October has arrived – 2015. (UPDATED) and also time to think Winter hike planning

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Yes, October has arrived in 2015!  That means fall foliage viewing (monikered “leaf peeping” by some folks), and things like the 50th annual Cohocton Fall Foliage Festival, Bristol Mountain skyrides, 40th annual Letchworth Arts & Craft Festival (also) in Letchworth S.P on Columbus Day weekend, fall foliage trolley rides  & pumpkins and trick-or-treating (on Saturday 10/24) at the NYMT and also RGVRRM train rides.   (Some S/T hikers may recall the April 19th, 2015 hike starting at NYMT and may also recall some hiker interest shown in seasonal train rides & trolley rides offered in both Autumn foliage season and also near Christmas, as well as summer.)

This October also brings a very unique opportunity in Western NY for hikers and historic canal appreciators.  The 2015 October Fall Field Trip of the Canal Society of NYS is focusing on the former Genesee Valley Canal, and more specifically the southern portion.  The Fall Field Trip scheduled for October 23&24, 2015, is based out of Mt Morris, NY, with multiple visits to substantial parts of the former Genesee Valley Canal.  Sound interesting?  The details can be found at the above hyperlink provided, or click ⇒ October 2015 Field Trip schedule details.

Also of note, for folks interested in canals in NYS, is an official website publication of the NYS Canal Commission. ⇒  New York State Canal System .                                        .
Of course, October conjures ghosts, goblins, witches, and Halloween at the end of the month. And too, October brings Jack-o-lanterns, quintessentially Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers’ MONSTER MASH (Yep, Drac’ is back with all his friends and is cool with being part of the band, despite not much play on that Transylvania Twist), and Pumpkin Spice beer.  October also brings high hopes of delicious homemade casseroles and wholesome healthy vegetable dishes, in sync with a bountiful harvest season, at S/T after-hike socials (hint), Just Sayin’.  Beautiful Autumnal colors can abound on trees and underfoot along hiking trails.  Fresh fallen leaves can bring beauty and hiking cushioning and the “crunching” sounds of treading on dried leaves, as well, slipping challenges may now exist in wet conditions.  Thus, October, November and December may bring to mind use of Traction Devices (TDs) for hiking which are easily donned and doffed upon hiking boots & shoes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           .
October, … ah yes, that “Turkish Carpet” on the ground surrounding the Finger Lakes certainly has its beauty in a multitude of ways.   Bright reds, oranges, and Yellows, and some tans & browns, all abound around us.                                                    .                                                                                                                                                                        .
On a different topic of salience, October is Disabilty Awareness month, and at least one S/T hike in October (the 10/18 Avon hike) has a routing suitable for Flatlanders (hikers and would be hikers with mobility limitations).  We’ve had others in the past and will have more in the future. Many hike locales do not lend well to limited mobility hikes, but when a locale does, … well, seize the opportunity may be in accord.                                                                         .                                                                                                                               .
 More hike thoughts – October 10th, 2015 brings the last Saturday series hike for the Ontario Pathways guided hikes, albeit a bit of a travel for many S/T hikers to northeastern corner of Ontario County. As well, October 2015 brings the seventh and last 2015 Genesee Valley Greenway State Park Interpretive Hike on second Saturdays of the month April thru October, but being the hike series runs for two years (2015 & 2016) there will be seven more hikes in the series starting in April 2016.            .                                                                                                                                                                                  .
Our own S/T hikes in October take a tour of various towns, with the first hike being a gully/creek hike, in yes Springwater. Then hike locales in South Bristol/Canadice, Avon/Caledonia, and Hornell/Almond (update – the trail section chosen for this hike has been shifted eastward, so we’ll be in Hornellsville only).   And speaking of hikes… what about Winter, not rushing things mind you.
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October also is a time when fore-thinking hikers will start to consider Winter hikes for possibilities of Hike Planning.  Mendon Ponds Winterfest in January on (1/17/2016) the Sunday of MLK Jr holiday weekend is scheduled.  And a tentative hike/snowshoe/ski with a tenuous date of February 7th, 2016 at the Town of Rush Park at 6565 ERR and the adjacent NYMT at 6393 East River Rd is under consideration.  What favored hike as a reader of this article, might you like to see on the Winter 2016 S/T Hike Schedule.  OK.  Suggest it and hopefully Hike Plan it for benefit of your fellow S/T hikers!     .                                                                                                                                                       .
Please bring Winter 2016 hiking season (January-March) Hike Plan proposals and offers on October 25th to the Sunday hike and we will start putting the Winter hike schedule together on 10/25 and thereafter.
One last tidbit of potpourri. Remembering the hikes we’ve had in Letchworth State Park, and particularly the combo hike event (June 2014) that provided for a tour of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Mount Morris Dam for flood control, you may be interested to learn a bit about present day debris removal at the dam.  There were questions about this in hikers’ discussions following the dam tour & hike.
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Now that you’ve read; if you’ve laughed, or learned, or are now thinking about Hike Planning a Winter hike for S/T, well, … then it would be an author’s success.

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