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.

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.