Springwater Trails will be working with the Nature Conservancy to clean up trails at West Hill Preserve and the FLT Bristol Branch connection to Naples.

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The Nature Conservancy is asking for volunteers to help maintain trails within the West Hill Preserve.  Springwater Trails is maintaining the portion of the Bristol Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail through this preserve.

Directions are on the Nature Conservancy website.

There are seven separate scheduled hikes in recognition of North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST) Day for 2015 (Saturday, September 26th, 2015).  The locales are spread throughout NYS and in North Dakota, Michigan and Pennsylvania if you are traveling.

There are three hikes accessible from Springwater this year

• Hike #1 FLTC Map M1, Allegany State Park at 8:30am – Hike from New York to Pennsylvania!
• Hike #6 Three Preserve Hike – Enfield, NY in Tompkins County at 10:00am – Lead by Roger Hopkins from the Cayuga Trails Club
• Hike #7 FLT Map M4, Boyce Hill State Forest, Franklinville, NY at 10am – Get directions here.

Some unique hike opportunities exist if you wish to get in some hiking beyond a weekly S/T hike.

Details can be found on the North Country website and on the Finger Lakes Trail Conference website.

Please check and confirm start times and locations.  The time listing in this Springwater Trails listing is used as a foothold approximation only!  So, be sure to check the posting on the FLTC website for more exacting details, and further hike options.

Join the Nature Conservancy on a very challenging 2-mile hike as they descend from one of the highest elevations in Hemlock Lake watershed to the eastern shore of Hemlock Lake. Hikers will get a sneak peek of the Conservancy’s upcoming newest trail system, learn about the history and ecology of the Finger Lakes Region and marvel at the local fall splendor.

Please note: This will be a very challenging hike, traveling over very steep terrain, with little to no maintained trail.

Meet at Rob’s Trail Parking

Please register if you are available.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: HIKERS WILL SPLIT INTO 3 GROUPS but essentially walk the same trail. Each group will walk at thier own pace. We will park half way down the dug road and hike to the Keshaqua Creek and walk along the old canal and railroad system. We will return on the same trail back out to the road. If time permits, we will walk out to a meadow. The wild flowers are spectacular and the honey bees are working overtime. We will walk past some huge oak trees where presently, there is a active hive about 10 feet up in the crotch of one of the oaks.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Bring water, bug juice, hat and preferably, light weight pants.

After hike social: We will have a tailgate social at the parking area. Bring a dish to pass or a small five dollar donation would be helpful.

DIRECTIONS : From Rochester take 390 south to the Sonyea exit.Turn left onto Route 36 and drive a short distance then turn right on to county road 72. Drive a few miles and turn right onto Union Corners Road. Drive a couple of miles where you will enter the Sonyea State Forest. Drive about half a mile in until you reach the parking area. There is some logging going on so the road is a little bumpy but passable.

From Dansville and points east, take Route 36 north toward Sonyea. Turn left onto CR 72. From there follow the directions above.

Does the Springwater panther really exist in Reynolds Gull? We will search for the legendary cougar this week when we explore the Upper Reynolds Gull area high in the mountains of Springwater.   We will meet at the Evergreen Cemetery, 7394 Canadice Lake Road, Springwater,  at 1:45.  From our “tailgate” spot, we will carpool up Reynolds Gull Road to the intersection of Town Line Road and Ross Road.  Be prepared with long pants, bear spray (if you have it), good hiking shoes and optional creek walking shoes.  The hunting season is also beginning, therefore wear some form of clothing with bright or orange colors.

After a discussion with Jim Howe, Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy, we learned that the Nature Conservancy’s 320 acre parcel in this area  was just sold this past spring to New York State Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation. Before its sale, the Nature Conservancy filled in the pond by the historical cabin and eliminated the dam area we previously used to cross the creek.  The stream now provides a habitat for brook trout.  It will be interesting to see what other types of activities will take place in this unique wilderness environment.

All hiking levels will hike 1/2 mile down the dirt road of Reynolds Gull Road to the Nature Conservancy sign. To reach the creek bed within Reynolds Gull,  hikers will follow a steep grassy road into the gully bed.  It is easy walking going down but more difficult coming out. From the cabin, hikers will divide into 3 groups.  Naturalists will explore the area around the cabin area, hike back out to Reynolds Gull Road, and continue down the road to Canadice Lake Road and the Evergreen Cemetery for a total of 2 miles.   Tourists will explore the creek bed area to the east, return to the cabin area and then back up to Reynolds Gull Road  and continue to the Evergreen Cemetery. Climbers who are expert creek walkers can expect their western return route to the cemetery to be challenging, as the rocks can be slippery, water may be higher due to recent rains, and there are few ways out once you begin. At the end of the creek walk, hikers will have to climb a steep hill to get out of the ravine.   Weather conditions may change the hiking options.

After hike social will be at the Evergreen Cemetery. Please consider bringing something other than desserts to pass in order to provide a variety of healthy food options.

Also if you would like to camp at a nearby campground, Tamarack Campground skirts the Reynolds Gull area. A tent site or small cabin can be rented for a reasonable fee.

Please note that Saturday, October 10th, 2015 is Columbus Day holiday weekend.

• UPDATE: Change in plans for a second year in a row.  Since the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail is in need or reparations due to flooding, VHT has changed plans and will not lead an October hike there this year.  Instead, the October VHT guided hike will be on the BHB-FLT in Prattsburgh.  Meet at Victor Town Hall at 9AM, or at the trail in Prattsburg at 10AM.  For more info consult the VHT website.

Carpool will form behind Victor Town Hall, located at 60 East Main Street in Victor,NY (GPS = 42.9821448,-77.4087837 ), with intended leave time of 9:00AM on Saturday 10/10/2015.

VHT, in The Pathfinder Fall 2015 edition newsletter on page 4, provided the following info for meeting in Prattsburgh:   VHT will be hiking the south end of this section of trail. Fall colors should be near peak. Expect some hilly terrain with plenty of rest stops for water. Looking at 7 to 8 miles of hiking. If you are coming from the south  (or elsewhere in the area), you can meet the group in Prattsburg on Route 53, in front of the Prattsburg Market Place, 2 S. Main St, Prattsburgh, NY 14873 at 10 A.M.. We should return to Victor between 3:30 and 4:30 P.M. Please consult the VHT website for further details and updates.

Some S/T hikers may want to take this opportunity to hike and learn about this southern section of the BHB-FLT with a group of hikers like-minded to S/T.

Previously scheduled but now cancelled – Perhaps you have an interest in hiking the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, but that may be seen as a bit far for S/T to plan a hike.  Well, here is a VHT hike on the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, on Oct 10th, 2015.

(This Keuka Lake Outlet Trail hike had been scheduled for 2014, but had to be cancelled because parts of the trail washed out, due to the May 2014 severe rainstorm with torrents of rain in the Keuka Lake area causing floods.)

Also of note, Saturday November 14, 2015 is a VHT Boughton Park hike (this one is in VHT home range); and Saturday, December 12, 2015  is a VHT hike at Ontario County Park’s new north trails    VHT Message Line , phone (585)-234-8226 includes info about the next hike.

Meet at the designated locations by 9:30.

April 25th. Meet at the New Covenant Baptist Church Parking lot on County Road 46.  Hike Main St to CR 46. (3mi)

May 9th.  Meet at the New Covenant Baptist Church Parking lot on County Road 46.  Hike CR 46. to Depot Road (5mi)

June 6th. Meet at Depot Road. Hike Depot Rd to Stanley Junction (3.8mi)

July 11th.  Meet at BOCES parking lot.  Hike Stanley Junction to Boces (3.5mi)

August 15th. Meet at the Orleans water tower. Hike Boces to Orleans (4.5mi)

September 12th. Meet at Rt 96 trail head.  Hike Wheat Rd to Rt 96 (3.8mi)

October 10th. Meet at Gifford Rd.  Hike to Wayne county line and back (3.6mi)

You can download a PDF with more information.

We are returning to the Wesley Hill Nature Preserve this Sunday. This fall walk is always a beauty of colors and nature’s smells.

The preserve was founded in 1999 by the generous donation of 90 acres by the children of three artists-John Weinrich, James Havens and Colburn Dugan- to the Finger Lakes Land Trust. Since that time the preserve has grown to over 359 acres. This property offers Briggs Gully, the original Weinrich cabin, breathtaking views of surrounding hills, a pond and extensive forest.

We will all meet at the Preserve parking lot, on the west side of Gulick Rd at 2:00 pm.

PLEASE ONLY use the Gulick Road parking area,(Wesley Road parking area is only available for Bow hunters and we won’t be there!). If you park on the road, please be careful parking and getting out of your car – watch for the edge of the road and for other traffic.

We will follow the red trail by the pond and around the preserve. At the green intersection, some hikers may want to take the green trail down to the gully and back up, depending on the condition of the trail (and of the hiker!).  We will return to the red trail and then head back to parking lot. It is bow season, and we will be staying in the no hunting area.  However, this is a good time to get out your orange jacket or hat for this season of hiking.

Optional after-hike social will be in the parking lot. Bring a beverage and dish to pass or a donation.  Italian sausage with onions and peppers and rolls will be provided.

If weather is wet, please wear appropriate footwear and walking sticks and traction devices. The terrain is slopes and gullies.

Directions (42.724168,-77.467531): Click here for more detailed directions.

From Honeoye, take Rt. 20A east to East Lake Road. Follow East Lake Rd. south for a short distance and then turn left on County Rd. 33. Continue a short distance and turn right Pinewood Hill Rd. Follow Pinewood Hill, then Gulick Road south toward Cumming Nature Center, for a total of 6.4 miles to preserve entrance, on right.

Please check out more details on this preserve on the Finger Lakes Land Trust website. You may want to print a trail map for future hikes.