ILMPD 2016 – – – I Love My Park Day, is an initiative of New York State Parks celebrated annually on the first Saturday of May which in 2016 falls on the 7th of May.  It is an effort to improve NYS Parks from a grassroots perspective.  Many NYS Parks hold an ILMPD event and activities may vary greatly from one state park to another.  – – – Checking the NYS Parks website is one way to ascertain where and what some activities will be for this May 7th 2016 event.   two web addresses are:  parks.ny.gov  -and-  www.nysparks.com     Parks and Trails New York ( ptny.org ) also is a website to check for info.

This “event post” speaks specifically to – 2016 ILMPD on the GVGSP with Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) who will be working on clearing debris at one specific extant former Genesee Valley Canal (GVC) lock situate on the GVG.  This locale is situate in the southeastern reaches of Letchworth State Park, essentially at the hamlet of Oakland.   Any hikers interested in joining in to clear the extant lock of the former GVC which has now become the GVG should feel free to join in this effort. (Of note: lock 60 is a very short walk in from Oakland Rd, so this is mostly a maintenance event and not much of a hike event.)

Plans are to start the day at 9:30am, working and providing for snacks and breaks as apropos, and work until Noon, with lunch provided to volunteers at 12:30pm in nearby Nunda.  All volunteers are welcome, and if you need to leave early you are welcome to do so, easily accomplished since the ILMPD – Oakland Locks site is very near the car parking area.

ILMPD is coincidentally the same day that one of Springwater Trails’ own, Katherine (Secretary of Springwater Trails, and hiker/hostess extraordinaire), will be honored with an award at Livingston County’s 30th Annual Seniorama 2016, in recognition of the many community volunteer activities she has been involved in throughout many years.  So, … if you wish to attend both the ILMPD event at Oakland locks and the Seniorama event honoring Katherine, you’ll need to make  the ILMPD lunch at Nunda Historical Society pavilion at 12:30pm a quick lunch stop and be on your way by ~12:40PM to make it to Seniorama for the 1:30PM start time.

Below (between the triple arrowheads) is the info copied from the FOGVG website relevant to ILMPD – GVGSP at Oakland Locks.

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2016 I Love My Park Day – Saturday, May 7, 2016 

I Love My Park Day (ILMPD) is an exciting statewide event to celebrate and enhance New York’s state parks and historic sites and bring visibility to the entire state park system and its needs. Volunteers from across the state will participate in cleanup, improvement, and beautification events at New York State parks and historic sites.   
This year the Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) have selected one work site rather than three for the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park.  Volunteers will clear the last lock (#60) in the flight of Genesee Valley Canal locks that begin at Oakland Road in Oakland.  We will gather at the work site at 9:30 am.  Parking is available at the parking lot on Oakland Road and along Rt. 436 or Oakland Road.

Volunteers should bring water, gloves, pruning shears or brush cutters, insect repellant, and wear heavy shoes and protective clothing to guard against heavy brush, poison ivy, and ticks.  Snacks will be available and lunch will be provided at about 12:30 pm at the nearby Nunda Historical Society pavilion.  Volunteers will receive ILMPD T-shirts.  If questions: email fogvg@frontiernet.net or call 585-476-2354.

Volunteers are encouraged to register at the PTNY website at http://www.ptny.org/ilovemypark/ or by calling 585-476-2354.  Registering in advance on the website is strongly recommended since it avoids the need to complete Volunteer Service and Photo Release Forms on May 7th.

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hyperlink –  http://nysparks.com/parks/189/details.aspx

The flight of Oakland Locks where lock # 60 is situate is accessed via Oakland Road just north off NYS Rt 436, in the hamlet of Oakland in the Town of Portageville (just a bit west of the Village of Nunda, NY).

Of note: On the 4/24/2016 Springwater Trails hike on the GVG, hikers learned about the former Genesee Valley Canal (GVC) and also learned some about the GVG too, at the AP&HS program presented by Tom S Cook on the GVC at the Avon Opera Block on April 24th, 2016 and then following the presentation we furthered some knowledge on the S/T hike in the Town of Caledonia on the GVG .  In fact in traveling to start points all hikers paused at and one group of hikers started their hike on the GVG at NYS Rt 5 trailhead, which was the same locale used for the 1840 party celebrating the opening of the first section of the Genesee Valley Canal.

Additionally, the following paragraph is copied from The Genesee Naturalist, a quarterly periodical about Letchworth State Park, the Genesee Region and surrounding area.  This ILMPD info is about the broader Letchworth State Park effort for ILMPD, as delineated from the Oakland locks of the GVGSP at the southeastern reaches of Letchworth SP.

“Saturday, May 7th, 2016 at 8:00am  I LOVE MY PARK DAY.  A variety of volunteer projects are offered throughout the day: tree planting, invasive species removal, landscaping, leaf raking an canal locks beautification.  Lunch and programming with Friends of Letchworth.  Trailside Lodge.  Volunteers may preregister at www.ptny.org  (4-6 hours) (led by park staff and others)”

Below (between the triple arrowheads) is the info copied for Letchworth SP – ILMPD (copied from the NYS Parks website).

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Saturday, May 7, 2016 09:00 AM – 02:00 PM
Letchworth State Park

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hyperlink – http://nysparks.com/events/event-results.aspx?pk=79

If perhaps you are interested in ILMPD efforts for another park location – you can start at www.nysparks.com and select the park and then select upcoming events.

Also of note, here are three upcoming hikes on the GVG.  All three are led by NYS Park staff.

* on Saturday April 30th, 2016

Nature Hike from Fowlerville Road to York Landing
Saturday, April 30, 2016 10:00 AM
Genesee Valley Greenway State Park

** on Saturday May 14th, 2016:

Quaker Road to Lehigh Valley Trail (Wegmans Hike Number 4)
Saturday, May 14, 2016 10:00 AM
Genesee Valley Greenway State Park

This hike is located in Monroe County just south of the Village of Scottsville. Take River Road South from the Village, or north from Route 20. Turn east onto Quaker Road (Rt. 251). The trailhead is approximately ¼ mile ahead. Meet at the trailhead. (3.1 miles)

*** on Saturday June 11th, 2016:

This Sunday, Springwater Trails will be working with the Nature Conservancy to haul supplies for a footbridge across the gully and to help construct the remaining sections of Rob’s Trail extension. Please note the time change as we try to work with the Nature Conservancy schedule.  Since we are planning this workday in real time, please check back here for updates. Please send John an email (vp@springwatertrails.org) if you are planning to come.

Rob’s Trail is one of the favorite hikes for Springwater Trails. The Central & Western New York Chapter of the Nature Conservancy built this trail in memory of Rob van der Stricht, their Board Chair who died in 2006.  The trail from Rt 15A to Canadice Lake was opened in 2008.

In 2014, the Nature Conservancy announced plans to extend Rob’s Trail down to Hemlock Lake and the along the old road to the North Boat Launch. Based on the map published in the announcement, and on scouting done by Rick Osiecki, Springwater Trails led a hike from the west side of Hemlock Lake to the east side of Canadice last year, and this spring we hiked the partially completed extension from Rt 15A to the Hemlock North boat launch.

The work season for Rob’s Trail is just starting. There is a bridge to be built This Sunday, Springwater Trails will join the Nature Conservancy as they start the planned completion of this trail. Last Friday, we got a message requesting assistance with the work this spring, and decided to devote our trail maintenance Sunday to this trail.  John took responsibility for planning and things have fallen into place.  So please join us, and bring family members and friends, to help get this work off to a great start.

Details:

We will meet at the new trailhead/parking lot on the west side of 15A. This parking area is slightly north of the end of Old Bald Hill South and the original Rob’s Trail parking area.  It connects directly to the Extension trail without crossing 15A.  We will meet at 11:00AM. If you can’t make it at 11:00, please come as soon as possible and hike down the trail (west toward Hemlock Lake) to meet us. The upper part of the trail should be easy to follow.  Bring work gloves and loppers.  Be prepared  for some digging in the dirt.

John will cater a social afterwards right at the parking area.  Please contact him if you can help with the social – Springwater Trails will pay for the food.

Directions:

From Springwater: Go north on 15A for 6.0 miles.  The parking area is on the left just after the north end of Old Bald Hill South.

From Hemlock: Go south on 15A for 5.1 miles.  The parking area is on the right just before the north end of Old Bald Hill South.

Springwater Trails has been responsible for maintaining a section of the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail for over a year. We have two major projects for this summer:

1. Repainting the orange blazes.
2. A new bridge across the creek at the corner of the wildlife enclosure.

This week we will focus on the blazes.  Many of the blazes are old and faded.  And different sections have blazes that appear to be different colors. So, lets get out there and freshen up the blazes and make the trail look all spiffy.

We have paint, buckets and brushes, but we need some willing volunteers.  Come join us at the park next to Bob & Ruth’s in Naples at 8:00. We will split into teams and will work from both ends of the trail.

Bring good hiking shoes and insect repellent, plus water to drink.  If you have a weedwacker, bring that along and if we have enough volunteers, we will set up a team to mow the trail.

See you at 8:00 on Tuesday.

It is time for some trail maintenance on the Springwater Trail at Punky Hollow and Sugarbush Hollow in preparation for the Music Fair on September 17th and 18th.

The Crawdiddies Band will be at the 2016 Bicentennial Edition of the Springwater Music Fair and American Crafts Show

We will meet on Pardee Hollow Rd near the intersection with Tabors Corners. Our task today will be to clean up the Springwater Trail between the Punky Hollow entrance east of the school house, to Sugarbush Hollow and Tabors Corners.  Bring loppers or clippers for cleanup and a weed whacker if you can.  Other tools will be available as needed.

We will split into up to four groups depending on attendance.  Each group will car pool to a different entrance to the trail, allowing us to cover the entire trail.

The Naturalists will drive to the entrance on the other side of the school house and will hike through Punky Hollow and Sugarbush Hollow and exit at Tabors Corners. This is primarily a cleanup task, trying to remove sticks and stones from the trail.  At the midpoint there are some rose bushes to push back from the edge of the trail while they are small. We hope to have a car at the exit for this group to use to get back to the start point. In addition, a few branches encroaching across the trail will need trimming. No weed wacker is needed with this group.

The Tourists will drive to the top of Coates Road and will hike down to Pardee Hollow.  Weed whacking and trimming as needed. Blazing signs at some corners are probably needed.

One Climbers Group will drive to the trail intersection with Pardee Hollow Rd below Sugarbush Hollow.  They will head west up the hill across from the Sugar House.  The will refresh the blazes and will weed whack.  At least one weed whacker should get to the tree plantation near the top of the hill and focus on the large task of mowing a trail across that mostly open field. This group may either return to the cars below the Sugar House, or continue hiking out to the trail head near the School House.

Our second Climbers Group will drive to the trail head on Tabors Corners.  They will walk from there to the Sugarbush and do a clean up on the west side of the hill.  Blaze signs will be used to refresh the blazes heading up the hill.  In addition, weed whacking up the orange trail will be done as time permits.  If time remains, week whackers should continue across the field at the top and join the first group cleaning the trail through the tree plantation.

Please join us following the work for a dish-to-pass social at the Punky Hollow Barn.  Please bring a dish to pass or make a small contribution to the social fund. Bring your own beverage.

Directions 

From Springwater: go North on 15A for 0.8mi from the light. Turn right on Wheaton Hill Rd. At the tee, at the top of the hill, turn right onto Wetmore Rd. Bear right on Tabors Corner Rd. After 1.8 miles, turn left on Pardee Hollow Rd. Park on the right at the end of the barn farthest from Tabors Corners.

From Wayland: take Rt 21N for 3 miles. Turn left on Steuben Co Rd 37 (Tabors Corners Rd) at the Bowles Corners sign. Take the second right (3.6 miles) onto Pardee Hollow Rd. Park on the right.

From Honeoye: take W Lake Rd south. Turn right onto French Hill Rd. At the tee (at Dug Rd) turn right to stay on French Hill Rd. Take the first left on Garlinghouse/Atlanta Rd. Go Right on Pardee Hollow Rd and continue for 3.8 miles. Turn right to stay on Pardee Hollow Rd for 0.3 miles. Park on the left.

Katherine J. T. Humphrey will present a discussion on what is new or current in home food preservation – like increased interest in fermentation, using less energy, using what is available locally and seasonally, deciding on what method of preservation would be best for a single person or for a household of many people, where to begin if a novice or an experienced home preserver, and the place to go for research based answers to questions, especially when it comes to safety and quality considerations.

Katherine was a full time Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator 1969-1991, and a CCE Livingston County Home Economics Program Leader. She has been a CCE Home Food Preservation Instructor since 1989.

A Through-Hike of the Colorado Trail

The Little Lakes Sustainability Network and Springwater Trails are pleased to co-host a program on the magnificent Colorado Trail on Thursday, October 27, 7:00 PM at the Jack Evans Community Center (old Hemlock school) on Main Street in Hemlock. Light refreshments will be provided and everyone is welcome, free of charge. Donations to defray costs are encouraged.

Hemlock resident Bill Cooke will present information about the trail followed by a 25 minute slide show with music showing photos from his 2011 “through-hike.” He will share his deep appreciation of the natural environment fostered from many years of experience in long-distance hiking.  Bill will also have copies of his book narrating the hike – Shades of Gray, Splashes of Color – A Thru-hike of The Colorado Trail – available for your perusal and purchase.

The 486-mile Colorado Trail wends its way through the Rocky Mountains of the Centennial State, traversing a landscape as changing and diverse as the swirling afternoon clouds presaging the daily summer thunderstorms.  A common expression among long distance backpackers is “no pain equals no gain.”  In this program, you’ll hear of the “pain” manifested in the struggle of acclimating to high elevations, of hiking long and steep ascents, of coping with a wide range of climatic conditions from freezing cold mornings to hot baking afternoons, to near daily thunderstorms and to long stretches of limited water.  And you’ll see the “gains,” the triumphs as Bill and his hiking companion Keith “Northern Harrier” Bance savor the many rewards of this enchanting trail:  alpine meadows whose wildflowers cover every range of the spectrum, bewitching groves of aspen trees resplendent with the morning glow of the sun, the glistening of snowy peaks, stately conifers including the massive Douglas firs, high mountain passes, dry foothills, sparkling mountain streams, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets where both the skies and the rocks shine like beacons from the low sun alpenglow, and much more.

Along the way, you’ll hear of the delight bestowed by such simple pleasures as a refreshing swig of Rocky Mountain water or a wildlife spotting.  You’ll hear of fascinating near-daily cloud formations with their myriad shades of gray and ever-changing patterns.  You’ll meet “Trail Angels” who emerge at the right place and time, unplanned and unexpected, to assist hikers with their basic needs, such as rides into towns for re-supplying or offers of water and snacks.  And you’ll visit communities along the trail corridor, meeting the people in them, and enjoying the amenities that we all take for granted, such a hot shower, bed with linens, and meals of “real” food, all of which are especially appreciated by hot, dusty hikers.

Bill Cooke recently moved to Hemlock after living for seven years in Lexington, KY.  He has backpacked for nearly 40 years.  In addition to the Colorado Trail, he has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, the Black Forest and Susquehannock Trails of nearby Northern Pennsylvania, and other trails around the country.

You need not be an experienced hiker to enjoy this program, as Bill explains much of the terminology and peculiar habits of long-distance backpackers.  Even those whose experience is confined to short strolls in the park will sense the challenges and the rewards of a trek in the Rocky Mountains.  Come and take a trip to the summertime Rockies!

The event is co-sponsored by the Little Lakes Sustainability Network and the Springwater Hiking Group, and is free and open to the public.

This event has been postponed again.  We are still trying to line up the equipment listed below.  Please stay tuned.

During our April 2 hike down Marrowback Rd, the many tires in the gullies below the road became a topic of conversation and concern. In addition to being an eye-sore, discarded tires are a convenient breeding site for mosquitos and can be a fire hazard.

Since that hike, we have talked with two major landowners and to the Town of Springwater about working to remove these tires and move them to a more appropriate place.

Our first day to work on this project will be May 23 at 10:00.  Please come as we develop methods for pulling the tires up to the road and transporting them to the Town highway barn for disposal.

What to bring:

1. Good work gloves.
2. Good hiking boots. If desired, traction devices to help climbing up to the road.
3. Rope to loop around tires.
4. Clothes that can get dirty while working around heavy, wet tires.

In addition to helping with your energy and your muscles, you may want to lend your farm equipment. We need the following equipment:

1. Power winches to pull the tires up the bank. If you have a vehicle with a power winch, we think that would be a great help in this project.
2. Trailers to transport the tires.
3. Trucks to pull the trailers. We will try to move the tires to the town Highway barn so the town Highway department can schedule disposal.
4. Ropes to help handling the tires and the winches.

If you can volunteer any of this equipment, please leave a comment in the Tire Forum or contact John at vp@springwatertrails.org.

One final comment. A $2.50 fee has been collected since 2003 on every tire sold in New York State. In addition, any Tire Service company is required to accept, on a one-for-one basis old tires for recycling when new tires are sold. As a result, you have already paid for the disposal of your old tires and you should be returning them when you purchase new tires. Please remember, you do not need to dump your old tires into our forests.

Spring is here!, and it is time to get outside.  The Finger Lakes Land Trust is sponsoring a volunteer opportunity at Wesley Hill. This is an opportunity for Springwater Trails to say thank you to one of our popular hike locations.

Wesley Hill is one of FLLT’s most iconic nature preserves, and on Monday, May 20^th, it will be turning 20 years old!  If you have never visited our westernmost preserve, this is your chance!  Wesley Hill is full of beautiful vistas, gorges, and old growth trees. 

Please join me on Saturday the 18^th to help refresh the hiking trails and clear a short reroute, as well as conduct habitat management.  At the end of the day, we will raise a glass of something bubbly to a magnificent place that is protected forever.  Tools, work gloves, and refreshments (including N/A options), will be provided.  We will meet at 11:00am at the WESLEY RD. parking area.  Directions can be found here.

Original email from:
Jason Gorman, Nature Preserve Manager
Finger Lakes Land Trust
202 E. Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.275.9487
www.fllt.org