Mt Morris Dam Tour and Letchworth Trail Hike – June 1, 2014 – 12:30P

There are three main parts to this event:

  1. a ranger led walking tour of the Mount Morris Dam (No dogs on the Dam tour)
  2. several concurrent hikes along the Letchworth Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail (Dogs on leash are welcome)
  3. an after hike dish-to-pass social at one of the picnic shelters near the Visitor Center. (Dogs on leash are welcome)

There is no cost to any part of this event, although donations are accepted.ST Sandwich Board The hike combo special event will start at 12:15 PM (look for the Springwater Trails sandwich board sign) at the Visitor’s Center to sign up for the tour of the dam.  Before the tour, visitors must complete, and sign a Mount Morris Dam Tour Liability Waiver to tour the Mt Morris Dam inner workings scheduled for 12:30 PM. (You may download, print and bring with you to save time). The tour will be followed at 2:00 PM by a hike on the Letchworth Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail on the east side of the Genesee River.  We will congregate at 1:45 p.m. outside the Visitor Center for the 2 PM hike.  Following the hike around 4 PM, join us for a dish-to-pass social at one of the pavilions at the Overlook Area of the Dam near the Visitor Center.  Please bring beverages, a dish to pass, or donate $5.

The Dam Tour has been arranged with Harmony, one of the Mount Morris Dam Engineers, for Springwater Trails and is limited to between 20 and 30 attendees and is approximately an hour in length.  For planning purposes, we are seeking a likely head count and any questions or comments at [email protected]. Inside the dam, temperature is 40 – 50 degrees F so a light wrap may be appropriate. IMG_0689We would also like to point out that hikers, friends and families are welcome to attend any combination of the Dam tour, the trail hike and the social.  Those who do not want to join the trail hike might want to take advantage of other opportunities in the area and return to the picnic area near the Visitor Center for the social.  Possible activities include:

  1. A historic walking tour of Main Street, Mt Morris
  2. Historical Society Museum in the Mills Mansion (House) at 14 Main Street
  3. Shopping at the Antique shops, bakeries, or ice cream stands in Mt Morris
  4. Explore the Al Lorenz Livingston County Park
  5. Or a driving tour of the gorge at Letchworth State Park

IMG_0684 After the tour, hikers will congregate outside the Visitor Center.  If you are not touring the dam, meet at 1:45 to divide into the Climbers, Tourists, Naturalists and Flatlanders groups. Tourists (a moderate hike of just under 4 miles) will carpool to Access D on River Road (right fork off of Rt 408) which is just before the power line grid and hike back to C (3.93 mi) Hog’s Back Overlook.  There will be a pre-staged van (room for 7 passengers) to drive back to the parking lot. Climbers (a lengthier hike, nearly 5 miles) will start hiking from the Visitor Center parking area (Access B), and will follow the FLT yellow blazes past C to the blue access trail to Access Point D.  The climbers will use the Tourist’s cars to get back to the parking lot. Naturalists (an easy hike of 2 miles with a pace aimed at looking at scenery, nature, and identifying plants) will also start from the parking lot and will hike to the Hog’s Back Overlook and then back to the parking area.  The hike leader may adjust the turn around point based on the time. Flatlanders (and anyone not hiking, but staying for the social) will leave their vehicles at Visitor Center and stroll around the Dam Overlook Area, enjoy the Visitor Center exhibits and videos.  They help set up for the social, and stake out a pavilion for the social.  The Visitor Center closes at 4:30 PM (along with the bathrooms inside), but there are outside rest area buildings at the parking lot stocked with toilet paper, but no running water.  Water will be in an orange cooler. Mac looking downThe forecast for Sunday is sunny and hot (80°). Please bring water to keep hydrated. A hat, sunglasses, sun lotion, and bug repellent are suggested as well.  Expect some wet spots where the trail crosses streams and at access D. This plan has tourists driving a carpool to Access D and climbers driving those same cars back to the social.  If you are willing to have another hiker drive your car, please bring a second set of keys and let us know your vehicle will be available. After the hikes, the dish-to-pass social will be held at a picnic shelter (there are several and are on a first come, first served basis) near the Parking and Overlook Area.  Either bring a dish to pass or make a donation (suggested $5) to the social fund to help defray expenses, and bring a beverage of your choice.  The dam tour and hike are free and are open to anyone interested, and there is no admittance fee.  You do not need to be a member of Springwater Trails or any other hiking group to attend.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to stay for the social. To assist in planning, please RSVP prior to the hike.  If you have any questions, please contact Katherine at 585-737-5205. The Mt Morris Dam Visitor Center is about 45 minutes from Springwater, so please plan ahead. If you have a GPS, try entering Mt Morris Dam as your destination (or the coordinates 42.730926, -77.906875). Or enter Visitor  Center Rd, which is after the Damsite Road going south out of Mt Morris on Chapel Street.  If you want to carpool from Springwater, meet at All Western Evergreen Farm, 6840 Liberty Pole Road, at 11:15 AM, as we will leave promptly at 11:30 AM. DIRECTIONS to Mt Morris Dam:

  • From Springwater: Take Rt 15N and then left on Liberty Pole Rd.  Stay on that road (County Rt 38, to County Rt 1A, to County Rt 1) all the way to Rt 63. There, take a left, and a quick right, onto Rt 258. At Rt 36, take a right and proceed to Mt Morris. Turn left onto NY-408 South (Chapel Street) at the first traffic light.  Continue on Rt 408 S and watch for the sign to the Dam and turn right (west) onto Visitor Center Road (on 408 after the Damsite Road) to the parking area and walk to the Visitor Center.
  • From Wayland: you can take I-390 north to Exit 7. Turn left at the exit on NY-408 south to Mount Morris. NY-408 goes left at traffic light on Main Street, then right at traffic light on Chapel Street.  Continue on Rt 408 south and watch for the sign to the Dam and turn right (west) onto Visitor Center Road (on 408 after the Damsite Road) to the parking area and walk to the Visitor Center.
  • From Hemlock and Honeoye: follow 20A west through Livonia and Lakeville to I-390 S. Take Exit 7 NY 408 south to Mt Morris. Turn left on NY-408 south to Mount Morris. NY-408 goes left at traffic light on Main Street, then right at traffic light on Chapel Street. .  Continue on Rt 408 south and watch for the sign to the Dam and turn right onto Visitor Center Road (on 408 after the Damsite Road) to the parking area and walk to the Visitor Center.
  • From Rochester: Take I-390S to Exit 7 NY 408S.  Turn left on NY-408 S to Mount Morris. NY-408 goes left at traffic light on Main Street, then right at traffic light on Chapel Street. .  Continue on Rt 408 south and watch for the sign to the Dam and turn right onto Visitor Center Road (after the Damsite Road) to the parking area and walk to the Visitor Center.

Lawrence Parks Recreation Area – Cohocton, NY

Lawrence Parks Recreation Area  in the town of Cohocton (situate well outside the village of Cohocton) charges a $1.00 or so admittance fee per person for the park & pool.  An after-hike social & swim could be held there.  Riverside Ice Cream / quick food place, 59 Maple Avenue (at Allen St & the Cohocton River) in the village of Cohocton is another possible locale for after-hike social.  (It is right next to the Cohocton River.)   Gene has promoted the hike & swim option return to Tumble Hill Campground since our S/T 12/22/2013 hike there.

Not sure if kayaking on the Cohocton River might also be an option.  I think there is access for put in or take out at the Town of Cohocton’s Lawrence Parks Rec Area, located on Atlanta Back Rd.   May also be possible to put in at: Parks Rd just N of Co Rd 36, Co Rd 39A, River St, Co Rd 36, or Lawrence Parks Rec Area.  Perhaps possible take out further down stream may be: NYS Rt 371, NYS Rt 415, Larrowe Rd, Flint Rd, Wentworth Rd / NYS RT 415, Long Lane Rd, NYS Rt 415 at Wallace, Wallace Avoca Rd, NYS Rt 415 either in or south of Avoca.

Not sure how much water is flowing in summer and where along the river, and how much distance “deliverance paddlers” seek to cover, and if and where debris accumulations may disallow for easy kayaking.   This may be an adventure for those willing to accept the unknown.  Not sure onus of a preview is necessary, although also is undesirable to find too many debris jams & non-navigable areas with the full group paddling, … so maybe some type of preview, assessment, or talking with someone who has experience here and knows is a good thing.  Then take on the challenge together as a group.  Sounds like one I might enjoy but I no longer have a kayak, and summer availability for me is problematic, so I will not Hike Plan it.  Possible that Cheryl may know some answers or know someone who does, being that she lives in the area.

OF NOTE: several Dec 2013 S/T hikers have stated they would like to return to hike at Tumble Hill Campground and enjoyed the loosey goosey approach of the hike.   Also possibility of coordinating a potluck after-hike social at the campground with the campers there if owner Deborah sees fit.  (I believe campers do a potluck at the Tumble Hill rec hall periodically during the camping season.  Check with Deborah, the campground owner, on this one.  And I would think that if we are sharing alongside with her campers and promoting the campground thru our use and awareness raising, there very well may not be a fee charged to S/T for this one. )

FYI – I have an open query e-mail to a contact who kayaks with a group and may be familiar with the Cohocton River (a tributary of the Chemung River at Painted Post/Corning NY), I will update if/when I get any salient info.   I did glean that from Riverside Ice Cream on corner of Maple Ave (Rt 415) and Allen Street is doable from there downstream, unsure what conditions are further upstream.  –Anyone in S/T who has knowledge on kayaking the Cohocton River, please share.–   Here is a good resource about the Cohocton River.  Both  Cohocton River – NY | Kayak Trip / Canoe Trip – Paddling.net  &  Cohocton River – NY | Kayak Trip / Canoe Trip – Paddling.net are paddling reports with put-in at Wentworth Rd & Rt 415 south of Cohocton Village, and indicates clear sailing in 2002 southward.   also see: 1)  https://newyorkoutdoors.wordpress.com/tag/cohocton-river/  , 2) book: Take A Paddle-Finger Lakes by Rich & Sue Freeman. 3) http://www.scout.me/kayaking-and-canoeing–near–cohocton-ny  &   http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?2761  a put-in on Maple Ave at the ice cream shop in the Village of Cohocton  , 4) mentions the canal between Keuka & Seneca Lakes & the centuries old proposed canal between Keuka Lake & Cohocton River  http://www.ovguide.com/cohocton-river-9202a8c04000641f800000000031345d#    , 5)   http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1078   , 6)  search engine for Cohocton River Paddle, or similar.

Lawrence Parks Recreation area is located at 10726 Atlanta Back Rd in the town of Cohocton http://www.townofcohocton.com/recreation.html  .  Info at phone ?(585)-384-9901?  Town Clerk hours & phone numbers are listed at URL hyperlink  – http://www.townofcohocton.com/town-clerk.html


Update as of Summer 2014 — best to do a kayak in June when water levels are higher, as later in the summer low water levels make for difficult going in a kayak in some areas (probably especially upstream of the Village of Cohocton).

 

Camp Good Days Cancelled – May 25, 2014

Good news from Camp Good Days.  So many volunteers have traveled to Branchport, that the first phase of work is complete.  As a result, Springwater Trails will NOT be going to Camp on Sunday.  Please enjoy the beautiful weekend – this may be a good time to get out the kayak or canoe and enjoy the peace on Hemlock Lake and get ready for summer.

Speaking of Summer, we need hike planners for this summer.  If you want to plan one of the 13 summer hikes, please email [email protected].

Summer Hike Time Change

On June 8, Springwater Trails hikes will switch to starting at 4:00 until 6:00 each Sunday.  This change will allow us to avoid the peak temperatures during the summer months.  The 4:00 start time will continue through Labor Day.

June 1: Mt Morris Dam tour and hike.  Meet at 12:15PM at the Dam Visitor Center on the east side of Letchworth State Park for a 12:30 tour of the Dam and a 2:00 hike.

June 8: Whiteman Gull hike at 4:00PM