NOTE: This hike will start at 2:00PM (Please meet at 1:45 to allow for car-pooling).

The Conesus Lake Inlet is an 1100 acre Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

On June 11th we will walk 2 or 3 areas in this WMA.

We will meet, prior to the hike, at 7980 State Route 256, Dansville NY (approx. half-way between Dansville and Scottsburg)

The trails are not maintained on a regular basis so some bush-whacking may be necessary.  Because of the rainy weather the ground may be soggy.  Recommend long pants and stout footwear.   This is a good opportunity to see some nice ponds and possibly some wild life

Meet a Pat and Tony’s at 1:45 to get organized.  Some of the parking areas are small so maybe we can cram into 4 or 5 vehicles.

After the hike all are welcome to meet at Pat & Tony’s for a social.  Bring a dish to pass. Tony will attempt to cook some Zweiglers.

Directions

From Springwater: Turn (left or Right) at light onto Springwater Hill (Rt 15), In 1.5 miles turn left onto Liberty Pole Road (CR 38) In 3.6 miles turn left  onto Stage Coach Road (Rt 255) in 1.8 miles turn right onto Rt 256 (W Swamp Rd) in .3 miles you will arrive at Pat & Tony’s at 7980 State Route 256.   (The last intersection prior to this location is Powell Road, on the left, we are in the blue house (sits back) on the left side after Powell Road.   If you reach Springwater Road (CR1) you’ve gone too far

From Wayland:  Start point Mobil/7-eleven on corner.  Head west on Rt 63, (past the High School), go down Wayland Hill to Main St, Dansville, turn right on Perine Street and Perine street will turn into Route 256, proceed approx. 4.8 miles to 7980 State Rt 256 on left.

Will put a flag near diveway

This Sunday is our first 4:00 hike of the summer season. Please plan to arrive shortly before 4:00 PM on Sunday, June 18.

Our hike this Sunday will explore the fields and woods along the Cohocton River in Atlanta, NY (not GA, but NY). The hike will be through rolling hills and along farm roads and through forests. We will walk along the Cohocton River, so bring your fishing gear if you would like to catch some trout. Hikes for Climbers and Naturalists will be available.

We will meet on a field road off of Rt 21.  Watch for the Springwater Trails sign on Rt 21 and follow the road back to a parking area near the pond. Following the hike, join us for a “dish to pass” social with hamburgers and hotdogs on Cheryl’s grill.  Bring a dish to pass and your own beverage, or make a small ($5) contribution to the social fund.

Directions:

From Wayland, Springwater and Dansville: From the traffic light in Wayland on Rt 15, follow NY 21N east toward N. Cohocton and Naples. In 3 miles you will pass over the Cohocton Creek at Bowles Corners. Continue for another half mile. The driveway will be on the right just before you pass the “School Bus Stop Ahead” sign. Look for the Springwater Trails sign. Continue for about 400 ft (0.1mi) down the farm road to park near the pond.

From Naples, Honeoye and N Cohocton: Take NY 21S from Naples. Turn right to stay on NY 21S through N. Cohocton. In 3.3 miles, the driveway will be on your left, just before the guardrails.  Look for the Springwater Trails sign. Continue for about 400 ft (0.1mi) down the farm road to park near the pond.

This Sunday we will hike the maintenance trails in High Tor WMA off Bassett and Brink Hill Rds. Naples.
The footing is easy, along dirt tracks with grass that has recently been rough mown. There are a few slow rise hills. We will pass 4 ponds along the way where ducks and turtles have been spotted.
Let’s all meet at the Bassett Rd parking area at 3:45pm to leave a few cars. The remaining cars will then proceed to Brink Hill Rd maintenance trail parking lot.
Please remember to spray for ticks.
CLIMBERS will leave from Brink Hill Rd, staying right at the V, turning left at the intersection of the main trail then take the sharp left maintenance road to return to Brink Hill. Maps will be available. This route will probably exceed the 2 hours unless Char is setting the pace:~).
TOURISTS will also leave Brink Hill, stay right at the V, past the ponds to the main intersection. Time permitting, we will visit the Canandaigua Lake overlook, backtrack, then finish the hike along the maintenance road to Bassett parking.
NATURALISTS, should we have at least 2, will walk in from Brink parking, visit the ponds and retrace their steps back to the parking area.
The SOCIAL will be at Amy’s. Directions given at hike. Please bring a dish to pass or plan to make a donation. Meat will be provided. BYO drink. If you would like to drop your dish off prior to the hike, please let Amy know via the website’s contact address or directly, if you have her info.

DIRECTIONS: From Naples, take Main St south up Route# 53. Turn left on Italy Valley. Turn left on Bassett Rd at the curve. The parking area will be just after the first Bassett curve.

On Sunday 9th July, Springwater Trails will be cleaning up the Wheaton Hill Trails.There are two loops on each side of the road. We will split into four groups, with each group taking one of the loops.  We will hike the loop, clearing any branches on the trail, clipping anything that is interfering with with hiking the trail, and we will take notes concerning larger items that need to be done on the trail in the future.

NOTE: If you plan to use a weed whacker, PLEASE BRING EYE PROTECTION! These devices can kick up a lot of dust and small stones.

Bring gloves to protect your hands, loppers to cut branches and if you have one, a small saw for branches that are too large for the loppers. This trail tends to grow a LOT of grass, so we’ll need as many weed whackers as people can bring..

If the weather is good we’ll have a picnic social after the hike; bring a dish to pass and something to drink with you. If it’s cool or threatening to rain then we’ll skip the social this time.

Directions: Wheaton Hill is the first right turn north of the intersection of Rt 15 and Rt 15A in Springwater (0.9 mile north of the intersection).  The trail head is 0.5 miles up Wheaton Hill just before the road turns straight east and heads up the main hill.  More details are on the directions page.

What to bring:

• Gloves and clippers – hand clippers or long handled loppers for larger branches.
• A weed whacker if you have one, with gas mixture and extra string. 
• Small bow saw.
• Plastic grocery bags in case you find any litter.
• Water to keep hydrated.

This Sunday hike is the first in a series. Over the next year we are planning to hike the entire Bristol Hills Branch I(BHB) of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). On the third Sunday of each month, we will hike a different section of the trail.  The Climbers will do the longest hikes, completing the entire trail including all road walks.  The Tourists will generally skip the road walks, making their hikes a bit shorter. And finally, the Naturalists will hike a selected portion of the trail, based on length and terrain. These hikes will be one way hikes, so expect some shuttling of cars.

Our first BHB hike is on the Finger Lakes Trail map B3 (see the images). We will meet on Clark Hill Rd at the corner with LaRue Rd in Bath, NY. From there, some cars will drive to the north end of the hike on Mitchellsville Rd, the rest will drive to the south end of the hike at the corner of Ferris Rd and Harrisburg Hollow Rd.

The Climbers will car pool to the north end of the hike at Access Pt 18 on Mitchellsville Rd and will hike south. The hike will start with a long steep uphill, along a ravine. Once Lake David is reached, the trail flattens out, to a shallow, but steady climb to Harrisburg Hollow Rd. Crossing Harrisburg Hollow Rd, the hike will continue to the point where the BHB ends at the Finger Lakes Trail. Turning right, the climbers will follow the FLT west along the abandoned portion of Ferris Rd.  When the FLT turns into the woods, we will continue on Ferris Rd back to the Tourists and Naturalists cars.

The Tourists and Naturalists will car pool to the south end of the hike. They will turn onto Harrisburg Hollow Rd and park the cars. The Naturalists and tourists will hike along Harrisburg Hollow Rd continuing north. In about half a mile, the Bristol Hills Branch will cross the road. The Tourists will turn left and follow the trail north (downhill) to Access 18 on Mitchellsville Rd where we hope to find the climbers cars and return by car to the southern start point. The Naturalists will turn right and follow the trail to the abandoned Ferris Rd. Turning right, they will follow the FLT and Ferris Rd to the top of the hill, and continue to the cars at Harrisburg Hollow. This trail passes through both forest and open fields. On the last leg of the BHB, you will cross a gully on a ladder bridge – a clever solution to a difficult crossing. If the Naturalists reach the FLT before 5:15, they may want to explore the FLT to the east, before returning to the cars.

We will do a picnic social after the hike on Harrisburg Hollow Rd and enjoy a beautiful view to the west.  Bring a dish to pass and your own beverage (or contribute to the social fund).  If it is raining, we will make other arrangements.

Directions:

From Springwater (and Wayland): Head south on NY-15 through Wayland. Turn left to get on I390.  [If the entrance to I390 is still closed for construction, turn left on NY-415 just before going under I390. In 6.2 miles, turn righ onto Cohocton Look Lake Rd and in a half mile, turn left onto I-390S]. Continue onto I-86 (NY-17) east. Take Exit 37 and turn left only NY-53 north.  In 2.8 miles, turn right onto Larue Rd, Take the first right onto Clark Hill Rd. We will meet here.

From Rochester and Dansville: Head south on I390 and join  I-86 East. Take Exit 37 and follow the directions from Springwater.

From Bath and south: Head west on I-86. Take Exit 37 and follow the directions from Springwater.

From Naples and north: From NY-21 on the south edge of Naples, follow NY-53 South for 19 miles. Turn left onto Larue Rd. Take the first right onto Clark Hill Rd. We will meet here.

To get from the meeting location to Mitchellsville Rd: Turn right (North) onto Larue  Rd for 2.2 miles. (Larue becomes Garner Rd in 1.3 miles) At the T, turn right onto CR 13 (Mitchellsville Rd. In 1.1 miles, the trail will be on the right.  Best parking is on the right.

To get from the meeting location to Harrisburg Hollow Rd at Ferris Rd: Continue on Clark Hill Rd for 1.3 miles.  Continue straight through the 4-way intersection. At the next intersection, turn left onto Harrisburg Hollow Rd. Park right there. (If you had continued straight, that would be Ferris Rd which becomes the FLT.) Warning: most of this route is dirt road.

To get from the North end back to the South end: As you come out of the trail to the cars, you will want to drive to the left on Mitchellsville Rd. Head north on Mitchellsville for 1.1 miles. Turn left onto Garner Rd. When Garner Rd turns right, continue straight onto LaRue Rd for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Clark Hill Rd for 1.3 miles.  Continue straight through the 4-way intersection. At the next intersection, turn left onto Harrisburg Hollow Rd. The Tourist cars should be there.

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If you have pictures of this section of the Bristol Hills Branch, please add them to our gallery. [ngg_uploader id=15]

This Sunday, we will be hiking the Springwater Trail at Sugarbush Hollow.This will be a combination hike and maintenance day – our goal is to hike from Pardee Hollow south, over the hill and then west to Punky Hollow, cleaning fallen branches off the trail and noting any larger maintenance that can be completed at a future work day. 

The Climbers will start from Sugarbush Hollow and will hike to Punky Hollow, and then return to the start point using the Orange trail on the route back.  Tourists and Naturalists will carpool to the Punky Hollow end and will hike the opposite direction. The Naturalists will return to the start point at Punky Hollow, while the Tourists make the trek up and over the hill to the sugar house.

Following the hike, we will head to Atlanta and the Mountain View Inn for dinner and drinks.

Directions: Meet on Pardee Hollow downhill from the Sugar House at the entrances to the Trail. Detailed directions here.

This Sunday, we will take advantage of Canadice Lake, the smaller of the two undeveloped Finger Lakes north of the town of Springwater. Prior to the purchase of the land around these lakes by the City of Rochester, Canadice was known as the lake with cottages for the “locals”, while Hemlock catered more to the city folk. Hikers should be able to see cottage foundations remaining on the west side of Canadice Lake. Take a look at photos of some of those cottages.

We will all meet at the Canoe Launch near the south end of Canadice Lake. Boaters should arrive by 3:30 to allow time to unload boats and transport them to the lake. Following the hike and boating, we will have a Dish to Pass social at the Canoe Launch. Bring a dish to pass or make a donation to the Social Fund. Also bring your own beverage.

HIKERS:

Naturalists and Tourists will car pool to the south trail entrance and will follow the trail to the west side of the lake and up the west side. Checking the time, they will turn around to return to the cars and the canoe launch at 6:00. Climbers preferring a longer one way trip, will car pool to the north end of Canadice and arrange for a ride back with the Naturalists at the end of the hike. This trail is wide and fairly flat, allowing all hikers to enjoy the lake.

BOATERS:

Boaters will launch from the Canoe Launch and will head South and then North along the western shoreline. They will head across the lake to return south to the canoe launch for a 4 or 5 mile trip.

DIRECTIONS:

From Springwater: Go North on 15A for 2.7 miles. Bear right on Old Bald Hill Rd S and then an immediate right on Johnson Hill Rd. Take the first left onto Canadice Lake Rd. The Canadice Canoe Launch is 1.8 miles north of Johnson Hill Rd.

From Honeoye: Take Co Rd 37 South from 20A, Turn right after 3.7mi to stay on Co Rd 37. Stay straight onto Burch Hill Rd. At the lake, turn left onto Canadice Lake Rd. The Canadice Canoe Launch is 2.1 miles south of Burch Hill Rd.

From Hemlock and Rochester: Take NY Rt 15A south from Rochester through Lima and Hemlock. Just past Hemlock, Rt 20A goes left. Continue straight on 15A for 3,2 miles after 20A. Turn left on Purcell Hill. At the end of Purcell Hill Rd, turn right onto Canadice Lake Rd on the east side of the lake. The Canoe Launch is 2.9 miles south.

Join us for a hike at the Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area. Harriett was a Rochester horticulturist, rose expert and civic leader. Over 600 acres in the park was donated to New York State from her estate in the 1960’s. It is part of the New York State Park System. There is a panoramic view of the countryside from the Overlook Trail. Some folks take the long drive up just to gaze at Honeoye Lake and the surrounding hills from this two thousand foot high vantage point. On a clear day, the Rochester skyline is visible. For some this will be a familiar destination, for others an opportunity to explore a variety of trails through the forest with some intriguing terrain. As usual we will gather at the designated parking area to welcome everyone and to form our hiking groups. Maps will be provided to hike leaders.

Naturalists will head out on Ruthie’s Run to the Chalet Trail. This area is an old road that once led to a large chalet and cabins which housed a camp at one time. Two of the old red cabins are still standing. One is used by the Nordic Ski Patrol during the winter season. This group will continue on until the trail meets The Pines trail. There they will stroll through a lovely corridor of Norway Spruce, eventually arriving at the picnic area and restrooms. From there they can amble along Overlook Road to take in the scenic view for as long as they wish. A short half mile hike up the road or along the trail that parallels the road, will return them to the starting point. Total mileage about 2.5 miles. Hike leader to be recruited.

The Tourist group will follow the Overlook Road for a brief way to connect with Cannonball Run, a shady fern covered section of the woods. Where Cannonball meets the park road, the Tourists can stop to admire the outstanding view before proceeding on to Raccoon Run and the Blue Spruce Trail, an easy meander through the forest, with a few small hills to navigate. This group will return to the parking area via the Chalet Trail for a total of about 4 miles. Wendy will lead this group.

Climbers will tackle a number of trails, beginning at Big Oak, to hike around the perimeter of the park in a clockwise direction. This group will sample most of the park trails during their 5 + mile journey. They will also enjoy a stop at the famous Overlook. Hike leader to be recruited.

Social: Following the hike we will have a dish to pass social at the parking area. Bring a dish to pass or make a donation to the Social Fund. Also bring your own beverage.

Directions: From 1 mile north of Springwater on Rt. 15A, turn up Wheaton Hill RD. Drive all the way to Wetmore RD. and turn left. Continue straight onto Canadice Hill RD. and drive another 2 miles to the park on the right.

From Honeoye: Take County Road 37 and continue straight onto Canadice Hill Rd. to the park on the left..

The Springwater Community Day has been rescheduled for August 13 at the Larry J. Canute Memorial Park on School St in Springwater.

Pancake Breakfast    7:00AM-10:30AM
Chicken BBQ         11:00AM til gone
Classic Car Show     9:00AM-3:00PM
Antique Tractor Pulls  9:00AM-4:00PM
Wheaton Hill Hike        4:00PM – 6:00PM
Hemlock Lake Kayak   4:00PM – 6:00PM

No coolers or containers allowed in park.
No dogs or bicycles allowed in park. 
Dogs are welcome on the Wheaton Hill Hike.

The goal of this Sunday’s hike is to provide a physical connection between hiking trails at the Hemlock Canadice State Forest and the Park in the Hamlet. The members of Springwater Trails help maintain the state forest trails on Wheaton Hill which we will be hiking.

All hikers will meet at 4:00 at the Springwater/Webster Crossing Historical Society Museum at 8130 Route 15 (S Main St) in Springwater.  This museum is less than half a mile from the festivities at the park, so visitors at the Park festivities can walk or drive to the museum. Come early  to explore the Museum prior to the hike. You can meet at the Springwater Trails banner at 3:00 to walk to the Museum.

Springwater Village c1913

We will car pool from the Museum to Wheaton Hill. From the entrance, we will follow the Spruce Loop to the right and then the Redbud Trail. At the bottom of the Redbud loop, we will head out on an unmarked route across one gully to exit at the entrance to the Hamlet of Springwater.  From there we will do a road walk along Main St through the hamlet back to the Museum. This will be a great time to share some history of the hamlet. Hikers with cars at the park will turn at Howe Av to return directly to the park.

Kayakers are also invited to join Springwater Trails at the Hemlock Lake South Boat launch at 4:00. Kayakers at the Community Day should leave the park or museum by 3:30 to provide time to unload equipment at the boat launch and be ready to push off at 4:00. Kayakers are required to wear a PFD (life jacket) and to stay with their group throughout the two hour paddle.

Hikers and Kayakers are urged to enjoy the Community Day and partake of the Chicken BBQ.Therefore, this Sunday only, we will not have our traditional social following our hike and kayak.

This Sunday hike is the second in our BHB Series. This series taking place on the third Sunday of each month for a year, will complete the entire Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail.

Sunday’s hike will take us through Pigtail Hollow State Forest, in the Towns of Wheeler and Urbana, beginning about halfway between Prattsburgh and Bath. The Climbers will do the full hike south to north from Access Point 18 to 17, a total of 4.4 miles. The Tourists will hike the southern 3/4 of the trail going north to south, with more descending than ascending. The Tourists and the Climbers will exchange car keys when they meet along the trail, and the Climbers will continue for the final mile beyond the Tourists’ starting point. The Naturalists will start at the same point as the Tourists, going south into the forest to Gramdma’s Camp and exploring some fairly level forest terrain.

Climbers will start at C and hike north. Tourists and Naturalists will start at T and hike south.

The Climbers hike starts with a steep uphill, moderating to a more gentle climb and then fairly level forest trails with steep stream crossings at a few ravines. There is a good deal of variety in the forest types we will see, including stands of young white pine, older red pine, hemlock on the north slopes, and spruce, as well as oak and other hardwoods. Signage notes some sections of harvested pine forest being returned to native hardwoods. The trail comes out of the woods and follows Hungry Hollow/Dinehart and then Two Rod/Colegrove Road for about a quarter mile, then returns to the woods for the final mile. The Tourists will cover the same trail, but without the final mile, and going the other way (more downhill), from Hungry Hollow Road to County Road 13, for a total of about 3.4 miles (roughly 2 hours).

We will meet at Access Point 18, the southern end of the hike, on County Road 13 (a.k.a. Mitchellsville Road) between Hungry Hollow Road and Randallville Road. There is ample parking along the southern shoulder of the road. This is the starting point for the Climbers, and the end point for the Tourists. Plan to arrive by 3:45 to allow time for organizing cars. Two or three Climbers will leave cars at the final destination, Access Point 17, and then meet the rest of the group at Access point 18 at 3:45. Tourists and Naturalists will then car pool to their hike starting point, where the trail meets Hungry Hollow Road (a.k.a Dinehart Road – a rugged dirt road) near the corner of Two Rod Road (a.k.a. Colgrove Hill Road, also a rugged dirt road). When the Climbers and Tourists meet in Pigtail Forest, they will exchange keys so that the Tourists can retrieve all cars from County Road 13 and bring them around to the north end, reuniting all hikers with their vehicles.

From the two end points we will adjourn to the Village Park in Prattsburgh for our social. Prattsburgh has a fine village square with a gazebo and several large tables and bench groups at the center and parking along the sides. Please bring a dish to pass and your own beverage. There is a small grocery store open until 8 PM across the street from the park, for sandwiches and ice cream etc.

To get to Prattsburgh from the end points (the intersection of Hungry Hollow, Dinehart and 2 Rod roads, proceed 2 miles north along 2 Rod (which changes names to Colegrove Hill Road). At the T, make a left on Bean Station Road. At the next T turn right on Route 53. It’s about 5.5 miles total. Don’t miss the Hillview Blueberry Farm on Bean Station Road. You will go right by it, and you can pick your own or buy terrific fresh blueberries already picked, reasonably priced.

Directions to the hike:

From Springwater: Head south on NY 15. At the light in Wayland, turn left on NY 21. In 6.7 miles turn left in North Cohocton to stay on NY 21. (In 1.5 miles, you may turn right onto County Line Rd and follow that to Blodgett Rd and NY53, but it is easier to go into Naples as follows).  Continue 4.5 miles to the stop sign on NY 21 in Naples. Turn right onto NY 53. Follow NY 53 for 16.8 miles through Prattsburgh. Turn left onto CR 13 – Mitchellsville Rd.  Part on the right side in 1.8 miles.  There are signs for the trail on the right and left sides.

From Rochester, Dansville and points north: Take I390 and I86 to Exit 37 and turn left on NY-53 north. Go 5 miles north, through Marshalls, and Wheeler. Take a right on County Road 13 at Renchans. Go 1.8 miles. Shortly after you pass Hungry Hollow Road on your left, you will see the trail crossing CR 13. Park on the right shoulder.

From Naples and points northeast: On the south edge of Naples, take NY 53 south off of Rt 21. Follow NY 53 for 16.8 miles through Ingleside and Prattsburgh to Renchans, where you will turn left onto County Rd. 13. Shortly after you pass Hungry Hollow Road on your left, you will see the trail crossing CR 13. Park on the right shoulder.

From Bath and points south: Take I86 north to Exit 37, and turn left on NY-53 north. Go 5 miles north, through Marshalls, and Wheeler. Take a right on County Road 13 at Renchans. Go 1.8 miles. Shortly after you pass Hungry Hollow Road on your left, you will see the trail crossing CR 13. Park on the right shoulder.

To get from Access Point 18 (south end) to Tourists starting point: From County Road 13, continue south on CR 13 for 0.8 miles. Take the second left onto Runner Rd (AKA Randallville Rd). At the tee (2.4 mi) turn left onto 2 Rod Rd.  At the stop sign (1.3 miles) turn left on Hungry Hollow Rd. In 0.2 miles park on the left side by 3 big maple tress. The trail head is back up Hungry Hollow Road directly across from the driveway of a neighbor who would prefer that we not park in front of the house.

To get from Tourists starting point to Access Point 17: Go east on Hungry Hollow Road, through the intersection where the name changes to Dinehart Road. Make a left when onto Glen Brook Road at the second intersection. In 0.2 miles, the trail crosses the road. There is a small kiosk and parking area on the right side of the road.
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