Monthly Archives: December 2013

Allow readers to learn more – add a link to your post

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It will make your post more interesting to read if you include links to additional information.  For example, if you mention that Poison Ivy has been seen on the trail, you may want to allow your readers to learn more about Poison Ivy.  Pick a web page you find interesting and link it to the word Poison Ivy.  I like to link to the webpage of the park where we are hiking in the first couple of sentences.

  1. Write your sentence introducing the location of the hike.
  2. Highlight (or select) an appropriate word to make a link.
  3. Then click on the icon of a chain to add the address of the new page.
    1. Enter the URL of the page you want to go to from the Address bar of your browser.
    2. If you want to link to a Springwater Trails post, click on the “Or link to existing content” and search for the page you want.
    3. Click Update to save the link.
  4. If you decide you don’t want the link, put the cursor on the word that links, and click the broken chain.

Remember, readers will appreciate a link that goes to an informative page.  This may not be the first page that Google provides – I would tend to avoid pages with ads.

Trail Inspection – Wheaton Hill Trail – Dec 8, 2013 – 2:00 PM (42.6552,-77.591)

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This Sunday, we return to the Wheaton Hill trails to view the results of our summer war of the roses and to tag a route from the Red Bud Trail to 15A.

We will meet at the Wheaton Hill Rd entrance to the trails (42.6552,-77.591).  Park on the west side of the road headed downhill.

Today is warm but Sunday is supposed to be chilly.Click for Springwater, New York Forecast As ususal, please check the weather and dress in layers before coming. Socks and boots are important in this weather.

Come prepared for an interesting hike with some trailblazing.  We will break into two groups, both starting on the east side of the road.

The Climbers will head south to the rosebud trail and take the loop clockwise around to the lowest point. Bring clippers so we can clear some of the roses from this area that we have not yet attacked.  At the low point, we will leave the trail and head south west to Rt 15A and the north edge of the village.  We will tag the route and remove any old tags that are misplaced.  At the road, we turn around and retrace our steps.  On the way out the climbers will follow the Spruce trail back to the entrance. Across the road, we will follow the skid and pine trails for a complete coverage of these trails.

The Tourists and Naturalists will start to the left around Spruce Trail and then will follow Red Bud.  After crossing the road, they will take the Pine loop and return to the cars.

DSC_4945What to bring:

  • Short handled clippers for any roses we decide to attack.
  • Good gloves for handling  roses. These gloves must be washed following the hike to remove any Poison Ivy you may have touched.
  • A plastic bag – use this to transport your gloves during and after the hike.  You do not want to spread any Poison Ivy.

DSC_4958_smallPlease park headed down hill on the right hand side of the road.  Pull off the road as far as possible.  We will place the Springwater Trails sign above the curve to warn drivers.  If you prefer, parking is available at the South Hemlock Access parking area and you can car pool from there.  In any case, be on the alert for cars on Wheaton Hill Rd!  Directions are available to the Wheaton Hill trailhead and to the South Hemlock Access parking area

After the trail work, we will take advantage of Pam’s grill for hot dogs and baked beans.  Please bring something to drink – Springwater Trails will provide the food.

Exploring Bald Hill and Hemlock Lake shoreline – December 1, 2013

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view along eastern shoreline south

view along eastern shoreline south

Sometimes it’s fun to explore a new area around the Hemlock/Canadice State Forest and take an informal hike along the east shoreline of Hemlock Lake.  With permission of two private landowners, Springwater Trails managed to navigate their way through a  steep path off Bald Hill to find the North Boat Launch of Hemlock Lake.  Cloudy weather, a light rain, slush and slippery ice did not prevent 12 hikers from treading carefully along the shoreline to enjoying the views our precious Hemlock Lake has to offer during the pre winter season.

Hemlock TopoBald Hill (sometimes called Ball Hill)  is roughly a 13 mile diameter circle that separates Hemlock Lake from Canadice Lake and runs from approximately  Rt 20A in Hemlock to just north of Johnson Hill Road in Springwater.  According to D. B.Waite in his rare book Up and Down the Hemlock (1883), Bald Hill got it’s name from “it’s bald appearance in a very early day, caused by the frequent fires of the Senecas”. Previous to the Senecas, the legendary story of Onnolee by W.H. C.Hosmer speculated that the Munsee tribe also dwelled on Bald Hill. For more information you can go to hemlockandcanadicelakes.com

Today the glacier till landscape of Bald Hill is occupied by many private landowners as well as sections of the Hemlock/Canadice State Forest and the Nature Conservancy lands of Rob’s Trail.  It is interesting that many of our hikers, Bob and Joan, Nanette, Rick and Ellen, Terri and Todd, and Pam all live on Bald Hill.  A special thanks to Rick and grandson, Jack,  for guiding us through their wooded private property on Bald Hill and to Pam for hosting the relaxing social.  Social discussions revolved around possible winter workshops in Orienteering and Geo Caching,  Don’s “game” ideas like “Hike and Seek” and outreach to identifying handicap accessible trails.  Don’t forget to add to your Christmas wishes this year:  warm hiking boots, yaks or treks, poles, snowshoes, and gaters will enable hikers to experience some safe winter hiking!