Rain, Father’s Day, busy week – All adds up to canceling today’s hike.  Sorry for the inconvenience:

Today’s Hike is Canceled! Join us next Sunday.

Happy Father’s Day. Please join Springwater Trails for a hike along the Genesee River. Bring your father or your grandson and enjoy the views. Because of Father’s Day, please leave a message if you are planning to hike with us. Please check the website the day of the hike – We will cancel at 1:00, if no one plans to hike.  Thanks.

This week will mark the end of the Springwater Trails Letchworth Series and the start of a new series showing off the main Finger Lakes Trail between the Letchworth and Bristol Hills branches. Our Letchworth Series was plagued with weather and water, so we will be leaving Letchworth with a few sections undone. But it is time to move on.

This hike will start in the town of Portageville south of the Letchworth Park. We start on a portion of the trail which is shared with the Genesee Valley Greenway and will end on a section that is shared with the North Country Trail. We can dedicate this hike to continued cooperation between hikers and hiking groups.

All hikers will meet in Portageville south of the bridge on NY 436 across the Genesee River. NY 436 turns right in the center of Portageville but the trailhead is straight ahead about 100 feet up Main St (south of the Hotel).

The first section of the hike follows the old railroad bed, cutting across a loop in the river for a mile.The Naturalists will continue under the Whiskey Bridge and south along River Rd (a little used section of dirt road) to NY 19A, where they will take a sharp right turn onto the main Finger Lakes Trail and hike back to the Whiskey Bridge. After a short exploration of the bridge itself, the Naturalists will return to the west side of the Bridge and scramble down a steep connection to the right back to the branch trail.  Turning left, they will retrace the branch trail to Portageville.

Meanwhile the Tourists and Climbers will leave Portageville on the branch trail.  When they come to the Whiskey Bridge, they will turn right to climb up to the entrance to the bridge and the main trail. After crossing the river, the trail continues along dirt roads to a nice view of the river, for about 3 miles to a parking area on S River Rd, where we will have a car waiting to return to Portageville.

Following the hike, join us for a social at the Sunrise Restaurant in Dansville.

Directions:

From Springwater, Wayland and Dansville: Take 15 S to Wayland. Turn right and follow NY 63N to Dansville. Turn left on NY 36N (Ossian St). In half a mile, stay straight onto NY-436W (Ossian St). Continue through Nunda and past the entrance to Letchworth. At the bottom of the hill you will cross the Genesee River into Portageville. At the cross-street Hamilton St, (the Genesee Falls Inn is on the left), continue straight as 436 turns right. The Letchworth Branch Trail enters the woods on the left.

From Honeoye and Hemlock: Take NY 20A west through Livonia and Lakeville. Turn left onto the ramp for 390S. Take the next exit for NY 408S. Stay on 408 through Mt Morris into Nunda. Turn right at the light on NY 436W. Go past the entrance to Letchworth. At the bottom of the hill you will cross the Genesee River into Portageville. At the cross-street Hamilton St, (the Genesee Falls Inn is on the left), continue straight as 436 turns right. The Letchworth Branch Trail enters the woods on the left.

Directions to the Social: Follow 436E back through Nunda to Dansville. Continue straight onto NY-36. Turn left on Main St.  The restaurant is on the right with parking on the street or in the rear.