Harriett Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area (42.694424, -77.525795)

The Harriett Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area is located at the South end of Honeoye Lake. On a clear day, you can see the Xerox Tower.  The park is a favorite spot for cross country skiers because it often has more snow than other spots around Rochester.

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Directions:

From Springwater: Head north on 15A for 0.8 miles from the intersection with 15. Turn right on Wheaton Hill Rd (CR 16) to  the top of the hill.  Turn left on Wetmore Rd which becomes Canadice Hill Rd at Town Line Rd.  Continue on Canadice Hill Rd for 1.6 miles.  The parking lot in on the right.

From Honeoye:  Head south on CR 37 from Rt 20A.  At the church, where CR 37 turns right, continue straight on Canadice Hill Rd.  When Ross Rd bears to the right, continue straight on Canadice Hill Rd to Harriett Hollister Spencer.  The parking lot in on the left (total of 6.9 miles from Rt 20A).

From Rochester: Take I390 South to Exit 11 (Rush).  Turn left onto NY 15 S, then left onto NY 251 E toward Rush.  Turn right onto 15A and follow 15A for 15 miles through Hemlock.  Turn left on US 20A.  After several hills, turn right onto CR 37.  After 3.7 miles CR 37 turns right, but you should continue straight ahead on Canadice Hill Rd. After 2.4 miles, Ross Rd bears to the right, but again, you should continue straight ahead on Canadice Hill Rd toward Harriett Hollister. The parking lot is on the left about 0.6 miles from the intersection.

From Naples: Take Clark St, CR 36 north from Rt 21.  Follow CR 36 for 12.3 miles. Turn left on Jersey Hill Rd.  At the top of the hill, turn left on CR 37.  Continue straight ahead for 4.2 miles.  The parking lot is on the left.

Harriett Hollister – Sunday, October 20, 2013 – 2:00PM

NYSP-H2This Sunday Amy has agreed to lead a fall hike at Harriett Hollister Park.  Following our hike, we will have a potluck right at the park. Bring a warm jacket and a dish to pass and a beverage of your choice.

The park overlooks Honeoye Lake, and from the lookout, you can see the Xerox Tower on a clear day.  The park is a favorite spot for cross country skiers because it often has more snow than other spots around Rochester.  The trails are maintained in the winter by the Rochester Cross Country Ski Foundation and we hope to follow some of the trails on Sunday.

P1000365Hikers will meet at the Harriett Hollister parking area at the entrance to the park off of Canadice Hill Rd.  We will walk past the overlook, and then use the Raccoon Run , Blue Spruce and Sidewinder to explore the park.  The Naturalists will cover about 2 miles.

Tourists and Climbers will stay together for most of hike. Beginning at parking lot, walk Canadice Hill Rd to the service road. Then we will traverse the trails within the park, stop at the sign denoting highest elevation. Spill out onto commons (loo available) then back into woods to take Raccoon trail. Should the climbers feel a hill is in order, they may split from the tourists and loop the Bear Cub trail before picking up the remaining Raccoon trail to the road. It is then they will stop to enjoy the overlook before finishing their walk along the road to the parking lot.

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After returning to the parking lot, an optional social will be held at the park.  Bring a dish to pass and your beverage of choice, or enjoy the conversations and make a small $5 contribution.

Directions:

From Springwater: Head north on 15A for 0.8 miles from the intersection with 15. Turn right on Wheaton Hill Rd (CR 16) to  the top of the hill.  Turn left on Wetmore Rd which becomes Canadice Hill Rd at Town Line Rd.  Continue on Canadice Hill Rd for 1.6 miles.  The parking lot in on the right.

From Honeoye:  Head south on CR 37 from Rt 20A.  At the church, where CR 37 turns right, continue straight on Canadice Hill Rd.  When Ross Rd bears to the right, continue straight on Canadice Hill Rd to Harriett Hollister Spencer.  The parking lot in on the left (total of 6.9 miles from Rt 20A).

Charles E. Winship – October 13, 2013

On this fall day
the great stand of
maples have called
me to join them.
The hues of colored
leaves speak of
change as autumn
winds dance on the
branches and embrace
with cool intoxication.
The sweetness has waned.
The crisp red and yellow
leaves curl and wither.
Soon they will separate
from the great trees and float
gently toward the earth.
The sap has gone from their
veins, like the blood from mine,
but do not shed tears for us.
The earth will warm, new leaves
will appear, and I will be reborn
in each and every leaf here in
The Sugar Bush. I will be one
with my Maples!

JOV

 

Obituary at the D&C:

Rush Oak Opening State Unique Area hike held 10/6/2013

During the hike did any hikers sense a time warp despite definitively different appearances?

The path through to grass of the Oak Opening

The path through to grass of the Oak Opening – Amy

Of note this hike was ~ 2 weeks after Autumnal equinox, whilst the Rush OOSUA hike on March 10 some seven months earlier this year was ~ 2 weeks before Vernal equinox, thus providing similar sunset times and sun angles.  (Do you remember the temperature for our March 10, 2013 hike? hint-answer further down)  Two contrasting photos are shown: green & trees with foliage is 10/6, while brown and leafless trees is 3/10/2013.  

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Sunday’s hike

ST Climbers numbered 5 plus some accompaniment time by one “confused” hiker who started as a Climber but wanted to be a Tourist and eventually got there.  ST Tourists numbered 7 including the one confused hiker who eventually settled in with Tourists – no names here please, and two dogs named Mac & Duff.  ST Naturalists numbered 3 for the walkabout and mushroom hunt with a photo of plenty of mushroom varieties as proof. Quite a variety, but not the edible crop the Naturalists had hoped for.

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Where did everyone go?

A few last minute arrivals trickling in one after another, and some other factors too (sharing info about looking for lost dogs, other announcements, questions, etc) delayed our hike start a bit, but we did get off with two groups heading one way and one group another way.    Earlier on Sunday a warm front pushed thru and brought temps for this afternoon in the upper70s-low80s, a bit warmer than preferred by some hikers who noted such.  No wind to speak of and hazy to near full sun and humid (such was our hiking weather) after the very substantial rain leading that warm front. With mostly dry weather for ~ the two preceding weeks and warmer than avg temps too, we had a greatly dry footed hike.   On hike day temps were some 15-20 degrees above average for this time of year (avg is 63).  The cooling and sun-protected woods helped alleviate some of the heat & sunrays.

P1090977In addition to the varied mushroom crop, groups viewed some mostly early stage changing foliage colors, majority of trees still holding most of their leaves. Virginia Creeper vines climbing tree trunks now display vibrant red leaves.  Some vivid yellow beech tree leaves freshly fallen to the ground.   And of course we saw poison ivy in multiple forms and color.  (note – in contrast – here is a note of previous viewed conditions   — Later December 2012 hike preview: tall amber grasses, swaying seedheads, birds aflutter eating the seedheads, dusting of snow on ground.  March 10th: most grasses no longer grace the fields with their collective vertical presence but instead lie down, seedheads are gone and fields look substantially barren and brown, a few green sprouting plants close to the ground can be found in areas.)

Char, Amy, and others got some great photos, likely some will be posted.  Saw an example of inosculation (intergrowing or “kissing” of tree branches or trunks) on the marked trail not far from the main haul road, the same example Naturalists had seen in March on this OOSUA hike.  Other sightings were a garter snake, several frogs varying in color, head high Savannah Grasses still holding some green yet drying and browning in the “openings” or fields, Mac & Duff cooling off in the creek, and a scenic view from a south end hill top.

ClimbersOh the smell of the woods, and the early stages of fresh fallen leaves.  Speaking of which, … at one point Climbers found that “Two trails diverged in the wood” and they took “the trail less traveled”  (bordered by two wood edges ) and that made all the difference.  Reward was viewing a tree with a unique horizontal branch with a vertical branch growing from it, and further on was a partially foliated maple and under it a leaf drop all in fantastic yellow leaves.  (For poetry fans, seems that Robert Frost may have been on to something .  Are you now thinking that perhaps you should reread “The Road Not Taken” by Frost?)    Feel free to read it here – http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html

Shortly after hiking the trail less traveled a chance meeting of ST Climbers & ST Tourists occurred. After  Climbers and some Tourists lending assistance in helping to find one of two lost dogs, possibly one with chain in tow, the owner said he now has “Restored faith in humanity” as a result of assistance we gave.  Prior to the start of the hike the local resident advised us that two of his dogs accomplished a “Houdini act” from his home on Honeoye Falls Five Points Rd  and likely headed into Rush Oak Openings.  (Yes, some dogs enjoy a solitudinous hike just like some people do.)  We kept an ear out for barking and an eye for sightings, and assisted in tracking down one as we hiked (barking was heard) and found the owner not far behind him.  No signs of the second dog though.

ST Climbers while staying fairly consistently moving throughout the hike, did occasionally stop a bit to inspect some unique wonders of nature, and some photo ops.  Various conversation topics, much of them hiking related and some about things we would see or were seeing ensued.  But at one particular point, this writer noted that there were no conversations, all of us were silent while moving, and what was heard then was the swooshing of the cut long grasses upon which we tread.

After the hike about half of the hikers from the three groups came together to share a meal and some further camaraderie at an after-hike social held at Tom Wahl’s in Avon, and pleasantly were joined by one more ST hiker who could not make the hike but was able to make the social.

March hike

March hike

Accolades were given to the open sided picnic pavilion behind Tom Wahl’s restaurant where we gathered.  All enjoyed a meal of some sort from Tom Wahl’s and additionally we were treated to seasonal fresh fruit salad and pumpkin cookies prepared by some of our hikers.  A delectable treat – times two.   And of course there was discussion of Hike Planning future hikes.

It was a wonderful day for a hike.   — (note- if you remember temperatures on March 10, 2013 during our hike reached 65 or so degrees which is well above avg,  congrats,  you remember correctly)

– Thanks to Don, the Hike Planner for this hike, for this hike report.