We had 10 hikers on today’s (9/17/2017) hike. This was the third hike in our monthly series of hikes along the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail. We split into three groups, with the naturalists hiking sticking to the relatively flat section north of Bean Station Rd, the tourists driving to the top and hiking down, and the climbers completing the entire section from Shuart Rd south around the “Huckleberry Bog” to Runner Rd in the middle of nowhere!

And no one got lost! If you hiked with us, please upload your pictures.

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Last call – make your reservations for three days at an Adirondacks Camp right now!

Norm Colby, one of our Springwater Trails members, is part-owner of a camp near Indian Lake in the Adirondacks. Norm has offered the use of the camp from Monday 14th August through Wednesday 16th August for us. Originally I had said that we could use the camp all week – this isn’t really the case. The camp rules are that Norm has to be there with us, and he has to leave on the Wednesday. Norm will organize hikes on Tuesday 15th August and Wednesday 16th August.

The activity plan is:

• We arrive on Monday. If early enough we can do a short hike in the neighborhood, then we sit around a large camp fire and have dinner – whatever we bring we can eat and drink.
• On Tuesday Norm will have several hikes to suggest. One very attractive option is to drive towards the high peaks and hike in the foothills.
• There is a local canoe maker that we can visit and see the canoes he makes. He is a classical craftsman and well worth giving up some time to.
• There are several options for canoeing and kayaking in the vicinity.
• A camp fire dinner in the evening again.
• On Wednesday there’s will be some short hikes to choose from in the morning, then we’ll head for home in the afternoon.

There is a building on the site with 12 beds, plenty of water for washing and cooking – but not for drinking, an outhouse toilet and a hot shower, plus space to pitch tents. There is a forum thread on this event here with information about the exact location of the camp and some pictures.

The time is getting close now, and we’d like to get an idea of who is planning to come; this help us to organize shared transport if enough people want to come for the same period, and it will help Norm in his hike planning. If you are intending to come, please complete the signup sheet here– all it really needs is your name and email address.

Here is a link that will throw up a Google Maps route that gets you from the Verona exit of the Thruway to within a mile of the camp site – it ends at a point on the Cedar River Road at the Wakely Lodge Golf Course. The camp – officially called the Panther Mountain Club – is about 1.5 miles further down the road on the left. There is a sign for the PMC, and Norm will try to get a Springwater Trails sandwich board to put up there.

Google Maps route the Wakely Lodge Golf Course

Norm is planning to ride up there on Sunday. If anyone wants to ride with him then please give him a call – (585) 728-5455

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