Springwater Trails hikers have opportunity to hike with other hikers at the Finger Lakes Trail Conference (FLTC) 2015 annual Howard Beye hike to be held Saturday, January 10th 2015, 10:00AM start time.  Finish time best guess is perhaps around 1:00PM or so.  (Participation in the Howard Beye Winter Hike by Springwater Trails has become a tradition, an auxiliary Springwater Trails event.)   This year the hike is an approximately 6 mile hike on the Letchworth Branch Trail of the Finger Lakes Trail; between access point C at Hogsback Overlook and Access point E on River Rd; located in the north end of Letchworth State Park on the eastern side.   Meet at access point C for the hike start. More details by “clicking on” the hyperlink provided above or by viewing the fltconference.org website.

Trail terrain in this area is mixed rolling hills and relatively flat with some small creek crossings, NO big hills!  Springwater Trails hiking group hiked some of this trail route previously, most recently on our 6/1/2014 hike.

This hike is being held on the eastern side of Letchworth State Park; there is no park admittance fee on the eastern side of the park.

Hogsback Overlook is on Visitor Center Road a short distance south of the Mt Morris Dam Visitor’s Center.  Visitor Center Rd is accessed via NYS Rt 408 south of the Village of Mount Morris.

For all those interested in trails advancement in our region- the next round of public input and meetings for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Regional Trails Initiative is here!

Since the fall of last year, folks have been working hard on the Regional Trails Initiative Plan Update, and Livingston County has participated actively with input coming from municipalities, trail groups or organizations, and trail users.  The next opportunity for public input is this weekend and early next week.  See the attached flyer for details.  The main goals at this time are to obtain public comments, determine how to refine the recommended network, and set priorities for implementation.   I anticipate being in attendance at the Public Open House in Batavia.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Pubic Open Houses:
Saturday, April 11, 2015, 9 am- 1 pm.  Rochester- City of Rochester Public Market.
Monday, April 13, 2015.  6 pm – 8 pm.   Batavia – Genesee County Building No. 2
Tuesday, April 14, 2015.  5 pm – 7 pm.  Geneva – The Ramada.

If you would like to review and comment on the network now – please do!  Check the website and wiki map – and please pass the links along to your fellow citizens.  I have also included a copy of the RTI map, in pdf format, zoomed into Livingston County.  The full Region map can be viewed at the website link.

The Livingston County Planning Department is also participating on the Regional Trails Initiative Steering Committee.  The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, 2015.  If you have any questions or have input that you would like to provide, please feel free to contact me before this meeting so I can share your input.   Please feel free to distribute this email and attached resources.  We would like to hear from all who are interested.

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.

Hike Leader – Cate Concannon, catrina616@gmail.com

Hike Description – Map B3, Access 18 to Map 12, Access 2.

This hike will start with a steep uphill at Access 18 off Mitchellsville Road on the Bristol Hills Trail. We will follow the BHT through the forest, past Lake David and through gullies for a total of 3.6 miles, then cross over to the mail FLT with a short road walk on Harrisburg Hollow Road. We should have some nice views of the area and finish the hike on 2.1 miles of the main FLT trail. A hike encompassing two maps and two different trails – how fun! Perhaps someone will know if this is the first time this has been done on the Named Hike series.

Car Pooling: Springwater Trails will organize a car pool from the parking area behind the Wayland Fire House.  Be at the parking are at 9:15 – we will leave promptly at 9:25!

Meeting time – 10 am, with a departure time of 10:10. We’ll need to place cars for the car shuttle.

Meeting place – We will meet at the Hickory Hill Campground (click for map and directions) . From there we will drop cars at our end point and proceed to our starting point, Access 18 on Route 13. From exit 38 off I-86 (Route 17), follow signs to Route 54. After following Rt 54 through town including a 90 degree left turn, Route 13/Mitchellsville Road will branch off to the left. Prominent signs for the campground, which will be on your left off Rt 13 just north of Bath.

Notes – Please dress for the weather, but as a general rule of thumb, dress in layers and bring extra clothes. Waterproof jacket & pants will most likely come in handy, plus hat and gloves. Pack a lunch that can be eaten quickly on the trail, plus lots of water.Be prepared for steep ascents and descents! E-mail hike leader with your interest in joining the hike – carpooling is encouraged and she will help to organize.

Updates:  Check for updates at the FLT website.

The Western Finger Lakes chapter of the NY Forest Owners Association is holding their Spring General Meeting on May 18.

A panel of leaders from local business, non-profit and government will talk about the tourism industry in the area and how forest landowners can participate in the economic benefits of attracting people to the area.  

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.