*** First off – let’s give a reminder – – – annually the first Sunday in November (Nov 1st in 2015, yep that is this hike), there is a time change from “Eastern Daylight Savings Time” to “Eastern Standard Time” (fall back one hour), so it gets dark one hour earlier and progressively days further shorten (sunset happens earlier and earlier) as we head toward Winter Solstice (near the end of December).  So be sure you’ve reset your clock, or you may be an hour early for the hike and standing around wondering where all the other hikers are!

That said . . . This Sunday, November 1st, 2015, at 2PM the Springwater Trails hike will actually be a part of a planned Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) hike.  Springwater Trails will be joining FOGVG for this hike (an official FOGVG annual event coupled with the FOGVG annual meeting and optional additional activities following the hike), that these wonderful FOGVG folks have planned on the Genesee Valley Greenway (GVG) in the Geneseo environs.  {Approximate areas of Cuylerville (Mt Morris to Piffard) would pretty much encompass the GVG Geneseo environs.}

Please note the hike event schedule as set out below.  It is a bit different in schedule than most S/T hikes in a number of ways.  One difference, we’ll be syncing with an additional group of hikers, and following lead as it is FOGVG’s hike plan, so some organizational time beyond our S/T norm may be required.   Another difference, the hike starts at 2PM and there is a program that starts at 4PM in Geneseo, so hikers should be sure to arrive far enough in advance of 2PM for covering incidentals and organizing hike groups, so the hike can start at 2PM.

*** Below is the hike event schedule pretty much pulled from the Facebook page of FOGVG, on 10/2/2015 from a Sept 25th post.  The hike on the GVG definitely covers two towns, Leicester (including the hamlet of Cuylerville) and its eastern neighboring Town of Geneseo.

– – Please note at present, 10/21/2015, details are basically set for this hike, but minor changes for this hike event may occur, so a small chance that not all salient info may be presented in this Hike Event Announcement.  Please feel free to check the FOGVG website (or FOGVG Facebook page) for possible future updating of hike details.- –

⇒Announcing: FOGVG Annual Event at the Geneseo United Methodist Church, Route 63 and Court Street, Geneseo, New York, Sunday, November 1, 2015.  The event consists of a Hike, Program, Dinner & Meeting.

2:00 PM – Guided Hike – Meet at the Genesee Valley Greenway (GVG) Cuylerville Parking Area (on Rt. 20A): Hike the Greenway north to enjoy picturesque farmlands and large ponds that are a favorite with birders. Return to Cuylerville for a 3.5 to 5 mile hike or post a car at the GVG Piffard Parking area for a 3.5 to 4 mile one-way hike.

4:00 PM – (optional) Program – Meet at Geneseo United Methodist Church, Route 63 and Court St., Geneseo, New York. The History & Development of the WAG Trail by FOGVG member and Senior DEC Forester Ron Abraham The WAG Trail is a 9-mile multi-use recreation trail and historic transportation corridor in Allegany County, extending from the Village of Wellsville to the Pennsylvania state line. The Trail follows the route of the former Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad along the upper Genesee River, just a few miles from its headwaters. New York State acquired the property in 2009 and substantial progress has been made in developing this trail with 8 miles currently open to the public.

5:30 PM – (optional) Dish-to-Pass Dinner: Bring your favorite dish-to-pass, your table service, and join us for a delicious meal. Beverages will be provided.  (Springwater Trails group will bring the “potluck tote” with paper plates, plastic utensils, etc, but S/T hikers should feel free to be environmentally friendly by bringing their own durable flatware and silverware at this tables and chairs equipped indoor social venue.)  

6:30 PM – (optional) Brief FOGVG Meeting, For members and potential members.

Everyone Welcome: Join the hike, Come for the program, Stay for dinner See You in Geneseo! Geneseo United Methodist Church.

S/T hikers and others are welcomed to become members of FOGVG, annual member dues are $ 20 for an individual, $25 for a family.  You need not be an FOGVG member to attend any of the components of this hike event.

ADDITIONAL S/T INFO FOR THIS GVG HIKE

Hike Meet Location (further defined):  ⇒ GPS Coords: 42.777222, -77.870382  on the north side of NYS Rt 20A (concurrent NYS Rt 39) in the hamlet of Cuylerville (Town of Leicester) at the GVG trailhead parking area (mile 29-30 of the GVG). Point of reference – Cuylerville is situate a bit southwest of the village of Geneseo.  [hint: Parking area is very near (just east of) an ~85^o pronounced bend in Rts 20A/39, also described as west of Boyd Parker Memorial Park, and northeast of The National Hotel.]   Parking is available at the trailhead.  (Look for the “yellow trail gates”, set back some distance from the public roadway.)  Carpooling by S/T hikers is encouraged, in consideration of limited vehicle parking space at the trailhead parking area.

{You’ll note directions are given by: landmark, direction, compass orientation, and GPS coordinates.  Something for everyone.}

After-Hike Social (in sync with FOGVG plans): Please bring a dish to pass.  S/T will be bringing the tote/tub utilized at potluck socials, to this social event.

Directions to the hike Meet Locale:  

From Springwater: Take NY-15N west from the flashing light for 1.5 miles.  Turn left on Liberty Pole Rd (CR 38).  This road changes names and numbers (CR 1A and then CR 1) but continue for 8 miles. Turn right onto NY-63N for 9.4 miles. Take a sharp left turn onto US-20A W (NY 39 also). The parking area is on the right in 2.4 miles just before US-20A turns a sharp left in Cuylerville.

From Wayland: Take NY-21 south to Interstate 390.  Turn right to take I390N for 22 miles to exit 7 – NY 408.  Turn right onto NY-408N then slight left to continue on NY-63 for 3 miles. Take a sharp left turn onto US-20A W (NY 39 also). The parking area is on the right in 2.4 miles just before US-20A turns a sharp left in Cuylerville.

From Honeoye: For the entirety of the trip from Honeoye to Cuylerville, you’ll take US-20A W for about 22 miles of driving to the trailhead parking area.  Its just that simple!  But routing can be a bit confusing in some places, such as a junctions and where there are concurrently running routes, so watch signs carefully.  ⇒Further detailed description (if you need it): Follow US-20A W from the hamlet of Honeoye through the hamlet of Hemlock and villages of Livonia and Geneseo and then heading into the small hamlet of Cuylerville. (Watch signs for US-20A carefully on the SW side of the village of Geneseo, or you may go astray.)  SW of village of Geneseo, US-20A W & NY-39 W & NY-63 S all briefly run concurrently. Staying on US-20A (& concurrently running NY-39 W), from the US-20A (NY-39 also) split from NY-63 at the SW side of Geneseo, you’ll then travel 2.4 miles to the trailhead parking area located on the right just before US-20A (NY-39 also) turns a sharp left in Cuylerville. (By-the-way, as a digression, a short-cut on Big Tree Rd in the towns of Richmond and Livonia, circumventing a segment of US-20A, saves a mile but not any time).

From Rochester: Take I390 S to Exit 8 (NY 20A).  Turn right onto 20A W for 12 miles. The parking area is on the right in 2.4 miles just before US-20A turns a sharp left in Cuylerville.

Directions to the Dish-to-Pass Social at Geneseo United Methodist Church (42.802549, -77.827199): 

Head east on US 20A for 2.6 miles. Take a slight left to stay on NY 63N (20A goes straight). In 1.2 miles, the church is on the left.  Parking is in the back.

Carpool: A non-supervised carpool from Springwater Town Hall is scheduled to leave the Town Hall promptly at 1:15.  Please be there at 1:00.

If you look great in Autumnal Orange (or blaze orange), and even if maybe you’re thinking you don’t, well, … this hike is during Bow Hunting Season for big game, so wearing some of that orange would place you right in fashion this time of year.

Below this double line, you’ll find ancillary information, relevant but not crucial to this hike.

This 11/1/2015 FOGVG hike is principally represented in the Wegman’s Passport to family wellness booklet for the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park as hike #7.  W Passport booklets for the GVG will be available at the start of this hike, for those who do not already have one and would like one.  – – – If you are thinking “what is that?”, then here’s an explanation.

A facsimile from a previously published description – – -Some hikers may be interested to know there is a “Wegmans Passport to family wellness  Program booklet” for the GVG which consists of a total of 14 listed hikes on the GVG. The Wegman’s “Passport to family wellness” Genesee Valley Greenway State Park booklets are available (free) at select Wegman’s locations (likely W store locations closeby to the GVG) at the store’s service desk.  (You may want to call first, if it would mean a special trip for you. Wegman’s Chili-Paul location in the Town of Chili, does have them currently.)  Picking one up (and maybe several for fellow hikers) on your own assures that you have one in hand.  A limited number of these “Passport to Wellness” GVG booklets will be available at the hike.

(Of note, S/T has three hikes on the GVG this autumn hiking season, 10/18, 11/1, & 11/8.)

Included here is a FOGVG brochure map.

FOGVG contact info. Telephone: (585)-658-2569 or [email protected]   [658 exchange is considered a Mount Morris exchange.]

——————————————————————————————————————–

For those folks unaware the GVG is now a NYS Park (a linear park) and as such now gets more attention from NYS in programming.  The GVG is still fostered by the FOGVG, the long standing group which assisted and continues to assist in GVG development and maintenance.

_{– – – SOME HYPERLINKS TO ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THE GENESEE VALLEY CANAL. – – –} 

For hikers interested in history of the Genesee Valley Canal (GVC), here is an online article published in Fall 1994 edition of Rochester History.  It now is published on-line on the Rochester Public Library website.

You’ll also find some photos of various canals in NYS at the following URLs, listed as links.

http://www.nygeo.org/index.htm

http://www.nygeo.org/EEC_Locks.html

http://www.nygeo.org/EEC_Structures.html

If you’ve a keen identifying eye, and check out some of these photos, you’ll find one is of the culvert with a road through it, passing under the Erie Canal, which is located on . . .yep, you guessed it, Culvert Rd.  Located about a mile east of Medina, Orleans County, NY.  This is the only place in NYS that the roadway went under the canal, and it still exists today.  And if you’ve driven the roadway recently, you’ll likely find two inosculating trees north of the culvert on the west side of the road and within view of the culvert.  Or perhaps you’d say they’re hugging, intertwining, or twisting (Chubby Checker, anyone?)

A S/T article about the GVC when we hiked part of the GVG in Letchworth State Park in Autumn 2012.

Facebook page of FOGVG – Southern Tier section GVG hikers.

Announcement about 14 interpretive hikes in 2015 & 2016 on the GVG which is now a (linear) State Park. One each 2nd Saturday of the month April-October (7 hikes in 2015 & 7 hikes in 2016).

tidbit (historic and present): In Cuylerville, the historic National Hotel (built circa 1840), still in operation today, was an important business along the canal route.