Monthly Archives: July 2013

Hanging Bog – New Hudson Rd, Black Creek, NY 14714 – Directions

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Getting to the trail head is kind of tricky. If you are coming from the east (Springwater and Dansville) try Interstate 86 (NY17) to Angelica.  If you are coming from the north (Letchworth, Batavia) try Rt 19 south to Caneadea.  The turn by turn directions below are from Garrett and Google.  Set your GPS for (42.30584,-78.25016) and leave bread crumbs to find your way home.

From Springwater:  Take Rt15 south to Wayland.  Then right on Rt 63 to Dansville.  Turn left on Clara Barton St (Rt 36S) to the carpool spot.  Follow the Dansville directions from there.

From Dansville: Take Rt36 south under I390 for 13.5 miles to Interstate 86W toward Jamestown.  Take exit 31 for Angelica.  Turn right (N) on Peacock Hill Rd (0.3mi) then left (W) on Main St. Stay on Main St for 3.8 miles to the end at Rt 19. Turn right (NW) on Rt 19 for 3.1 miles to Rt 305.  Follow Rt 305 W for 5.3 miles to Cloverleaf Rd on the right.  (If you are on the lookout at mile 3.8, you will see that you cross the Genesee Greenway). Follow Cloverleaf for 1.7 miles, the left on Federal Rd for 2.4 miles, then right on New Hudson Rd.  The parking area will be on your right.

Alternate Route From Dansville: Take Rt36 south under I390 for 13.5 miles to Interstate 86W toward Jamestown.  Take exit 28 for Cuba.  Turn right (N) on 305 (past Murdock’s) for 3.8 miles to New Hudson Rd.  The parking area in on your right 2.5 miles north on New Hudson.

From Rochester:  Google recommends taking I390 South to Dansville exit 4 Rt 36.  Then follow the Dansville directions above.

From Geneseo:  The adventurous will follow Google maps to Nunda, then west to 19A and south to Rt 19 and Caneadea.  then take a right on Hillcrest Rd. along the South Eastern Shore of Rushford Lake, make a left onto Rush Creek Rd. and follow to New Hudson, turn left (only option) and continue to the parking area and Hanging Bog on the left hand side.  If you choose to take I390 to Dansville and join the carpool, it will add about 8 minutes driving time.

Murdock’s Bar and Grill is quite easy to find.  Go south on New Hudson Rd for 2.5 miles, then left on Rt 305 for 2.1 miles.

Summer Wildflowers, Plants and Herbs in the Little Finger Lakes

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Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas

Mid-July is upon us,  and the Little Finger Lakes area is filled with summer wildflowers that dot the sides of roads, trails, fill the unmowed fields, and isolated sunny areas in the forest.  I plan to take a walk tomorrow and photograph these colorful flowers blooming this time of year. Keep on eye on our photo gallery for new photos of summer wildflowers which will be added throughout the summer season.

Wild Bergamot

Wild Bergamot

Identifying wildflowers and herbs is somewhat of a hobby of mine and I consider myself an amateur.  I starting my hobby over 20 years ago when we moved to Bald Hill in Hemlock.  Before building my home, I took a trip to Sturbridge, Mass and was lucky to meet the museum herbalist while touring the historical gardens.  She recommended a Readers Digest book called Magic and Medicine of Plants, and I purchased some historical medicinal plants such as hyssops, pot marigold, and horehound, and planted them in my garden. From there I began to purchase other herbs and made over 30 different kinds of herbal vinegars, then became interested in the wildflowers and plants that surrounded me between Hemlock and Canadice Lakes.  Today I am mostly interested in native plants and with the help of Amanda Gardens I planted my first native perennial garden this July.    Thanks to 3 friends, Paula Jones, Amy Hapeman and Ellen Folts,  I have increased my knowledge of herbs, wildflowers, woodland plants, and recently native plants around the little finger lakes.

 

Day Lilies

Day Lilies

Many of you have noticed common bright

Chicory roots can be used as a coffee substitute

Chicory roots can be used as a coffee substitute

orange lilies along the roadside called day lilies as well as pretty sky-blue flowers named chicory. Combined with the other colors of oxeye daisies, sweet peas, and Queen

Queen Anne's Lace has purplish-black dot in middle

Queen Anne’s Lace has purplish-black dot in middle

Anne’s lace, these flowers make beautiful flower arrangements. Although these are not native plants,  I prefer to leave them in place for others to enjoy and photograph. As I am not a wildcrafter, I never  dig any plant up by the roots as this would destroy the plant.  Note that queen anne’ lace should not be confused with poisonous water hemlock which has a similar look.

St. John's Wort

St. John’s Wort

Other wildflowers and plants that seem to dot the meadows and roadsides are St.John’s wort, yarrow, dock, boneset, field horsetail, wild bergamot, and garden heliotrope. I remember finding some bouncing bet once along Canadice Lake Road.   The early yellow flowers of coltsfoot have disappeared and the leaves have become very large.  Mayapple leaves have withered and their fruit, if you can find them, could be ripe for eating.   Rose flowers of that invasive pricky shrub, multi-flora rose, have bloomed and emmit a sweet fragrance. My favorite very tall biennial plant, mullein,which can be 8 feet high, has bloomed with lots of yellow flowers this year.  Continued…..planting a native garden and more on summer woodland wildflowers.

mullein can stand 8 ft high

mullein can stand 8 ft high

West Hill Preserve

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Hike in West Hill Preserve took a little longer than originally thought.  It was after 7 when hikers finished. Good thing days are still long.  Most hikers seemed to enjoy the area.  Lots of mushrooms were found and Bob Cox took some real good pictures.  Naturalists went to Grimes Glen to cool off on the trail and creek.  Possibility of a future hike there was discussed.  Then, back to Naples Park, where a few raspberries were picked and a bunch of blackberries, which will be ripe soon, were noticed.  Sky was clear and temperature around 90.

Georgia did this hike in winter, on snowshoes.  Might be a thought for upcoming winter, possibly March 9, when daylight savings time returns.

Hanging Bog, Sunday, July 21, 3 PM, note time change – 42.30584,-78.25016

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Because of the distance from Springwater, we are starting this hike an hour earlier, so that we don’t get home too late.  Be at the municipal parking lot on Clara Barton St., just south of Main, in Dansville, at 1:45.  This way, we can organize car pools and depart for the bog, promptly at 2. If you want to carpool from the Springwater Town Hall, please be at the town hall by 1:25 to leave promptly at 1:30 to get to the Dansville carpool and the caravan to Hanging Bog.
Hanging Bog is a man made impoundment built by the CCC in the late 1930’s. The ‘Bog’ is located on portions of the Hanging Bog WMA and the Crabb Hollow State Forest. It is characterized by a floating mat of vegetation in the middle of the impoundment. The area is used for Ruffed Grouse population management. We may see Beaver, Heron, and hear many different bird songs. There are great cross country ski trails off of Brown Rd. which have been maintained by another group from Cuba, NY one of which the Tourists will utilize.
Hanging Bog NaturalistsFirst off everybody starts off South on New Hudson Rd. The Naturalists will take the Bog Trail a little over a mile and a third around the bog. This is pretty self explanatory as keep the bog to your left and/or follow red marks on trees. This is only important after re-entering from Federal Rd. and after you reach the campsite very near to New Hudson Rd. Otherwise you just keep the bog to the left.
Hanging Bog Tourists
Instead of entering the bog, the Tourists will proceed up New Hudson Rd. to Brown Rd. and enter the cross country ski trail back down to the bog. They will cross the tornado alley from a couple years ago which is just now being logged. They will then join with the bog trail at Federal Rd. (left then quick right). Total about 3 miles.
Hanging Bog ClimbersThe Climbers will do a loop a bit less than 4 miles.  They will start out with the Naturalists but when the Naturalists re-enter the bog trail from Federal Rd. they will continue on down (veer to left) and make a left at the Hanging Bog WMA sign. At the access road continue down it for a mile or so and enter at the orange forestry tape hanging from the tree branch on the left. If you reach the orange tape trail on right, or the turn around, you have gone too far. This trail takes us through a variety of habitats and we can see some damage from the recent flash floods which swamped several cars at a nearby grad party. Three inches fell in one hour!
Not that you will be with the Climbers Gene, but that road is pretty accessible as I drove it several times with my Prius (not what I reccommend) and I also cleared some trail west in from the road at the turnabout prematurely ;-).
Coming here is kind of tricky. Just either come down 86 to the Angelica exit, north into town and make a left on W. Main St. Follow to it’s end at Rte. 19, make a right and follow until you reach Rte. 305 on left at or just before Belfast. Make a right onto Cloverleaf Rd., a left onto Federal Rd. and a right onto New Hudson Rd. and the parking area will be on your right. Click here for additional directions.
If you are coming in from the north I would suggest finding Rte. 19A to Rte. 19 to get to Caneadea, then taking a right on Hillcrest Rd. along the South Eastern Shore of Rushford Lake, make a left onto Rush Creek Rd. and follow to New Hudson, turn left (only option) and continue to the parking area and Hanging Bog on the left hand side. I think there may be a way in from 39 to Rushford and in via Hardys Corners Rd.; Baldwin Hill Rd.; Taylor Hill Rd.;Luce Rd.;Dolph Rd. (Rush Creek Rd.) I know it’s good from Rushford on in. I was born and raised on taking Short Tract Rd. up to Rochester, so I do what I know, and I haven’t been past Rushford that way since I was a kid.
For our social, Garrett has selected a watering hole in Cuba called Murdock’s.  I’ve never been there but maybe some of you have.  After all, this is his home turf.  He’ll provide us directions, Sunday, and I have a map of Cuba.  Unfortunately, their excellant cheese shop will probably be closed by then.  Good fellowship, cold beer, after a beautiful hot summer hike.  Doesn’t get any better.  From Murdock’s, it is just 1.8 miles south to I86 and a 50 minute ride back to Dansville.