Calendar

We have no hike scheduled for this Easter Sunday.  I hope that in your spare time, you will have an opportunity to take a hike with a friend or family.

Meanwhile, I have installed a new calendar with events up to the end of the spring season.  Let me know what you think!  The major change, is that all pages seem to display faster.

You may also want to read Marty’s posts from New Zealand before he returns.  And check out Pam’s post about bears.  Please give a thanks to our dedicated writers.

Meeting other Hiking Groups- Victor & Crescent Trails

members of Victor Hiking Club reached summit

members of Victor Hiking Club reached summit

This past Saturday and Sunday I had the rare opportunity to join two area hiking groups. Saturday I joined the Victor Hiking Group in the Hemlock/Canadice State Forest for an enjoyable walk down the trail on the west side of a slightly ice covered Canadice Lake. A few miles down the lake we entered a forest trail which led to the Nature Conservancy area of Rob’s Trail, climbing 700 ft up Bald Hill to it’s summit and back. I was a little skeptical of being able to complete the climb, but our gracious leaders from the Victor Hiking Club were a little different than our climbers in Springwater Trails (who travel at great speeds), taking a break at every 100′ feet to rest and observe the area. Much to my surprise tourists are capable of the climb if you take your time!

lake had a slight icey coat, ready to melt in a 60 degree day

lake had a slight icey coat, ready to melt in a 60 degree day

Observations included a strange kermit type rock, large cropping of oak trees on Nature Conservancy property, a strange oily substance coming from the wetland area at the summit, and first sightings of the wildflower coltsfoot. On the way down the slippery hill, we ended back at the lake trail, and decided to travel closer to the lake. The water was a turquoise color, the ice was just about to melt, and one could feel a cold temperature adjustment like you were opening a refrigerator. It was an interesting and refreshing sensation on a warm spring day.

is it Kermit the Frog? a turtle head?

is it Kermit the Frog? a turle head?

I thanked the Victor Hiking Group for inviting Springwater Trails to hike with them, gave them some maple granola and BBQ sauce, and showed them access areas to Hemlock Lake and the Canadice Outlet if they wanted to return at another date. It was a nice day off with no responsibilities. There are more pictures at the bottom of this post.

90 hikers attended celebration

Ninety hikers attended celebration of Crescent Trail / Victor Senaca Trail connection.

10 springwater trails hikers attended

10 springwater trails hikers attended

On Sunday, 10 country Springwater Trails hikers went to the “burbs” to join the Victor Hiking Club and the Crescent Trails Association in 70 degree summer like weather for the dedication of the new Seneca Trail and merging of two county trails, Monroe and Ontario, in the Towns of Perinton and Victor. 90 hikers showed up for the celebration behind the old Valentown Museum near Eastview Mall. For country hikers, Springwater Trails had a variety of new terrain experiences walking through mall parking lots, behind corporate buildings, across main intersections, as we began and ended our 4 mile hike through a forested area around a highly developed area. Our climbers were quick to be at the fore front of the hike, and some even hiking back for a distance of 8 miles. I think we impressed a few with our skills! Except for a few ST hikers most were pick up at the Woodcliff where buses transported us back to Valentown.

early skunk cabbage in wetland areas

early skunk cabbage in wetland

Observations by Gene include sounds of spring peepers, cardinal, red wing blackbird, blue jay and song sparrows. Georgia and Pam identifed many trees, plants, mushrooms and wildflowers including beech, black cherry, red oak, white oak, chestnut, muscle, cottonwood and hornbeam trees, first spring wildflowers of skunk cabbage and coltsfoot.

Thanks again to our neighboring hiking clubs and David Wright, President of Victor Hiking Trails for inviting us to participate! Hope to join you again!

Some more pictures from Saturday.

And even more from Sunday in the burbs.

Bears in the Hemlock/Canadice State Forest

I started this article last year about this time and decided it was time to finish it. Although I have never seen a black bear, many of my neighbors have had sightings at their bird feeders, crossing the back roads, swimming across Hemlock Lake, or coming into their yard to eat garbage or compost. My up close and personal experience was hearing a growl, smelling an awful smell in the night air around my house, watching my dog sniff in the air for a few nights and bark to indicate a strange animal was close by. Although I did not see anything, I’ve been told it is a black bear.

Click for an article on one bear in Livingston Co (2008)

Last year I called the DEC to let them know something growled at me and my grandchildren in the Canadice Outlet and followed us home that night. I thought that this animal was injured, or even questioned if it was a cougar, as the smell was very strong like a dead animal and it seemed to be stalking us. My response from an officer was “get used to living with the bears lady, take your bird feeders down and keep your garbage inside! This past fall I was told by some other neighbors that someone had documented 18 bear living in the Canadice Outlet. Although I have trouble believing this, I’ve gone down to the outlet which is behind my house for many years, never thinking there were bears out there. I have to admit I am a little hesitant hiking there alone now.

A week ago neighbors on Canadice Lake Road reported seeing a large black bear walking down the road and another seen on Canadice Hollow Road near the outlet area. The bears are waking up (they do not hibernate, just go into a deep sleep) and are on the move now that the weather has warmed. If anyone has any reports or pictures please comment to this article and we can begin to document stories. Maybe we can learn to live with the bears if we can see their patterns, be aware of their locations, and know how to handle an encounter if we have one.

Springwater Trails & Victor Hiking Trails groups share common bonds (& hikes)

       Springwater Trails (S/T) hikers will have some broadened combined hike opportunities easily facilitated in 2014.  Starting with the S/T 2/23/2014 AWEN hike thru the Evergreen Farm & to the radar tower, Springwater trails saw the start of at least one hiker from Victor Hiking Trails (VHT) joining in some Winter S/T hikes.  Some cooperative discussions and mutually supportive efforts have been ongoing now for a few months between VHT & S/T.
       The VHT website (www.victorhikingtrails.org) prominently featured two paragraphs about the S/T Fundraiser – Maple Syrup & Pancake Breakfast/Lunch, on the home page in the second week of the fundraiser, which was immediately after an S/T hiker had submitted the info in an article to VHT.  Also of note, in the “VHT Pathfinder” (Spring 2014) newsletter which was published on 3/27/2014 and is available thru the VHT website, there is an article about S/T on pages 5 & 9 of the newsletter. Included in the article is info about the Maple Syrup & Pancake Fundraiser, and overall the article is an introduction of Springwater Trails to the VHT audience.
       Generally VHT holds one guided hike per month, usually on the second Saturday morning of the month, and hike locales vary greatly.  The hike calendar (schedule) is posted at http://www.victorhikingtrails.org/vhtcal.php. In 2014 Spring, Summer, &  Autumn a number of VHT hikes may be of interest to some S/T hikers for varying reasons.   Some of those hikes are in the “home range” of S/T, particularly in the area of Canadice & Naples, thus likely an easy reach for many S/T hikers.    So perhaps some of our S/T hikers joining in on some of those hikes would be a welcoming event and fine cooperative gesture.   Page 2 of the VHT Pathfinder Spring 2014 edition, has 2014 VHT upcoming hike locales listed, and hike specifics are posted on the VHT website homepage respectively as a particular hike date approaches.  VHT forms carpools to distant hikes, and as a norm carpools are formed behind Victor Town Hall unless another location is listed.
       For a calendar month listing of VHT hike locales from 2014-1996, this URL (link) —    http://www.victorhikingtrails.org/monthlyhikes.html  – shows hike history.
       VHT hikes are open to the general public just as S/T hikes are.  S/T has received a specific invite to join VHT for the VHT monthly hike on Saturday April 12, 2014 at the Canadice Lake Trail.  9:00AM starts the carpool from Victor Town Hall, 9:45AM is hike meet time at Purcell Hill Rd parking lot, near the north end of Canadice Lake.  An opportunity is thus afforded S/T hikers to welcome some other hikers to the area and share a hike with some new faces.  In addition, a blanket invitation to S/T hikers has been extended from VHT to join in on any other VHT hikes. S/T has made a reciprocal specific invite to VHT.
       VHT has some monthly hikes coming up in 2014, which may be of specific interest to S/T hikers, one of which is at Chimney Bluffs State Park in northeastern Wayne County along Lake Ontario shoreline on Saturday, May 10th, 2014 in the morning.  Since Chimney Bluffs SP is likely a bit far in distance for S/T to Hike Plan a hike at this locale (lying some ~48 miles as the crow flies from Springwater), and being that VHT is scheduling a hike there, perhaps some of our S/T hikers may want to join in on that hike.   VHT will be forming a carpool at Victor Town Hall for any hikers who wish to join in that carpool.   Likely S/T will post the hike as an ancillary hike on the S/T website calendar, and perhaps coordinate a carpool effort from Springwater area to Victor.
       Also of note: July and August 2014 will find VHT hiking in the Naples area, one hike of which is designed specifically as an educational hike.  And Keuka Lake Outlet trail from Penn Yan to Dresden is being hiked by VHT on Saturday, October 11, 2014.    An external reference resource for the Keuka Outlet trail for those who want to learn more about this trail is:   http://www.cnyhiking.com/KeukaLakeOutletTrail.htm
       VHT & S/T may draw individually upon each other’s “hike history” webpage listings as impetus for some hike locales for future Hike Planning.  I can see that in identifying places where VHT has held hikes and where S/T endeavors to hike (yet has not previously Hike Planned), S/T hikers can get some hike assistance from VHT counterparts, and vice-versa.  There is even possibility of a VHT hiker who has hiked one of those locations, becoming a Hike Planner for S/T for that location for a future S/T hike.   In fact Mary Frances Blue Bird Haven and “Monkey Run Trails” in Victor may be put on the S/T Summer hike roster with a VHT member participating in Hike Planning it for S/T.  Something for our Birdwatchers to consider in a S/T Hike Plan.
       Also of note Sunday 4/13/2014 at 1:30PM  holds a hike opportunity for S/T hikers to join in a hike in the Towns of Victor and Perinton and hike along with VHT & Crescent Trail Hiking Association (CTHA) in a celebratory hike and brief ribbon cutting ceremony in recognition of trails within the two towns meeting at the town borders.   And that trail joining is not the only connection here.  As many S/T hikers are aware, Chuck Winship who was integrally involved in Springwater Trails until his death in Autumn 2013, was years ago integrally involved with Perinton Parks & Recreation Dept, in the capacity of fostering the Crescent Trail in Perinton.   And the cumulative various branches of the Crescent Trail in Perinton,  & cumulative various hiking trails in Victor (as fostered by VHT) serve as model for development of the Springwater Trail.
       One symbiotic piece,  … being that Mother Nature has dealt a late arrival of Spring blossoms, the S/T hike at Durand-Eastman Park Arboretum that was postponed to 4/13/2014 for viewing blossoming trees in the Arboretum has again been postponed until 4/27/2014 when certainly there will be a show of Spring.   A decision was made to not schedule a different locale hike for S/T on 4/13/2014, but instead to offer the opportunity for S/T hikers to join in the hike in Victor and Perinton.
       Yet one more quintessential networking and learning opportunity with all kinds of possibilities is the 17th Annual ADK Expo to be held at Mendon Ponds Park on Saturday June 14, 2014 10:00AM-4:00PM.  Organized by the Adirondack Mountain Club – Genesee Valley Chapter (ADK-GVC) this day consists of hikes, bike rides, kayaking and canoeing,  equipment trials & info,  demos, learning workshops and presentations, and more, all with the outdoor enthusiast in mind.  Beginner Orienteering, Geocaching, GPS selection & use, kayak selection & technique, personal gear & clothing, Backpacking 101, Camping essentials, Smart Phones for the outdoors, Family hiking with kids & curiosity, and much more are all on the schedule.  In fact there are as many as 10 activities to choose from at one time and about 70 separate activities planned in the schedule, so pretty much guaranteed to be numerous opportunities of interest for all outdoors oriented folks.   With so many activities, and participation and presentation by so many hiking and outdoor related groups, outdoor equipment outfitters & retailers, municipal and service agencies alike, perhaps the toughest part will be choosing which opportunity you want to participate in over another.   Further details can be gleaned from  http://www.adk-gvc.org/Expo      Oh, and did I forget to mention, it is all FREE?  No admission to Mendon Ponds Park or to the ADK Expo.
        If you as a S/T hiker wish to volunteer for two hours at the ADK Expo, the organizers would greatly appreciate the offer.  Of note: many hiking groups are participating, two of which are VHT & CTHA.
       So, there you have it Springwater Trails hikers, some varying new opportunities for sharing.  One never knows what we can learn, and apply to the Springwater Trail and our S/T hiking group.   Hope to see you on the trail along with some new faces and newly acquired knowledge as well.