I want to catch you all up with news from Springwater Trails.

Thanks to John Vogel, Springwater Trails is now incorporated in New York State as a not-for-profit corporation.  You will start to see our name appearing as Springwater Trails Inc in the future.  That’s about the extent of the changes you will see, but now Springwater Trails is official.

On September 14th, the annual Fiddler’s Fair and American Craft Show will be held at Sugarbush Hollow.  Springwater Trails has volunteered to manage the parking lot this year, freeing up Bob Radell to chair the Fair committee.  We are depending on the continued support from our members to handle this task.  Please send an email to Joan or use our parking form if you can spend a couple of hours on Saturday the 14th directing cars to parking spots and helping fair patrons onto and off of the bus.  We will need twelve volunteers to each work two hours between 9:30 and 6:00.

Our other task for September is to plan our fall hike schedule.  Check for open dates on our fall schedule here.   Do you have a favorite hike you would like the group to enjoy?  Please let me ([email protected]) know that you will plan that hike or fill out our hike planner form.  Planning a hike can be as easy as selecting a hike from one we have already done, or can require talking to one or two landowners to get permission and then planning a route for a new hike. Whichever hike you would like to plan, please talk with other hikers or with an officer and you will get help with the planning.

Thanks to the diligent work of Gene, and thanks to the 12 hike planners who volunteered to plan and organize a hike, the Summer schedule for Springwater Trails hiking group is complete.

You can help also.  I hope that each hiker will send a thank-you email to Gene. Would you like to plan a hike?  Send an email to [email protected] with your ideas.  If you are having trouble thinking of a good place to hike, go to our hike history and pick one out.  We will help you plan the hike by providing descriptions of old hikes, suggestions, and other support you may need.

All hikes will start at 4:00PM during the months of June, July and August.  Please note that  locations may change due to weather, trail conditions and other events unforeseen at this time.  Please check the website newsletter prior to all hikes. Download a pdf of the Springwater Trails Summer Hiking Schedule to print.

Do you use an electronic calendar? Never miss a hike by connecting  the Springwater Trails hiking calendar right into your calendar using the link: http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/t8egl06u1q3tqhopptm2lj6suc%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

Some of you may have seen Linda’s facebook post about Mac’s cough and enlarged heart.  The vet says he shouldn’t hike anymore, and I know he will miss all of his friends.  Right now we have a stroller for him, which we use on our evening walks around the neighborhood. Duffy walks on the leash and we push Mac in his stroller.

While I am sharing news, here is a video of Reid getting his diploma in Avery Fisher Hall in NYC.  He is now an official doctor from New York University!

And finally, check out Google street view: http://goo.gl/maps/oBiEi.

I just got emails from Pam and Amy regarding some active archaeology taking place just off one of the hiking trails at the northwest side of Hemlock Lake. This is worth sharing right here on the home page of Springwater Trails.

A special archaeological field school directed by Kristi Krumrine from St. John Fisher is currently digging around the foundation of the Rix House which is located close to Rix Hill Road, (road that goes through Hemlock Park) just off the entrance to the western lake trail.    Pam and Amy spoke with Kristi and she invited our group to an open volunteer day this Saturday starting at 9:00 and staying as long as you would like.  This is an opportunity for us to learn about archaeology and the history of the site and Hemlock Lake.  This is the same professor that did the archaeological digs in the area of Dixon (now spelled Dixson)  Hollow in the Canadice Outlet.    If you are interested, just show up, bring a lunch, and stay as long as you can (all tools will be provided).

The field school will be going next week until Friday if anyone would like to stop by and just visit.  The site exposes the stone foundation, well, barn area, and other out buildings.  Students are sifting through excavated pits for findings.  Contact Pam at 245-1252 for more information. 

Click the pictures below for bigger pictures.