Volunteers are needed to assist in picking up roadside litter along a stretch of highway in the Town of Springwater that Springwater Trails is in the process of adopting.  We will meet at the Fire Hall parking lot at 9AM for a mandatory safety briefing presented by NYS DOT.  They will provide the required hard hats and safety vests. You will want to bring gloves.  NYS DOT will also provide the collection bags and pick up.  The plan is to work from 9AM-12PM, lunch at Sammy’s, and (if needed) work from 1PM-4PM.   Ask your friends to join us.  So NYS DOT can be given an approximate number of participants, please let Wendy know if you plan on helping out – wsteven@frontiernet.net .

Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 10:00AM , this will be a short hike, with lots of history about the CCC Camp at Big Bend in Letchworth State Park.  The announcement, states: 3 hour, moderate walking 1/2mile, bring a lunch.  At 10:00AM, the “meet locale” is at Parade Grounds parking lot, and then there will be a carpool to the event site (the Big Bend CCC Camp).

This event  is offered thru the Letchworth State Park hike and activity series.  A very active series that holds numerous hikes and other activities year round, mostly in Letchworth State Park and on the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (aka GVG -or- GVGSP).  These events are published in The Genesee Naturalist published quarterly.

This event is led by Historian and author Tom Cook, author of a book about the Letchworth Park CCC Camps, and author of other books as well.

Also of note, Tom Cook will be presenting the Avon Preservation and Historical Society (APHS) program about the Genesee Valley Canal (GVC) during which he will particularly highlight the challenging area of canal construction in and surrounding present day Letchworth State Park.  This APHS program is scheduled at 2:00PM on Sunday April 24th, 2016 at the Avon Opera Block second floor meeting room (handicap accessible) located at 23 Genesee St in the Village of Avon (off the west/southwest side of the traffic circle in the Village of Avon that Routes 5&20 navigate through.

Following this presentation, Springwater Trails will be holding a hike (hike meet at ~3:15PM or so) on the former GVC corridor (now the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park aka GVGSP -or- GVG).  This Springwater Trails hike will be on the GVG (spanning miles 12-17 of the GVG) in town of Caledonia which is just across the Genesee River from Avon.  Various length hike groups are planned for on this hike, the shortest of which is suitable for mobility limited hikers (inclusive of wheelchair hikers).

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.

Volunteers from Springwater Trails are needed to pick up roadside litter along NY Rtes 15 and 15A in the Town of Springwater.   There will be a short information meeting at the Springwater Fire Hall parking lot at 9AM on Tuesday November 1, 2016 prior to getting started.   Bags, safety vests and hard hats will be provided.

Springwater Trails is relaxing after a busy 2016.

Please join the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park on New Years Day for a hike on the Greenway.  Or, check the rest of the calendar for organized hikes near Springwater.

The NCS Honor Society has offered to do some maintenance and construction work on the BHB in Naples as part of their community service commitment. They will be working on the landscaping around the new bridge on Gideon Hanggi’s land. If you can spare a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon in October to help Donna, our FLT volunteer coordinator, to support these teenagers, please meet at Bob and Ruth’s parking lot on Rt 21 in Naples at 12:30. We will work from 1 to 3.  Please RSVP if you plan to come.

Springwater Trails has agreed to maintain the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail between Clement Rd and NY 245 in Naples. The FLT is sponsoring a workshop on trail mainentance on Oct 14th in Bath.

This is an opportunity for all hikers interested in helping to maintain hiking trail with Springwater Trails to learn more about the tasks required to maintain a great trail and to get to know other people who are also working on the trail.

Please look at this season’s Trail Tenders News for more details and RSVP if you are interested in attending.  We can arrange a car pool if we know you want to come.

Directions from Springwater: Take NY 15 south through Wayland. Turn left onto I390 S, which joins I86 E in 16 miles.  Take Exit 38 and turn left onto NY 54 N. Go under the expressway and turn right at the first intersection E. Morris St.  The Fire Hall is on the right in 1.1 miles.

The Steuben County Fairgrounds in Bath, NY will be transformed into a celebration of all things outdoors on Friday, July 26. The Finger Lakes Trail Conference along with the Steuben County Conference & Visitors Bureau and Friends of the Chemung River is excited to present the first Finger Lakes Trail Days over two jam packed days.

Kicking off the festivities Friday night is a concert featuring the Grammy Award winning bluegrass band, Steep Canyon Rangers. The duet of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley will show off their guitar and vocal prowess warming up for the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Doors open at 6:00 pm and food and drink will be available.

Tickets can be purchased for either Friday evening’s concert or for Saturday; a two-day pass is also available. For more information on tickets, activities, on-site camping opportunities and the music schedule visit www.fingerlakestraildays.com or contact info@fingerlakestraildays.com

The Steuben County Fairgrounds in Bath, NY will be transformed into a celebration of all things outdoors on Friday, July 26. The Finger Lakes Trail Conference along with the Steuben County Conference & Visitors Bureau and Friends of the Chemung River is excited to present the first Finger Lakes Trail Days over two jam packed days.

Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast who already spends weekends hiking, biking, kayaking or fishing/hunting or someone who has always thought about trying something new, Saturday is filled with outdoor recreation activities of all kinds.

Additionally, enjoy local food, drinks, and a remarkable musical line-up. From 8:30 – 3pm there will be hikes of varying lengths and difficulty levels (click here for more information).

Also, check out the guided tours of places of interest in the area.

Beginning at 11 am at the Fairgrounds, attend one of the many interesting presentations, ranging from Geocaching to Yoga, Birdwatching to Medicinal plants and more.

Local food trucks and beer garden will be available all throughout the day.

Attendees can also experience a zip line, climb a rock wall, learn to kayak or mountain bike and navigate a ropes course.

There is a stellar lineup of outdoor exhibitors available to answer questions and provide information about their organization. Hiking groups from around the state will be available.

And meet the experts to find out more about birding, conserving land, our local rivers or monarchs.

Throughout the day you will hear a music line-up featuring Sawyer Fredericks (the 2015 winner of The Voice), Cicada Rhythm, Joshua Davis, Aaron Lipp & the Slack Tones, and Joseph Alton Miller.

There are plenty of activities for the entire family!