Update on trail conditions,  Saturday 2-29:  The trail we will follow has a base of 1-3 inches of packed snow and 3-5 inches of fresh powder on top – excellent conditions for boots, snow shoes and XC skis. The first half of the hike will be on trails which have been partly packed down by snowmobiles. For the second half in the Climber hike, there is some road walking and some hiking through untrodden snow.  Snowshoes will make the walking easier in some places, but you may want to remove them for other parts. but it’s all OK with just boots. The end of the hike is a c. 200 foot slope down through a field – perfect for ski enthusiasts.

This Sunday we will explore the woods and fields overlooking Honeoye Lake on the west side, followed by a dish-to-pass social at the Affolter farm.  Meet at 1:45 at 5422 County Road 37, about 2 miles south of Route 20A and 2 miles north of Canadice Town Hall.  Park in the drive or on the road shoulder. Our hikes will take us up the ridge, through wooded trails and along gully rims.  Get a scenic vista of the whole expanse of Honeoye Lake, from a new and different perspective.

Climbers will head northwest from County Road 37 through the woods toward Howcroft Road to make a loop of about 3 miles.  Tourists and Naturalists will start out on the same route, but with a slower pace on the initial uphill climb, and will complete a smaller loop of about 2.5 miles.  Hiking conditions are good; skis, snowshoes, and boots will all work.

Social: Bring your favorite goodies along for our social at 5422 County Road 37.

Directions: 

From Springwater, take Route 15A north 2.7 miles to a right on Johnson Hill Road.  In 1.1 miles, make a left on County Road 37. Continue northeast for 6.7 miles, including a turn to the left after Canadice Town Hall.  #5422 will be on your left, just before you leave the town of Canadice and about a half mile after you pass Hayward Hill Road and Jersey Hill Road.  Driveway has a large red barn and silo to the north.

From Honeoye/Hemlock:  Take Route 20A east from Hemlock or west from Honeoye to the intersection with County Road 37. Go south approximately 1.9 miles. #5422 will be on the right, with a red barn and white silo, just past the Entering Town of Canadice sign.

Over the years we have enjoyed many hikes in the hills and ravines surrounding the Village of Naples; this Sunday we will take a tour of historical sites in the village. Town Historian John Murphy has kindly agreed to be our guide.  We will meet at 2pm in the municipal parking lot behind the buildings on the west side of Main Street.  Nearby are the Historical Society’s Morgan Hose Building and the Old Mill.  We will move to Main Street and then north past the Maxfield Inn, Memorial Town Hall and on to the Cleveland House at the end of the village.  The Hose Building and the 1794 Cleveland House will be open.  Also, we can visit other sites such as the Indian and Pioneer burial ground.

People can either walk or car pool to the various stops along the way – it will be several miles round trip.  In addition to dressing for the weather, if it looks like rain – you may want to have an umbrella with you.  Don’t forget that daylight savings time begins on Sunday.

Our after hike social will be at The Hollerhorn Distillery, 8443 Spirit Run, Naples, NY 14512.

Directions

From Springwater, Wayland and Dansville: Take NY 15 S or NY 63 S to Wayland. From Wayland, head east on NY 21 N through N. Cohocton to Naples. Turn left on S Main St (Naples) to stay on NY 21 at Wilcox Lumber. In 0.6 miles turn left onto Mill St just past the Naples Hotel. The parking lot is behind the Hotel on your right.

From Canandaigua: Take NY 21 S to Naples. After the High School, take the third left onto Mill St. The parking lot is behind the Naples Hotel on your right.

We have two changes to today’s hike:

1. We will avoid carpooling by all meeting at York Landing and doing an out and back hike.
2. We will cancel the social. Some hikers may choose to stop at the brewery for a pint or a growler.

Two months we hiked and skied along the Greenway from Piffard to York Landing. This Sunday we will continue North along the Genesee River to Fowlerville Rd and beyond. Well, actually for logistic reasons we are going to start at Fowlerville Rd and walk south, but you get the idea.

The Greenway follows an old railroad, which follows a canal towpath, so our hike is pretty flat, with one hill that goes up about 10 feet, and one dip where an old culvert washed out and was replaced, but not filled back in to the height of the rail bed.  But the varied views of the Genesee River and the farms along the way will make for a very enjoyable hike.

Unless unpredicted snow shows up, this will be a simple hike. Wear hiking boots and dress in layers appropriate for the weather on Sunday.

All hikers should meet at the end of York Landing Rd at the Greenway parking area at 1:45. From there, we will carpool to Fowlerville Rd to start the hike.

The Naturalists will head south from the parking area on Fowlerville Rd for about 2.5 miles to York Landing. If they arrive at the cars before the Tourists, they can continue south to see the entire old boat landing that was a real hub where river boats and canal boats transferred supplies.

The Tourists will head north for 20 minutes along the bend in the river. Then they will turn around and return to the cars on Fowlerville Rd and then continue south to meet the Naturalists at York Landing.

Following the hike, let’s visit the Dublin Corners Farm Brewery on NY-36 just north of Fowlerville Rd. We can enjoy their locally brewed beers.  This is a brewery without a kitchen, but some people bring subs or pizzas or just snacks according to the owner.  So try to bring some munchies to go with the beer. We will have plates and forks and spoons so you have someplace to put your food.

Directions:

From Springwater: Take NY 15 north to Liberty Pole Rd. Turn left on Liberty Pole and continue for 8.1 miles to Groveland. Turn right onto NY 63 N toward Geneseo. In 6.4 miles, turn right to stay on NY 63. Then in 3.3 miles, turn left to stay on NY 63 just before you enter the Village of Geneseo. In 4 miles, you will cross the Greenway in Piffard and then turn right onto River Rd. In 2.8 miles turn right on York Landing Rd (the first road to the right, this is a dirt road). There is a parking area at the end of the road.

From Naples: Take CR 36 north to Honeoye. Turn left on NY-20A. In 1.5 miles turn right onto Big Tree Rd. Continue on Big Tree for 6.9 miles to the end, and turn left onto 20A (or you can stay of 20A from Honeoye through Hemlock and Livonia). In Lakeville, bear right to stay on NY-15. In 1.5 miles, just a few feet beyond the intersection with NY 256 from Dansville, turn left onto Triphammer Rd. At the end of Triphammer, turn right on NY-39. In 2.5 miles, turn left onto Fowlerville Rd. Just after you cross over the Genesee River, you may stop at the Greenway and wait for us to carpool up to meet you, or continue on to River Rd and then York Landing Rd (turn left on River Rd, then left again to stay on River Rd, the left onto York Landing). The parking area is at the end of the road.

Directions to the start of the hike: Return on York Landing Rd. Turn right on River Rd. At York Rd, turn right to stay on River Rd. Turn right on Fowlerville Rd. Parking for a few cars is available on the right at the Greenway.

Directions to the Brewery: Follow River Rd to Fowlerville Rd (see one line up). Turn left on Fowlerville Rd. Turn right onto NY 36.  The Brewery is on the left in half a mile.

Based on the latest COVID-19 New York State on PAUSE announcement, we expect to cancel Sunday’s trail maintenance.  Please check back here tomorrow for our final decision.

The Annual Meeting scheduled for Sunday 22nd March is deferred to later in the year; instead, the walk this Sunday  will be a maintenance hike of our section of the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail in Naples. Springwater Trails has signed up with the FLT to maintain this part of the trail.  This segment passes through the West Hill Preserve off Seman Rd and then across private land to Mt Pleasant Street in Naples. The Twisted Branch Trail Run comes over this section later in the year; a couple of hundred runners will be pounding the hill and we want to be sure the trail is safe and fun to run.

We will walk this stretch of the BHB and cut away any brush and weeds that have overgrown the trail. The most useful tools for this are lopers and a small saw. It’s too early in the year to whack the long grass and we’ll note work that needs a chain saw for later treatment. Be sure to wear good work or gardening gloves. It’s a fairly long hike and steeply downhill at the Naples end of the walk.

We will meet at the entrance to the West Hill Preserve on Seman Road (42.66166, -77.396288). We will shuttle some cars down to the hike end in Naples (42.625950, -77.397304) before we start. The climbers will follow the trail down to the old cemetery in Naples.  Naturalists follow the trail to the sign in box and then return to the cars on Seman Road.

Please note: Dogs are not allowed to hike on the Nature Conservancy property.

The Social 
There won’t be an organized social in deference to the current fear of corona virus contagion. However, anyone who is brave enough and thirsty enough at the end of the hike will find us at Roots if they are still open.

Directions to the Hike Meeting Point: 

From Springwater: Head south on NY 15 (for 5.2mi). At the light in Wayland turn left on NY 21N (for 6.7mi). In N Cohocton, turn left to stay on NY 21N (for 4.5mi). In Naples, turn left again to stay on NY 21N (for 1.8mi). On the north side of Naples, turn left on CR12 and head up the hill for 1.9 miles.  Take the first left, Rhine St., to the 4 way  intersection.  Go left onto Seman Rd.  Trailhead is about 1/2 mile, by a big sign on the left. Park along the road.

From Honeoye and Naples: Head south on CR 36 on the west side of Honeoye Lake (it’s 13.6 miles from NY 20A, and 1 mile from French Hill Road). Turn left onto Gulick Rd (for 2 mi), then right on Davis Rd (for 0.7mi). At the end of Davis, turn left on W Hollow Rd (CR 33) for 0.5mi, then right on Seman Rd. The Trailhead is about 1 mile, by a big sign on the right. Park along the road.