Springwater Trails | News about hikes and trails around Springwater NY

Houghton Land Preserve July 22 - Houghton Lland Preserve - Sunday Jul 22, 2018 @ 4:00 pm EDT (42.1100, -77.0809)

Too hot to hike? Think again. This week’s event is a perfect solution. The Houghton Preserve is a shady respite from the heat wave, nestled on a hilltop to catch an occasional breeze. The trails are not at all strenuous, so hikers can relax and enjoy their time in the woods.

This preserve is a gift from Jamie and Maisie Houghton to the Finger Lakes Land Trust. The family has deep roots in the Corning Community dating back to the mid 1800’s. The terrain is mostly wooded, but meadows fringe the boundaries. The trails are level with one moderate pitch. Off trail there are some steep gullies to view. For a more thorough description and a trail map see http://fllt.org/houghton.

All hikers will be using the same trails this week. The leader will provide maps and suggested routes for our subgroups.

Naturalists may be challenged by the short climb out from the parking area on the blue trail. The footing is excellent. It is a short uphill walk to a lovely overlook of the valley. A bench, built by a local eagle scout, awaits those in need of a rest and an opportunity to listen for Bobolinks in the meadow. Total mileage < 1.5 miles.

Tourists and Climbers will be able to tackle al of the trails in about 1.5 hours time. There are various loops to explore at a leisurely pace. Wildlife possibilities include porcupines and yellow billed cuckoos overhead in the forest canopy. Mileage will be < 4 miles.

Please note: Dogs must be leashed at all times

Social We should have plenty of time to enjoy the apres hike gathering, just a short drive away in downtown Corning, at the Market Street Brewing Company, 63 West Market Street. The menu offers a variety of apps, entrees, sandwiches, desserts, and of course fresh brewed beers. The pub supports local growers. Indoor and outdoor seating is available as long as we call ahead on Sunday. Parking should be available on the street nearby. See http://www.936-beer.com for the menu and description.

Directions from Springwater

Follow Rt 15 south through Wayland to I 390. Follow 390 south/ 86 east to the exit for Rt 352/ Denison Parkway ( pretty sure it is #45). continue south on 352 for approximately 2 miles, then turn right on Chemung St. Continue uphill on Chemung (which becomes Spencer Hill Rd) for 2.3 miles. The Preserve will be on your right. There is ample parking.

We will do a carpool from the Springwater Town Hall leaving promptly at 2:45.

Posted on Oct 18, 12 by Gene

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Last week's challenge, continued

Following, is a continuation of last week’s challenge of identification of the maple tree, in winter.

What did you notice about the maple, other than the leaves, which are not present in winter? Did you notice that they come in pairs, each node having 2 leaves, opposite each other? The majority of hardwood trees have 1 leaf per node, occurring on alternating sides of the branch. Did you notice that the branching also occurs in pairs? Maple (Acer) is 1 of 4 hardwood tree genera that has opposite branching. The others are ash (Fraxinus), dogwood (Cornus) and horsechestnut (Aesculus). The first letters of maple, ash and dogwood spell the word MAD. Add the horsechestnut and you have a MAD HORSE. Maybe this will help you remember it. All other hardwood trees are alternate.

Now, what did you notice about the scar left on the branch, after you pushed the leaf off? Did you see that it was a thin crescent, forming a semicircle around the bud? Did you notice 3 bumps on the leaf scar, 1 in the center, and 2 more on the sides? These are called bundle scars. The sugars and organic compounds made in the leaves (photosynthesis) go into the leaf’s veins, into the vascular bundle tissue and are transported to all other parts of the tree. Opposite branching, crescent leaf scars and the 3 bundle scars are the features that enable you to positively identify a maple tree, in winter.

Why do hardwood trees shed their leaves in the winter? What advantage is this to the tree? Think that one over and we’ll have more on this next week.

Spring Hikes

With this latest snow, I am sure everyone is looking forward to some skiing or snowshoes in Hi Tor on Sunday. Unfortunately, we need to take advantage while we can!

But the purpose on this note is our spring hiking schedule. As many of you know, Ann Lafford and Jerri Rounsville have agreed to coordinate the spring hikes (April through June). They are working with hike planners in the Springwater Trails hiking group to create a schedule with varied hikes appropriate for spring and early summer. Which brings up your role – would you like to plan one of the 12 hikes that will be scheduled? Planning a hike may be as easy as selecting your favorite hike from the last two years and selecting a date that fits the schedule, to a big a project as finding a new location you want to explore, finding the land owners and getting permission, and planning the specific routes for climbers, tourists and naturalists.

The critical step is to decide to contribute to the spring hiking schedule! Please contact Ann and Jerri at springhikes@springwatertrails.org to get started.

For information about our winter hike schedule, please visit our calendar page.