from 3 miles of the Town of Sparta and 5.5 miles of the Town of Naples. This reorganization took place on the April 7, 1817 and the first Annual Town Meeting was held on April 9, 1817.  Springwater Trails has planned a series of 9 hikes to celebrate, starting on the 200 year anniversary of the legislative action.  The hikes will explore the town, the historical buildings, and the great views of the town.  Please join us.

Additional events are being planned around the town.  Find more information here.

Springwater Trails Spring 2016 Schedule

Springwater TrailsAll hikes prior to June 1 will start at 2:00PM. Hikes in June, July and August start at 4:00. Please watch the calendar (https://springwatertrails.org) for last minute changes.  Questions about the hikes or offers to plan or lead a hike should be sent to [email protected].

Please log in and leave a comment if you would like to lead a hike.

 

Date Description Town Hike Planner Social
Apr 3, 2016
2:00 PM
 Rob’s Trail West Canadice Mark
Apr 10, 2016
2:00 PM
 Stid Hill South Bristol John
Apr 17, 2016
2:00 PM
 Springwater Hamlet Bicentennial Hike Springwater Mark
Apr 24, 2016
2:00 PM
Genesee Valley Greenway Avon Don
May 1, 2016
2:00 PM
Wheaton Hill Trail Maintenance Springwater VP Trail Maintenance
May 8, 2016
2:00 PM
(Mother’s Day)
 Rob’s Trail East  Canadice Joan & Bob
May 15, 2016
2:00 PM
Springwater Cemetery Bicentennial Hike Springwater  Mark
May 22,    2016
2:00 PM
Mossy Bank Park Bath Gene Mossy Bank Park Dish to Pass
May 29, 2016
2:00 PM(Monday is Memorial Day)
Cumberland Hike,Bike,Kayak Cumberland Maryland Pam
Jun 5, 2016
4:00 PM(Springwater Gala)
Phillips Creek Alfred Norm Polly Wog Hollow
Jun 12, 2016
4:00 PM
 Harriett Hollister Canadice Rick

 

Jun 19, 2016
4:00 PM
(Father’s Day & Monday is Summer Solstice)
Webster Crossing Bicentennial Hike Springwater Katherine Webster Crossing Church Dish to Pass
Jun 26, 2016
4:00 PM
Sugarbush Hollow Trail Maintenance Springwater VP Trail Maintenance

Hike at Cumming Nature Center

Group photo 2016-01-24For the first time, Springwater Trails visited Cumming Nature Center on Gulick Road for our hike yesterday.  Although Saturday was frigid cold, with a blizzard out east, 21 hikers came.  It was a relatively warm January day and a very pleasant hike.

12593819_1249456155068224_4453524308439231242_oThere are a multitude of trails set up around the center, with additional ski trails available during the winter.  With only an inch of snow on the ground, the trails have not been opened for skiing, but that just made hiking easier.

Our first trail led to the beaver pond. The beavers have left, now that the trees are too large for the little guys to cut down, but the pond remains.

IMG_1938After the pond, we followed the red trail up to the wilderness trail. These woods are being logged, so several new logging trails were open.  This confused our route, resulting is several group discussions on the right way to go.  Fortunately, with the help of a compass, the maps regularly spaced on the trails, and simple signs pointing toward the visitor center, we enjoyed a hike and arrived back at the center at 3:59.

The PinesThe yellow Beaver Pond trail passes through a beautiful grove of Red Pines, reminding us of the Cathedral Pines on Katherine’s tree farm. Please indulge me, if I think they are worth two pictures.

Empty Pines

Following the hike, 15 of us enjoyed dinner at the Vallley Inn in Honeoye.

The Settling of Springwater

In 1796, James and John Garlinghouse put up a cabin in the Hunt Hollow, slightly within the current borders of Springwater. In 1807 Seth Knowles brought his family across the in of Hemlock lake, to a log cabin he had built the previous year in what is now Springwater.

Creation of Springwater ActThe Town of Springwater was formed by an act of the Senate and Assembly of the State of New York on April 17, 1816, with an effective date of “the first Monday of April next” or April 7, 1817. The first town meeting was held on April 9th, 1817.  Elected at the first meeting were a Supervisor, town clerk, 3 assessors, 3 commissioners of highways, 3 school commissioners, 2 overseers of the poor, 2 school inspectors, a constable, 11 path masters who also served as fence viewers, and 2 pound masters. Several men served in multiple posts.

Springwater from Livingston county atlas 1872An Atlas of 1872 shows that many of the current roads in the town were well established 55 years after the creation of the town.  Click on the image for a full size copy of the atlas page.