NOTE: This Sunday’s hike was originally planned as a hike/Kayak event.  However, due to Harmful Algal Blooms on both lakes, we have adapted to a hike/social event only.

NOTE #2:  Due to limited parking for guests at Boughton Park, please RSVP to reserve a parking permit.  Offsite parking is available with a shuttle if RSVPs exceed our permits.

Boughton Park is located in the northern part of the Town of East Bloomfield, Ontario County.  From the 1920s to the 1980s Fairport used the two reservoirs at this location for their water supply.  We will have three hikes around these old reservoirs (now often referred to as “ponds”).    The trails are good with very mild elevation changes.  There is poison ivy beside the trails. If you stick to the trails you are okay, but be sure you can identify it if you get off trail.  It is often just beside the trails, but not on them.

Carpooling:  Parking (by permit only) is available at the trail head, but we are limited to 16 parking permits.  If you plan to come, please RSVP to reserve a parking spot. Let Renee know if you plan to carpool.

NOTE #3: If you are unable to RSVP prior to the Sunday hike, please arrive fifteen minutes early to allow time to park at the offsite location. If no permits a still available, we will arrange with you to park offsite and be shuttled back to the Park.  See the map at the end of this post.

Please plan to carpool, to preserve both gas and parking spots. Unsupervised carpools will start from the Springwater Town Hall or from the Sandy Bottom parking area at the north end of Honeoye Lake.  Plan to arrive at Sandy Bottom at 3:15 to leave promptly at 3:25 for the hike.  Or meet at the Springwater Town Hall at 3:00 to leave promptly at 3:10. Or, you may call and plan your own carpool. If you plan to

Hike Meet Location: All hikers will meet at the  Stirnie Road parking lot.   Please park at the Stirnie Road entrance, where the pavilion is located.  We will have parking permits when you arrive – so please be on time!  For clarity there is another parking lot off Boughton Rd, which we are NOT using as our “hike meet location”.

Optional After-Hike Social:  We are planning a social at the pavilion near the parking.  Please bring a dish to pass and your own beverage. Or bring your own sandwich if you prefer to not share, or make a donation to the social fund.

Hike Plans: Boughton Park consists of 330 acres and 5 miles of designated trails. The area has some rolling hills with perhaps 50-100 foot max elevation change.  The park is reserved for residents of Victor, East Bloomfield and West Bloomfield and their guests.  On Sunday, Springwater Trails will be guests. For more information, click on the Boughton Park link.

The Victor Hiking Trails Seneca Trail connects to the north end of Boughton Park and from there, you can hike all the way through Victor to Perinton and the Crescent Trail.

Hike Routes:   For a larger map, click on the map or check the board at the trailhead.

Climbers and tourists:  Renee will lead one group around both ponds, (including a new loop at the southwest corner), then north along the west pond, to the east pond, and south along the east side of this pond, followed by the gravel road back to the north end, and along the west pond back to the pavilion, this is about 4 miles.

Naturalists:  Saralinda will lead the naturalists north to views of the west pond, then on the gravel road to the east pond and to the Boughton Road parking lot and then back to the pavilion, 1 mile total.

Directions:  To carpool locations

Springwater Town Hall: Please be at the Springwater Town Hall at 1:00PM to carpool to Boughton Park.  Click here for directions to the town hall.  Remember, this is an unsupervised carpool and drivers will be leaving promptly at 3:10PM.

Sandy Bottom: If Honeoye is more convenient, please meet at Sandy Bottom at 3:15PM to carpool.  Drivers should leave promptly at 3:25PM.

Directions: TO THE HIKE: Set your GPS to (42.937581, -77.441284) or to 1911 Stirnie Rd (parking is on the east side of the road).

From Honeoye and the Sandy Bottom Park  (carpool location) :

– From Sandy Bottom, head north on West Lake Rd.
– Take Rt 20A east for 5.9 miles
– Turn left onto CR 2 for 1 mile, then continue straight onto Oakmount Rd (CR2 turns right).
– Turn left onto Rts 5&20 and travel 1 mile.
– Turn right onto NY-64
– In a half mile, turn right onto Eddy Rd.
– Take the first left onto CR 39 and continue onto CR 39 for 1.7 miles.
– Turn right onto Boughton Rd (CR 39 will continue to the left)
– Take the first left onto Stirnie Rd.  The parking area is 0.8 miles ahead on the right. (past a curve to the right, and a curve to the left)

From Springwater and the Town Hall  (carpool location):

–Take Rt 15A north from the flashing light in Springwater.
–Turn right onto Rt 20A toward Honeoye. After 4.0 miles
– Turn left on CR 37 to go north to West Bloomfield.
– Turn right onto Rts 5&20 east at the West Bloomfield Congregational Church.
– In 3.7 miles, turn left onto Cannan Rd, (its the first road that crosses US20 both left and right).
– Cross NY64 where the road becomes Bennett Rd.
– At the first road, turn right onto CR 39.
– At the right hand curve on CR39, take a slight left onto Boughton Rd
– Take the first left onto Stirnie Rd. (It’s a VERY VERY short travel on Boughton Rd) The parking area is 0.8 miles ahead on the right. (past a curve to the right, and a curve to the left)

 From Rochester area: 

– Take I490 East to the Victor Exit 29.
– Merge onto Rt 96 S into Victor.
– Turn right onto Maple Ave (Rt 444) (follow the sign to Bristol Mt).
– At the flashing light turn right onto Boughton Hill Rd (CR 41) (At Ganondagan)
– Take the 1^st left onto Murray Rd.
– At the T, turn right onto Town Line Rd.
– Take the 1^st left onto Stirnie Rd.  The parking is on the left after 0.4 miles.

Off Site Parking

We have arranged for permission for hikers to park at Parkview Fairways.  See the map below and be sure to park in the indicated location to avoid interference with Fairway customers. If you have not RSVPed, please come to Stimie Rd parking lot for specific directions to the Parkview lot.

This Sunday we’ll return to an old favorite, a walk in the woods at the Wesley Hill Preserve in Canadice/South Bristol, with a social afterwards at the Birdhouse Brewery in Honeoye.

Meet at the Wesley Road parking area at 3:45 for a 4pm start. The Climbers will make the full perimeter loop of the property on the Yellow, Blue, Red and Orange Trails for a total of about 5 miles.   The Tourists and Naturalists will follow a shorter loop of around 3 miles. The weather is expected to be warm, but the woods should keep us comfortable and we’ll adjust the hike lengths as the weather dictates and stop for an occasional frolic in the stream. Bring plenty of water.

Wesley Hill is a Finger Lakes Land Trust property of 390 acres on the hill east of Honeoye Lake.  including stands of northern hardwoods, red and white pines, hemlocks, a woodland pond, and the northern edge of Briggs Gully, as well as the Wenrich Cabin, set in an old forest overlooking the gully, deep in the woods.  The preserve was established in 1999 by the generous donation of 90 acres by the children of three artists – John Wenrich, James Havens and Colburn Dugan – to the Finger Lakes Land Trust. Since that time, the Land Trust has expanded Wesley Hill through the purchase or donation of four additional parcels. For more on the Preserve, see     fllt.org/preserves/wesley-hill-nature-preserve/

Following the hike, our social will be at Birdhouse Brewing, 8716 Main Street, Honeoye.

DIRECTIONS: From Honeoye: take route 20A east through Honeoye to East Lake Road (CR 33). Turn right onto East Lake Road. (If coming from Bristol or points east, it’s a left onto East Lake Road).  Take the first left, staying on CR 33, then the first right onto Pinewood Hill which becomes Gulick Road. Once on Gulick Road, travel about 2.5 miles to a right on Wesley Road, then another mile to the Wesley Road parking lot, on your right.

From Springwater: Take your favorite route to Naples and proceed north on County Road 36 toward Honeoye. In 1.5 miles, make a right on Gulick Road, then a left on Wesley Road after about 8 miles (pass Camp Cutler and Cumming Nature Center). Go one mile down the hill to the Wesley Road parking lot and trailhead.

Directions to the Social from the trailhead:

Via East Lake Road:  Turn right out of the parking area on Wesley Road. Go down the hill about 1 mile to East Lake Road and make a right. Go north about 4.5 miles to Route 20A, and make a left. Birdhouse Brewing is on your right, just over the bridge and before the traffic light.

Whiteman Gully is a unique place – a pristine Finger Lakes gully untouched by any organized hand. It was privately held until recently, when it was bequeathed to the Genesee Valley Nature Conservancy.

This is a different hike to our usual long walk; it will be a hike of exploration along trails which are not long, but unimproved and requiring care. There are potentially 3 trails to explore, only one of which has been pre-hiked. The Conservancy web site speaks of “waterfalls” – plural – but only one has been seen so far. There have been no “improvements” to suit casual walkers on this property; if there has been rain recently the paths will be muddy but the waterfalls and the stream more impressive. To get a good view of the one waterfall that has been seen there is a stream crossing on stepping stones to be dealt with, and the section of the trail to get a view of the waterfall is short but steep; this pattern is likely to be repeated on other trails that we explore.

The gully does not appear to have been farmed or logged and the trees are big and old.

The Meeting Place

We will meet at the point where Whiteman Gully Road in Wayland crosses the stream of the gully (42.55731, -77.65159). There is adequate roadside parking on Whiteman Gully Road. First we will explore the trail to the north west and the gully around the waterfall. We will then return to the meeting point and explore the trail upstream and finally the trail the the north west on the opposite side of the stream to the first trail that we followed.

All hikers will walk in just one group on this hike, and hiking alone is definitely to be avoided given the uncertainty of the trail conditions.

Equipment

Gum boots or high waterproof boots and two walking poles are strongly recommended for the stream crossing, especially if there has been rain, and the poles are generally helpful on muddy and steep ground.

We will bring a rope to help on the steep section of the trail near the waterfall

Directions:

From Naples:  Come into Wayland on Rt 21 from the east. Continue through the two traffic lights when the road becomes Rt. 63 to Dansville. Passing the the Wayland school on the left, continue for about 3 miles to Whiteman Gully Road on the right. Turn right and follow the road for about half a mile; the road turns into dirt and drops downhill; the gully is at the bottom of the hill where the stream is marked by barriers along the side of the bridge.

From Springwater: Come into Wayland on Rt 15 and turn west on to Rt. 21, then follow the directions as from Naples.

From Dansville:  Drive towards Wayland on Rt 63 and take the second Whiteman Gully Road left  – Whiteman Gully Road follows an arc with both ends on Rt. 63 – then follow the road for about half a mile. The road turns into dirt and drops downhill; the gully is at the bottom of the hill where the stream is marked by barriers along the side of the bridge.

The Social

The social will be at the Sunset Family Restaurant in Wayland, NY.

Next Sunday’s hike will take us to this Wildlife Management area run by the DEC Division of Fish and Wildlife for the purposes of conservation and recreation. A “tor” is by definition a hill or mound, therefore not much flatland for hikers. However, I have done my best to accommodate our 3 levels of hikers for this outing.

Meeting Place

Large parking area on Basset Rd. Naples. From Rt. 21 in Naples, heading south, bear left on Rt. 53.. In about .75 miles, turn left on County Rd. 21. aka Italy Valley Rd. Basset Rd is a left turn, about 2 miles east. The parking area is on the left, about .5 miles down.

Hiking Groups

All hikes are on shaded gravel forest roads which lead from the same point in the parking area.

Naturalists and Tourists will head north on the gravel road, soon passing through a gate. They will bear left and pass by two nice ponds, then head uphill on a gradual grade through the woods. The Naturalists can choose to turn around and return to the start at any point, as needed. After about 1 mile another gate is reached and the Orange Bristol Hills Branch of the FLT appears ahead, still on the gravel road. In about .5 miles the orange trail veers left into the woods, but hikers continue straight ahead on the truck trail. In a short distance the DEC lean to and overlook towards Canandaigua Lake appears. Unfortunately the view is limited by trees, but it is a good place to sit and rest for a bit. The return route is back down the same road for a total of 3 miles.

Climbers will take the road to the right after the gate and begin to ascend through the woods for about 1 mile. Eventually the road levels out quite nicely. Another gate is reached at which point the group will turn left and enjoy a nice downhill for about 1 mile to a lovely pond on the right. There is path along the shore if a closer look is desired. The gravel road continues uphill straight ahead to a gate at the intersection with the Orange trail. A right turn on the Orange trail followed by a straight ahead on the DEC road will bring the group to the lean to and overlook. Return route will be down hill via the gravel truck trail back to the parking area. Total trip is about 5 miles.

Social

Following the hike we will meet at Middletown Tavern on the corner of Main Street (Rt 21) and Clark St. (Co.Rd 36).

A hike through the Mitchellsville Gorge.

The hike on Sunday 7th August 2022 will follow a section of the main path of the Finger Lakes Trail in Urbana, just south of Hammondsport. It’s an easy hike of about 3.5 miles, and it follows the rim of a deep gully cut by the Mitchellsville Creek. This section slopes gently downhill from north to south with just a few short steep sections. The northern two thirds passes through a dense hemlock wood, and the path is a soft bed of hemlock needles; there are views of the deep gully along the way. There are two ‘beauty spots’ along the route; about a third of the way from the top there’s a short side track that juts out over the gorge giving good views from a height, and about two thirds of the way down there is a pretty creek. Unfortunately, we can’t get too close to either spot; this section of the trail is on private land and we can’t wander off it. The gorge overlook is crumbling and is dangerous, and access to the creek is specifically denied by the land owner.

A hike through the Mitchellsville Gorge.

We will meet at the FLT trail head on Route 54 in Urbana, by the Pleasant Valley Inn (42.388729, -77.260357) at 4:00pm.

The Climbers will shuttle to the high point of the hike at FLT access point 5 on Mitchellsville Road (42.404269, -77.290893), and then walk down the FLT back to the meeting point.

The Tourists and Naturalists will start at the meeting point and walk up the trail. They will walk a short distance north on Rt. 88 (it is Hammondsport-Pleasant Valley Road) and then go left on the FLT through a vineyard. At the end of the vineyard the trail crosses a stream and then rises up through the gully to a pretty spot by the creek. There are no steep sections on this stretch. Those who want to can carry on up the trail can do so, but there are some short but more difficult sections to navigate.

The Social

We’ll have a social at the Pleasant Valley Inn, next to where we meet for the hike.

Directions

From Honeoye: Follow W Hollow Rd (County Road 36) to Naples. Turn Right at the Middletown Tavern on to Rt. 21 South, and then bear left on to NY-53 South. Continue for 17.1 miles through Prattsburg and then turn left to County Rd 13/Mitchellsville Rd in Wheeler. Continue along Mitchellsville Road until you see the white church in Mitchellsville and then turn left in front of the church on to County Road 89. Turn right when this road ends and follow this road (County Road 88) to its junction with route 54.  The parking area and trail head is on the left.

From Naples: Take NY-21 South, and then bear left on to NY-53 South. Continue for 17.1 miles through Prattsburg and then turn left to County Rd 13/Mitchellsville Rd in Wheeler.  Continue along Mitchellsville Road until you see the white church in Mitchellsville and then turn left in front of the church on to County Road 89. Turn right when this road ends and follow this road (County Road 88) to its junction with route 54.  The parking area and trail head is on the left.

From Rochester: Take NY 15 south to the I-390, and then I-390 South to the NY 54 / Bath exit, then follow NY54 north to the Pleasant Valley Inn. The parking area and trail head is on the left.

From Springwater and Wayland: Take 390 South to the NY 54 / Bath exit, then follow NY54 north to the Pleasant Valley Inn. The parking area and trail head is on the left.

Please join us for kayaking on Sugar Creek and Keuka Lake or a hike through the marsh preserve to the lake.  Our starting point will be the Finger Lakes Museum site, accessible from Guyanoga Road or from Route 54, both close to the flashing light at the center of Branchport.  The Finger Lakes Museum is a former elementary school which is being gradually converted to a regional museum.  They have an active boat launch site at the rear bordering Sugar Creek, the main tributary into the west branch of Keuka Lake; this kayak launch is difficult to use, so there is a choice of a beach launch across Rt. 54.

Kayakers should arrive by 3:40 to unload their boats and launch from the floating dock or from the nearby beach. Hikers, who will follow the trail along the river, and kayakers will leave at 4:00.

After launching, kayakers will head upstream in Sugar Creek through a woodland waterway. Based on time and conditions we then will turn around and head back past the dock to the lake.  Once on the lake we will start heading west and enter the adjacent marshland owned by the Isaak Walton League. Cattails, water lilies and waterfowl are abundant in the marsh waterways.  Back on the lake we will continue west to the marinas of Branchport. Another U-turn will take us toward Keuka Lake State Park. Finally, we will return to the river and up to the takeout at the Museum’s dock.

Hikers will hike to Keuka Lake along the museum paths, stopping at an observation platform overlooking the marsh and at the Museum’s lakefront pavilion.: After enjoying the lake views, we will return to the museum and explore the museum grounds.

Social:  The social will be at the newly re-opened Blue Eagle, at the top of the hill on the road from Branchport to Prattsburg.

Directions:

From Springwater and Wayland – Take Route 15 south and then Route 21 north to Naples. Coming into Naples, go right on Route 53 toward Prattsburgh. In 1.2 miles make a left on Italy Valley Road. You will remain on Italy Valley  Road for about 8.7 miles, although the county road number changes from 21 to 18 to 34 en route. At the end of Italy Valley Road, go left for .3 miles on Italy Hill Road (CR 35), then follow Itlaly Hill Road as it curves to the right and becomes CR32. In another 4.7 miles you will be at the flashing light in the center of Branchport.  Go straight on Route 54A toward Penn Yan for .2 miles, and turn left into the Finger Lakes Museum across from the Library, and before the Fire Station. Look for the driveway toward the new barn on your right.

From Canandaigua and 5&20:  Take East Lake Road south to County Road 1, or Route 247 from Reed’s Corners into Rushville. Continue South through Rushville toward Penn Yan. Route 247 will become Route 364 shortly before Potter. Continue for 4.5 miles past Potter and make a right on Guyanoga Road (CR 29). Go another 6.5 miles to Branchport. Turn left into the Finger Lakes Museum at 3369 Guyanoga Road, or if you miss it, go left at the flashing light and then left into the FLM drive. If you come in from Guyanoga Road, go to the right around the building and parking lot, and follow the signs to the Creekside Center (a new barn). Park on the grass near the boat rack. If you take the side entrance in from Route 54A heading east toward Penn Yan, turn in to the left, across from the library, and then right into the Creekside Center.

NOTE: As of Sunday morning, it looks like light rain much of this afternoon.  The hike is still on, but the social will be at a restaurant.  See you at 4:00.

This Sunday, we’re returning to Sonyea State Forest in Livingston County, to hike along the Keshequa Creek.   Since the last time we hiked in this forest, the DEC has made some (minor) improvements, including designating 5 primitive camp sites. On our hike, we may find a campsite you will want to return to for a respite from the daily grind.

We will meet at 4 PM at the gate that marks the head of the Keshequa Creek Falls Trail about 2.7 miles from the beginning of Union Corners Rd.  See directions below. All hikers will walk around the gate to a well groomed trail the heads down a steep hill to the creek.  Be careful walking down, and on the way back you will want to take your time climbing this hill.  But the hill is not long and most of the rest of the trail is along the old Genesee Valley Canal and railroad bed. Our hike will take us to the western side of the forest, where we will encounter the gorge along Keshequa Creek.  Within the gorge, we will see remains of the Genesee Canal and a major branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, as well as rapids and falls along the creek.

The Naturalists will hike about a mile along the trail to a beautiful wide point in the creek where we can explore the falls and the intricate cracks in the rocks. After exploring that location, Katherine will lead the Naturalists back to the car the way we came.

The climbers will continue on the trail past the falls to the end of the trail, and then will return to the cars by way of the field to the entrance of the State Forest, and will walk on Union Corners Rd. If conditions or time require, we may adjust the route and return the way we came.  Mark will lead the climbers..

After the hike, we will enjoy the August weather with a picnic in the woods.  Bring a dish to pass, or make a donation.  We will select a clear area so, bring folding chairs, and a table, if you have one.  There are no washroom facilities, not even portable ones, but lots of trees  If the day should turn out to be a rainy one, we will return to the Sunrise, in Dansville.

Directions: Please Note: Directions on Google Maps from Springwater takes you on NY 36 North to Craig Rd up through the Groveland Correctional Facility. This road is closed to cars, although walkers and bikers are allowed to use it as part of the Genesee Valley Greenway trail.. This is not a good way to get to our hike.  Please follow the directions below.

From exit 6 on 390, turn south on NY 36.  Then, take the first right onto CR 72, aka Presbyterian Rd.  Follow it for 3.7 miles, bearing right at the intersection with CR 11, to Union Corners Rd.  Turn right here and keep going for 2.7 miles,, till you see the gate.  Union Corners Rd is unpaved, with potholes, making for slow going so, consider this in planning your travel time. Turn around at the gate and park on either side of the road.

From Springwater: Take NY 15 west from the flashing light. At the top of the hill (1.5 mi), turn left onto Liberty Pole Rd.(CR 38). Continue for 8.1 miles as the road number changes from CR 38 to CR 1A to  CR 1. Turn left onto NY 63 S. In just 0.3 miles take the first right onto N 258. In 1.9 miles, continue straight across NY 36 and onto CR 72 (Presbyterian Rd). Follow the directions above to the state forest.

From Naples. Follow NY 21 S to Wayland.  At the first light, turn left to stay on NY 21. In 1.8 miles south of Wayland, turn right on I-390 N. In 16 miles, take Exit 6. Turn right onto NY 36. Follow the directions above.

This Sunday we will hike the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) starting at the Mt. Morris Dam and Visitors Center Parking Lot, as well as the Wildlife Loop Trail within the Dam property.  We expect to stop periodically, as we follow the east rim of the Letchworth gorge, enjoying the spectacular views of the gorge and Genesee River below.

The Wildlife Loop trail within the dam property is beautiful in its own right, with forest and grassy fields.

Two levels of hiking are planned – “Climbers” and “Tourist/Naturalists” will both hike south on the yellow blazed (FLT) trail along the rim of the gorge, jogging east slightly away from the river across a boardwalk through a small wet area, stop at Hogsback Overlook to view the Hogsback formation of the river gorge, continue on the trail another .2 miles before turning around to head back.  On the way back, we will follow the same yellow blazes but take the alternate orange blazed trail along the rim of the gorge which joins back up with the yellow trail, back to the parking lot.  Total hike is 2.25 miles.

Once back to the parking lot, the “Climbers” who want a longer hike will follow the blue blazed Wildlife Loop Trail which begins just to the right of the Mt. Morris Dam Visitors Center, adding another 1.1 miles to the hike.

The Hike Assembly Point:

The Visitors Center will be closed.  However, there is a bathroom adjacent to the parking lot that may be open on the day of the hike.  All hikers will begin the hike at the Mt. Morris Dam Visitor Center Parking Lot.  The trail access is at the west end of the parking lot (to your left as you face the gorge).  While this trail is in a non-hunting area, it is recommended that you wear brightly colored clothing.

Social:

After the hike, all are welcome to gather at the larger pavilion located adjacent to the parking lot.  Bring your own snack, drink, and chair (due to limited seating and need for social distancing).

Directions:

The Mt Morris Dam Visitor Center is about 45 minutes from Springwater, so please plan ahead. If you have a GPS, try entering Mt Morris Dam as your destination. Or enter Park Rd or Visitor Center Rd, Mt Morris.

From Springwater: Take Rt 15N and then left on Liberty Pole Rd.  Stay on that road all the way to Rt63. There, take a left, and a quick right, onto Rt 258. At Rt 36, take a right and proceed to Mt. Morris. Turn left onto NY-408 South.

From Wayland: you can take I-390 north to exit 7. Turn left at the exit on NY-408 S to Mt. Morris. NY-408 goes left at Main St, then right on Chapel St.

From Hemlock and Honeoye: follow 20A West through Livonia and Lakeville to 390S. Exit at exit 7 NY 408 S to Mt Morris. Stay on 408 through Mt Morris.

From Rochester: Take I-390S to Exit 7 NY 408S.  Stay on Rt 408 through Mt Morris.

From NY 408 in Mt Morris: Go south on 408 for 1.8 miles to Visitor Center Rd. Turn right at the Visitor Center Road and follow the road all the way to the Dam and Visitor Center Parking lot