Category Archives: Hike Reports

Reports on the hikes led by Springwater Trails

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Stid Hill

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IMG_0680Seven hikers and three dogs climbed Stid Hill on Sunday.  The trail starts through a mowed field and enters forest as the climb begins.  Stid Hill is a steep hill separating Bristol Valley from Canandaigua Lake.

IMG_0673On the way up the hill, the forest was varied and included large oak trees. The ground was quite rocky. As we approached the top, we passed piles of rocks collected at the time that pastures covered the top of the hill. Here the trees were smaller.IMG_0675

The day was warm and hard on the dogs. Fortunately Joan had a water bowl for Skippy and Duffy to share. Still the stream back at the bottom of the hill was a welcome relief for everyone wearing a fur coat.

After the dogs walked through the stream, the hike ended with a bit of acrobatics getting back up onto the bridge.  Burgers were waiting at Lock Stock and Barrel just a mile down the road.

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Exploring the Ponds in Wolf Gull – June 29, 2014

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the ponds at Wolf Gull

the ponds at Wolf Gull

What makes Wolf Gull in Naples so unique? Is it the narrow valley surrounded by two steep hills, the creeks that flow in two different directions from the lush ponds, the protective environment, the secluded seasonal little cabins, or the variety of plant and aquatic life? Where are the 15 owners and why do they come here? Do they come for hunting, silence from a busy world, or to study nature? Springwater Trails wants to know as they have visited in the winter and summer! Thanks to landowners Mike Arena, John Shipman, and Schum Acres Dairy Farm, Springwater Trails has received special permission to explore the Wolf Gull area from the top of Richards Road/Lanning Road, to the bottom on Atlanta Garlinghouse Road, dropping over 600 feet and following a dirt road through the narrow valley.

P1110411P1110398P1110397Naturalists, lead by Ellen Folts from Amanda’s Garden, identified the following plants: dolls’s eyes (white and red baneberry), wild leek, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild ginger, common milkweed, white turtlehead, joe pye weed, wild geranium, barren strawberry, hepatica, virginia waterleaf, patridge berry, may apple, rose polygala, solomon’s seal, flowering raspberry, early meadow rue, fall meadow flower, foam flower, red trillium. A variety of ferns including sensitive fern, interrupted fern, christmas fern and others were prolific. Trees included yellow birch, hemlock, witch hazel and maple leaf virburnum. Thanks Ellen for sharing your knowledge and Amy for her photo’s.
image003 Pictures of the native perennials can be obtained from Amanda’s Garden website.

For a little more of a workout, Char and Brook climbed the steep road, allowing most Climbers and Tourists (with good tires) to 4 wheel up the road which housed deep ditches on either side. We began our hike from the top of Richards/Lanning Road at what seemed like a landing pad of some sort to park our cars. In the winter the C-4 Snowmobile Trail and feeder trails pass through this area and Views of the windmills can be seen to the south. We proceeded left on a farm trail passing through the planted fields to a gate that dropped into Wolf Gull. We think the gates that mark the entrances to Wolf Gull are to protect the rough logging roads from erosion, keeping the ATV’s out that tend to dig up the roads, but allowing the snowmobiles in the winter.
image002image001image004 An hour later we arrived at the ponds to rest from our steep drop into Wolf Gull, listen to the frogs, swirl the green algae(?), study the overlow area and how it was constructed, and try to figure out why the creeks go in different directions from these ponds…one to the Naples Creek and the other we suspect to the Cohocton.

After hike social was at our favorite Atlanta Restaurant, the Mountain View. Thanks to Pam, Rick H., Amy, and Ellen who helped to organize this beautiful hike. We will return again in the winter, given permission from local landowners, to answer some of our questions.

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Hike Report – HighlandPk, MtHopeCemetery, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Highland Park and Mt Hope Cemetery BONUS HIKE on Saturday 7/5/2014

Well, … given scheduled as a BONUS HIKE and on a holiday weekend in summer, given that the hike was a Saturday and not a Sunday, and given among some S/T hikers arising family gatherings, recovering from injury, car problems, and being pulled in other directions, and given some folks may not care for Shakespeare … probably a reasonable turnout for the Saturday 7/5 BONUS HIKE at Highland Park & Mt Hope Cemetery with a picnic after-hike social and optional viewing of Shakespeare in the Park production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” ….

Our headcount was 8: 7 hikers in two hike groups and accompanied by 5 well-behaved leashed dogs; 8 headcount at social; 7 headcount and 5 doggie count for the Shakespeare production.

The shorter hike group spent lots of cemetery time, and less Highland Park time, and did a lot of viewing of epitaphs and cemetery arbor and scenery appreciating as well.

The longer hike group stayed exclusively in Highland Park, lots of arboretum observing, reached two separate overlooks, one northward to the city (the view very substantially occluded this time of year due to deciduous tree foliage) and another area overlooking southward from the vantage point of the summit where the Children’s Pavilion was situate until being razed in 1963. Also observed some of the last Iris in bloom at the Iris Friendship Garden, varied other blooming plants along the way including a few lilac trees (not bushes), and a walk thru the Poet’s Garden. And continuing on took in the scenes at the “sunken garden” at Warner Castle, as well as a brief street walk/exterior home tour of Reservoir Ave including the former home of one S/T hiker.

The social held in Highland Park in view of Reservoir Ave and hiker’s cars as well as with partial view of Highland Park Bowl, found no shortage of food or variety, as is our norm, with our culinary prowess in the group coming thru once again. Main course, pulled pork which received warm reception (pun intended), as did our other fare. Some hikers provided multiple pot-luck fare to our bounty. Tables for food provided by our esteemed Hike Assistant, and all brought our own chairs for comfort.

Shakespeare followed, … and we all had benefit of chairs, as well as some myriad blankets, coats, & pants on a slightly cooler than seasonable day & evening, … truly all experienced “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” being it was neither hot, nor muggy, nor buggy”. And, all 5 of our accompanying furry friends were on good behavior.

In discussion at intermission and afterward, were some additional thoughts spurred for a future hike. One idea being, a similar 4PM hike in a subsequent year, only this time a three hour hike (instead of just two hours), with the social held in Highland Park Bowl proper at 7PM, and allowing us to socialize and enjoy fine food and libation as the Shakespeare production starts. Then come time for intermission, back to the cars go the food and tables. And then following the end of Shakespeare back to the cars go the chairs, blankets, etc, and the hikers head for home. A three hour hike lends more time to see more of the area, and there is much to see at Highland Park & Mt Hope Cemetery.

Other possibilities, … 1) a Spring hike on the Sunday immediately preceding Lilac Festival before droves of festival goers trample the grounds at Highland Park (perhaps best as a hike if the year seems to be an early Spring season), 2) an Autumn hike in November on the first Sunday of Regular Big Game (gun) hunting season, for appreciation of fall foliage colors which hang on longer in the city that in rural areas and to provide a hiking locale away from the vollies of firearms wielded in the arms of deer hunters. If foliage has fallen, so much the better view. 3) Further possibilities for Autumn hiking season on that first Sunday of Regular Big Game (gun) hunting season would be Genesee Valley Park which would be about 1-2 miles or so shorter drive than Highland Park although lacking the elevation in Highland Park, or Cobbs Hill Park (containing another city water reservoir) which has hills and vista points. All these are about 20-25 miles as the crow flies from Hemlock Lake.

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Whiteman Gully

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IMG_0643WOn Sunday, Springwater Trails visited Whiteman Gully in North Dansville for a hike down the Gully to a really awesome waterfall.  After the waterfall, we all planned to hike the old rail bed above Dansville.  The Climbers decided to cut the hike short due to a steady rain, leaving the six naturalists with rain jackets to traverse the rail bed.  Join us this coming Sunday for the rail section starting in North Cohocton.

The day started beautifully, but by the time we met at the Rounsville home at 4:00, the ski had darkened and rain and thunder were threatening. Tom and Rick were available to retrieve the hikers should the rain begin.

IMG_0636WThe Climbers started out around the ridge and down to Mendoleine Rd.  Portions of this part of the hike were on logging roads and we were able to view the recent logging results.  After a steep climb down and a short road walk, they came to the Little Mill Creek crossing. Here the path headed downstream.  We crossed the stream on a rock walkway to get to a great view of the waterfalls.  Half of the group scrambled to the bottom of the falls and Pam absorbed the spirit of the water spray at the base.IMG_0651W

The naturalists shuttled to the Little Mill Creek by car and were able to view the falls before the rain started. The four dogs who joined the naturalists enjoyed the cooling water to various depths. After climbing out the of creek gully, the naturalists continued west to the old railroad bed. In spite of the rain that started gently, the naturalists simply pull out their rain jackets and continued on the the west end of the rail trail. Rick picked them up and returned them to the warm house for the social.

IMG_0646W The climbers exited from the gully as the rain picked up and chose to call it quits.  We returned by car to provide a warm welcome to the naturalists when they returned. We are already planning a return to Whiteman Gully for more explorations and to complete the planned hike.