Continuing with our hunting-free hike series, please join us on December 3 for a walk, or a bike ride if conditions permit, on the Erie Canal Trail starting at Lock 32 Canal State Park, at 2759 Clover Street in Pittsford (just north of Jefferson Road-Clover intersection and across the canal).  Meet at 1:45 for a 2PM start at the Lock 32 parking area. The canal trail is flat and paved in both directions. Going east will take you toward downtown Pittsford Village in about 1.25 miles. Going west will take you through a more wooded residential neighborhood, where you will meet the 490 overpass in about 3 miles, or ride all the way to Genesee Valley Park and the river in about 5 miles. Groups will decide on their routes at the start.

Directions:   From the South (Springwater):

Travel north on 15A and make a right on Kellogg Road to County Road 37.  Continue north on CR37 to West Bloomfield.  Continue straight and it becomes route 65 (West Bloomfield Road). Just past West Bloomfield, bear to the left as the road makes a sharp curve to the left, follow signs for Rt. 65.  You will continue on Rt. 65 until you reach the destination.  You will cross over the canal and see Lock 32 on your left.  Go past the lock and there will be a sign for the County Park.  Make a left into the parking lot where we will all meet.

From the West – Travel east on Jefferson Rd.  Make a left on Clover St. (Rt. 65).  You will cross over the canal and see Lock 32 on your left.  Go past the lock and there will be a sign for the County Park, make a left into the parking lot where we will all meet.

From the East – Travel west on Jefferson Rd.  Make a right on Clover St. (Rt. 65).  You will cross over the canal and see Lock 32 on your left.  Go past the lock and there will be a sign for the County Park, make a left into the parking lot where we will all meet.

The Social after the hike will be held at The Cheesecake Factory, 3349 Monroe Ave, Pittsford.

From the canal parking lot make a left onto Clover St. (Rt. 65). Continue to the Rt. 31 intersection where you will make a sharp right onto Rt. 31 (Monroe Ave.)  The Cheesecake Factory will be on the right at the front of the Plaza.

Powder Mills Park, off Route 96 in the Town of Perinton, is one of Monroe County’s outstanding hunting-free hiking parks, with a nice group of wooded glacial ridges and lowlands on a 380 acre property with a fish hatchery and a ski hill. It has been a county park since 1930, after an interesting history as a gunpowder factory, and it’s a fine spot to work off some of those holiday desserts.

Meet at the Rand Lodge Parking Lot on Park Road at 1:45 for a 2 PM start. Warm layers, hiking poles and good boots are advised. The Climbers will follow a winding course (low ridges and lowlands) of about 4 miles through the park, both north and south of Woolston Road. The Tourist/Naturalist group will follow along with the Climbers  for about 1.5 miles, then split off on Trillium Trail for a detour to the Fish Hatchery and back to the start, for a total of about 2.25 miles.

Please join us afterwards for our optional post-hike social at Panera Bread, 7651 Route 96, Victor.

Directions:

From Springwater: Head north on 15A and make a right on Kellogg Road to County Road 37. Continue on CR37 to West Bloomfield and continue straight when it becomes Route 65 (West Bloomfield Road). Continue past Route 251, and make a right on Smith Road. Continue past Route 64 and make a left on Mile Square Road, which becomes East Street.  In 2.6 miles make a right on Park Road. The Rand Lodge parking area will be on your right.

Via 490: From Interstate 490 – take the Bushnell’s Basin exit. Go left on Route 96, pass the Garnsey Road light, and take a right on Park Road. Go past the Fish Hatchery and Corduroy Road, then take the first left into the Rand Lodge parking lot.

Post Hike Social:  will be at Panera Bread,  7651 Route 96, Victor.   Directions to Social:  Go right from Rand Lodge lot onto Park Road, take a right at the end on Route 96.  Follow Route 96 for 2.5 miles, past Eastview Mall. Panera Bread will be on your right, just before the light for Kohl’s and Walmart. If you miss the Panera driveway you can go right toward Hampton Inn at the light and then back across the parking lot to Panera Bread.

The water in Hemlock Lake is very low at the moment and a wide swathe of beach is exposed. We will take advantage of the unusual conditions to walk as much of beach as we can on this Sunday hike. The beach is generally 12-15 feet wide and varies between stony and rough stone chips. It will be a slow and careful walk but there’s plenty to see along the way and the lake and the late autumn woods on the opposite shore are very scenic. Wildflowers are scarce in November, but there are tiny pink and yellow flowers growing in the shelter of the stones.

Meet at 1:45 at the north boat launch, south of the eastern edge of Hemlock Lake State Park.  There’s a generous parking lot there and easy access down to the exposed beach.  This is necessarily an out-and-back hike, so all groups will walk south together and anyone can turn around at any time. The beach follows the path of Rob’s Trail just a few feet away in the woods, and there are lots of places where walkers can switch between the beach and Rob’s Trail. All groups will walk south together and the naturalists and tourists can turn around whenever they feels it’s the right time.

The Social
The social will be a dish-to-pass picnic at Jane Affolter’s farmhouse at 5422 County Road 37

 

Directions: from Springwater: Head north on NY-15A. At the end of Hemlock Lake, turn left on Rix Hill Road. Almost immediately turn left on to Old East Lake Road, go past the Rochester City water treatment plant and continue on Old East Lake Road until you come to the boat launch parking lot.

Directions: from Canandaigua, Honeoye and points east: From Honeoye, continue west on Main Street (Route 21A) to Route 15A in Hemlock. Make a left, go a half mile, and take a right on Rix Hill Road. Almost immediately turn left on to Old East Lake Road, go past the Rochester City water treatment plant and continue on Old East Lake Road until you come to the boat launch parking lot.

Directions from north and west: Take Route 390 south to Exit 9 (Lakeville-Livonia). Go south on Route 15 into Livonia, the southeast on 20 A. Make a right after 3.9 miles on County Road 56 (Federal Road),  then a left on Adams Road after .6 miles. Take the second right on Blank Road. In a mile, fork left at Rix Hill Road and almost immediately turn left on to Old East Lake Road, go past the Rochester City water treatment plant and continue on Old East Lake Road until you come to the boat launch parking lot.

 

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. Travel about 5 miles to Wesley Hill Parking Area on the right side. Parking lot can fit about 16 vehicles; any late comers can park on the side of the road.

From Springwater: Head north on Rte. 15A toward Hemlock.  Just before Hemlock, turn right on Rte. 20A.  Follow Rt 20A to Honeoye and then follow the directions above.

From Naples: From the southern end of Naples, head west on Co Rd 36. Follow Co Rd 36 for 1.2 miles to the first right turn on Gulick Rd.  Follow Gulick for about 7 miles, past Cumming Nature Center.  The parking area is on the left.

Directions to Social:  Leaving the parking lot on Gulick Rd, head South to Hunt Hollow Rd/County Rt 36.  Turn Right onto Hunt Hollow Rd.  Take a short distance to Maxfield Rd and turn left.  Follow Maxfield to Eelpot Rd and turn Right.  Follow Eelpot to Route 21 and turn Right.  Follow 21 as if going to Wayland, making the right turn in N Cohocton at Mikey’s Mini Mart, then make your first left onto University Ave.  The house is the 2nd home on the right past the Fire House.  Please park on the street or in the left side yard via the dirt drive.  Leave the gravel drive open as I’ll have everyone enter through the back door/mud room.