See http://www.springwaterfiddlersfair.net/

*** PLEASE NOTE – – –  This is NOT a scheduled Springwater Trails hike.  It is an option for a hike at Watkins Glen, a hike led by a park naturalist, as held on numerous dates.  Sunday August 9th (when there is no scheduled S/T Sunday hike) being one of those dates.. ***

Likely Watkins Glen is a bit far to do a S/T hike, perhaps except by distance exception. (On the outer reaches of travel area to hike.)  However for those S/T hikers with specific interest in going to Watkins Glen S.P., recently rated #3 state park in the U.S.A. (by-the-way Letchworth S.P. was recently rated #1 state park in all of the U.S.A., maybe you’ve not yet heard this), &/or who are perhaps looking for a Sunday 8/9/2015 hike (if they feel they are missing a Sunday hike from their weekend plans) and who maybe can not make the Saturday August 8th S/T hike this may be an option.

There are also other dates for this same “Walk Behind the Waterfalls Gorge Tour” hike.  Please take note of the varying availability of dates and times this hike is offered as a park naturalist guided nature walk.

Perhaps at the Saturday 8/8/2015 S/T hike (Canadice Outlet Woodswalk), some of our S/T hikers may wish to confer about possibilities of coalescing a group of hikers who may wish to hike at Watkins Glen on 8/9, or on another date, to do this Watkins Glen Waterfall hike.

And, … of course once you are at Watkins Glen S.P for this hike, nothing stopping you from continuing your hiking time at the park outside of the park naturalist guided walk.  Heck, you made the drive, why not see some more of the place.  And if it is a hot day, there is an olympic-sized swimming pool in the park sure to cool you off if you take the plunge.  And for cemetery appreciators (and with a vista viewpoint none-the-less), there is a large cemetery (Greenwood Cemetery) immediately contiguous the northeast section of Watkins Glen State Park, and yes park trails connect to the cemetery.  It is left to you to explore the possibilities, no “spoiler” here, albeit said there is an open-sided pavilion in the cemetery with picnic tables.

Also noteworthy, not too far west of the far western end of the park, is a section of the FLT, and in the towns of Orange, Tyrone, Reading & Dix (all in Schuyler County) is the Sugar Hill State Forest and here you will find the Sugar Hill Fire Tower trails, and YES, you can climb the fire tower to the top.  And occasionally the “cab” of the fire tower is open.  (Hint: look for Tower Hill Road.)

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Here is the listing info provided on the park website for this recurring date hike.

http://nysparks.com/events/event.aspx?e=142-14059.5.7

Walk Behind the Waterfalls Gorge Tour

Daily Dates through: Tuesday, September 8th, 2015, inclusive (No hikes SCHEDULED ON mONDAYS)

Join a park naturalist on a guided nature walk one mile up the Gorge Trail to explore the origins and history of the gorge. Meet at the gorge entrance at the end of the main parking lot off of Franklin St./NYS Route 14.

Tuesdays – Sundays, 10am & 1pm. No fee; no reservations required.

– See more at: http://nysparks.com/events/event.aspx?e=142-14059.5.7#sthash.REqLupxe.dpuf

Agenda

• Approve minutes – Katherine
• Treasurer’s report – Melissa
• Committee Reports
  • Trail Maintenance – Gene
  • Advertising – Katherine
    • Brochure – First Draft – Mark
    • Rack Card – First Draft
  • Trail Building – Rick
    • Sugarbush Hollow to Pardy Hollow
  • Hiking Group – Wendy
  • New Business
    • Fiddler’s Fair – Parking
      • Chairman
      • Signup Sheet
    • Bicentennial
      • Our role
      • Bicentennial committee communications

The topic for the Adirondack Mountain Club, Genesee Valley Chapter’s program for September is the magnificent Colorado Trail. Bill Cooke will present information about the trail followed by a 25-minute slide show with music showing photos from his 2011 thru-hike, and answer your questions. A sample of the slideshow is available on YouTube.

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. In this program, you’ll hear of the challenges such as 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, to long stretches of limited water.

You’ll see the rewards and triumphs as Bill and his hiking companion Keith “Northern Harrier” Bance savor the 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.

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 such that 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.

ADK meetings are educational and entertaining. You will hear about future activities and have the opportunity to talk to active members (they are friendly) and ask questions about the club. The meetings are free to all.

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).

The bald eagle has been chosen as the national symbol of our country.  A pair, of these magnificent birds, has built a nest near the top of a tree south of Bath and, every year, since they built it, they have been returning to raise a brood, usually consisting of 2 chicks.  In Mossy Bank Park, a hill, above this tree, offers a great vantage point to view the nest from above.  Last year, we went there in early May and had a good look at the fuzzy chicks in the nest.  This year, the parents have returned to the nest and, 2 chicks have successfully hatched.  This time, we’re going back, later in the month, the chicks will be more mature and, if we’re lucky, we may see them walking around the nest.

The Mossy Bank Park eagle feeding her chicks
May 2, 2015
– by Brenda Todd

Once again, Dr. Randy Wiedner, has offered to be our guide for this day.  We will meet at 2 PM, at the nature center.  Then, Randy will lead us to the eagle viewing ledge.  Although he’ll set up a spotting scope for us, if you have binoculars, you’ll want to bring them for this one.  After our view of the eagles, Randy will lead a hike through the trails of the park.  For those preferring a slower pace, I will take you on some of the trails along the ridge and point out some of the features we encounter.

After our hikes, I have reserved one of the park’s pavilions, for a pot luck picnic.  Randy, and his wife, Cathy, will join us as our guests.  The rest of us need to bring a dish to pass, and beverage, or make a donation.  After you’re done feeding your face, don’t run away.  Make your way to the nature center, where Randy will show us his great bald eagle powerpoint.  Besides seeing the history of this pair at this tree, you’ll see how our great national symbol was threatened with extinction in the mid 20th Century and the comeback that it made, due to the efforts of the late Rachel Carson, and other such heroes.  You don’t want to miss this one.  And, because it’s late May, it will still be light when you make your way home.

Directions

Go south on I-390 and east on I-86.  Take exit 38 and go left at the end of the exit ramp. Go under 86 and turn right at the first traffic light, onto W. Morris St.  Go past Tops, stay right at the fork, go past the library and make a sharp right onto Cameron St.  Pass 86 again, and the Cohocton River and continue 1.6 miles.  Watch for small Mossy Bank Park signs and fork to the left onto Windfall Rd.  Go .4 miles and turn left onto Mossy Bank Park Rd.  Go 1.3 miles to gate, marked with a small sign.  Continue straight ahead until you pass between 2 large boulders, into the park.  Park in the parking lot and come to the nature center.