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Penfield Indoor Hike

The Penfield Trails Committee will host its annual ‘Indoor Hike’ on Saturday, February 11, 10:00 am at Penfield Town Hall Auditorium, 3100 Atlantic Avenue. There will be a presentation entitled “Letchworth’s Portage Viaduct – New and Old”, information on trails groups from around the Rochester area, and light refreshments will be served. This event is free.

Please click on the poster to the right for a full size version.

Chris Costello, professional land surveyor, will speak about the 1875 Portage high bridge / railroad viaduct high above the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park. Costello will give an inside look at the construction of the new bridge in progress. Learn the history and the future of Letchworth rails and trails. Hikers, history buffs, and rail fans – lace up your boots and join us!

“This year’s speaker will give participants a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the much anticipated construction of the new railroad bridge,” says Nels Carman, Penfield Trails Committee chair. “This iconic structure has an interesting past and a promising future.”

While the “hike” is free, participants are asked to pre-register by calling Penfield Recreation at 340-8655, option 0.  (requested, albeit not required)

Penfield Trails Committee is always seeking volunteers to serve on its planning committee, as well as to do manual labor for trails maintenance. For more information, please call Penfield Recreation at (585) 340-8655.

For general information – Penfield Trails Committee leads one guided hike per month March through January, and the twelfth hike of the year is the annual ‘indoor hike’ in February.

 

Springwater Trails Note: Following the “indoor hike”, there are two hikes that Springwater Trails hikers can take advantage of. A strenuous 5-6 mile hike at Lucien Morin Park, 1131 Empire Boulevard, Rochester, will be hosted by  the Genesee Valley Hiking Club. And ST’s own, Gene will be leading a shorter hike at Ellison Park.  Both hikes start at 1:00. So, come and enjoy the Monroe County Parks.  An after-hike social will be held ~ 3:330PM at MacGregor’s loacted at 1129 Empire Blvd (next to Lucien Morin Park).

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Wednesday evening 9-28-2016 hike on GVG just south of Portageville

Here is an opportunity for some Springwater Trails (ST) hikers to hike a section of the Genesee Valley Greenway (GVG) just south of Portageville, at a hike organized by “Southern Tier Greenway Hiking” (yes, a group of hikers who are part of Friends of Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) and hike the southern portion of the GVG, located in. … you guessed it the Southern Tier section of NYS).

Details are as follows:

Southern Tier Greenway Hiking                          Wednesday September 28th at 5:00 PM

This hike is located in Wyoming County just south of the village of Portageville. Going south on Route 19A from Portageville, New York, park at the entrance to River Road which will be on your left. River Road is 1.1 miles south of the intersection of Route 19A and Route 436 in Portageville, New York. There are no yellow gates here, but one can clearly see the Genesee Valley Greenway from Route 19A. Coming from Fillmore, New York, River Road is 8.0 miles north of the intersection of Route 19 and 19A in Fillmore. 

As one walks along, you can see farmer’s crops like corn grown on river bottom land.  Very colorful plants line the Greenway now. The pokeweed has an outstanding purple color against the red stem and green leaves. More purple is added to the environment by the New England Aster. Many yellow and orange touch-me-nots and goldenrod really brighten up the Greenway as well as bur-marigold. Nature decorations at this time of the year. Blue is another color dimension provided by wild grapes, dogwood, and Virginia Creeper. Sumac adds a beautiful red while turtlehead adds a soft pink. This hike sure demonstrates nature at its best!!! A great section of the Greenway to hike!!! Please come and join us for this hike. ( About 3.2 miles) 

You can also check the facebook page of FOGVG, for any further info or in event of some change.

For any ST members who go on this hike, you’ll have opportunity not only to gain new trail knowledge but also to meet hikers of Southern Tier Greenway Hiking.  This may open some doors on – possibility for sharing hike locale knowledge, and maybe consideration of a future joint hike.

Perhaps also of interest to some ST hikers.  There are two hikes remaining in the 2-year (2015 & 2016) Historic Interpretive Hike Series.   Series Hike 14 on Saturday, Oct 8th, 2016 in Allegany County – Towns of Belfast  to  New Hudson (in Wegmans Passport booklet hike #13)   – – AND – – on Saturday, October 22, 2016 the postponed Series Hike 11 (postponed from July 9, 2016) will take place in Livingston County – Cuylerville to Piffard (in Wegmans Passport booklet hike #7).

Both GVG Saturday hikes in the Historic Interpretive Hike Series start at 10:00AM  More details and or changes can be gleaned at the FOGVG website.  Additionally you can glean general info about the GVG from the GVG State Park website, and may also want to look at the links page which contains myriad info and links.

 

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GVC Paddle on Hemlock Lake July 23rd

Paddle Hemlock Lake on this Genesee Valley Conservancy (GVC) organized event.  more info at  – – – http://www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org/events

verbatim from the website – –

“Bring your favorite kayak or canoe to Hemlock Lake to enjoy an early morning paddle on this undeveloped Finger Lake.  Hear from local paddler and photographer Dwight Folts on the highlights of paddling this lake.  All are welcome but you must provide your own boat, PFD, and paddle.  The paddle will be your choice, head into the inlet, paddle the shoreline, or head out into the middle of the lake to satisfy your interests.

It is a morning out with friends!

*Event supported by Steuben Trust Company”

 

  • Location: Take the gravel road from Route 15A at south end of lake to boat  launch.

This early Saturday morning GVC paddle event surely provides a different perspective than some Springwater Trails afternoon paddle events. All are welcome to this free event.

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Nature Walk with Eric Cosman

 

Hosted by the Finger Lakes Land Trust

IMG_0352Join preserve steward and naturalist Eric Cosman for an exploration of the birds, plants, trees and other natural wonders at the Wesley Hill Preserve. Diverse stands of mature forest, a wide array of wildflowers, and sweeping views of the hills surrounding Honeoye Lake’s southern end make this site truly special. Don’t forget to dress for the weather and be sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet.

Directions: Meet at the Wesley Road entrance! From Honeoye, take Rt. 20A east to East Lake Road. Follow East Lake Rd. south for a short distance and then turn left on County Rd. 33. Continue a short distance and turn right on Pinewood Hill Rd. Follow Pinewood Hill, then Gulick Road south for approx. 2.5 miles. Turn right on Wesley Road and follow approx. 1 mile to the parking area on the left.

Look for other events sponsored by the Finger Lakes Land Trust on their website.