An educational Hike with Springwater Trails and Victor Hiking Trails with impetus and designed to identify and view BLUEBIRDS, … and more, held at MaryFrances Bluebird Haven (MFBBH).

Trail conditions update, gained from 5/6/2017 Saturday’s preview hike: very wet, rubber boots suggested.  Bluebirds were observed.  For this hike & potluck after-hike social event, perhaps we can agree on “cloudy with a chance of meatballs.”  The hike is offered rain or shine.    

Starting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 7th, 2017 will be a joint hike of Springwater Trails (ST) and Victor Hiking Trails (VHT).  For ST this is our regular Sunday weekly hike.  For VHT this is a special hike outside of the monthly guided hike held on the 2nd Saturday of each month.

This is a special educational hike event at MaryFrances Bluebird Haven (MFBBH), a Town of Victor park, located at 235 County Rd 9 in Victor, NY.   – – MFBBH entrance driveway, leading to the parking lot, is located on the east side of County Rd 9 (aka Victor-Egypt Rd) just south of intersect with Valentown Rd (which intersects from the west).

HIKING GROUPS, TRAIL ROUTING, (and map hyperlinks):

The hike, will have two separate sub-groups.  Routing will be be slow and easy on mostly flat terrain for the Naturalists/birdwatchers group covering ~1 mile (the whole of the perimeter trail) within the MFBBH park, Gene as Hike Leader.  The second routing will be fast paced for the Climbers/Tourists group covering ~3 miles within MFBBH park & on adjacent Monkey Run Trails, Dave as Hike Leader. (Climbers/Tourists routing will include MFBBH perimeter trail (~1mile) & MR three loop trails ~2miles of woodland walk, all mostly flat terrain.)   MFBBH map  //  Monkey Run Trails map

KNOWLEDGE & EQUIPMENT:

We will have multiple hike leaders who are knowledgeable about birds, so bring your binoculars and camera (and telephoto lens if you have one).  Also, wear good hiking boots as there may be some muddy spots.  Possiblity that TDs (Traction Devices) may be helpful, but certainly not required. Hats with a visor and sunglasses may also be useful.

– Some ST hikers seized the opportunity to attend a presentation program “All About Bluebirds” held at the Geneseo Riviera Theater on Friday March 10th, 2017, one impetus that spurred this 5/7/2017 hike. Tickets for “All About Bluebirds” presentation were essentially “sold out” well prior to show day. Those ST hikers who attended will be looking to put newfound knowledge to use on this 5/7/2017 Bluebird hike. (Some other ST hikers were tending to matters as result of the 80+MPH windstorm of Wednesday 3/8/3017 on that Friday.) –

Hikers will have opportunity to learn about the impetus and history of MaryFrances Bluebird Haven.

Please note: Dogs are NOT allowed on this hike.  Alcohol, smoking, and weapons are not allowed per park regulations.  Oh, … and leave your saddle and mount at home, because horses are not allowed in this park, thus you’ll need to choose another mode of transportation to this hike.

AFTER-HIKE SOCIAL:

There will be an optional after-hike social dinner at the Butler Cottage located in MFBBH park beginning at 4:00 pm ; bring a dish to pass or make a donation (suggested $5) to the social fund to help defray expenses, and bring your beverage of choice (no alcohol please), if you would like to meet your fellow hikers.  You may bring your own tableware if you’d like, albeit, disposable plates, plastic utensils, etc will be on hand as at most ST potluck socials.

Butler Cottage is a totally enclosed edifice with electricity / lighting / indoor plumbing / full facilities: restroom, full kitchen (counters & cabinets, stove/oven, refrigerator, microwave, and yes the “kitchen sink” too complete with running water), etc. The main area with tables and chairs accommodates 45 people.  So, there is availability for heating up dishes best served warm, refrigeration, etc.  Some hikers may wish to avail themselves prior to the start of the hike.

PARKING:

MFBBH parking lot will accommodate ~ 20 cars. Additional parking can be had along the entrance driveway, with judiciousness & thoughtfulness in mind.

DIRECTIONS:

From Springwater (and select other points south of Victor):

~45+ minutes drive from Springwater hamlet’s 4 corners, travel NY Rt 15A northbound (to just s of hamlet of Hemlock) ; turn right/eastbound onto NY Rt 20A (eventually passing through the hamlet of Honeoye, and continuing on NY Rt 20A northeasterly to just south of the hamlet of Bristol) ; turn left/northbound onto Co Rd 2 aka Oakmount Rd, pass through the hamlet of Bristol and continue straight on what will eventually become Oakmount Ave, crossing NY Rt 20 <USE FOREMOST CAUTION at this crossing!> to jct with Main St in Village of Bloomfield ; turn right/eastbound on Main St ; turn left/northbound onto NY Rt 444 (aka Elm St which becomes Victor Holcomb Rd which becomes Maple Ave) to jct with NY RT 96 aka East Main St in the Village of Victor ; turn right/eastbound onto NY Rt 96 aka East Main St ; turn left/northbound onto Church St ; Church St becomes Victor-Egypt Rd aka Co Rd 9 ; travel to 235 Victor-Egypt Rd where Mary Frances Bluebird Haven driveway is located ; turn right onto the entrance driveway to the MFBBH parking lot.

From Rochester area:  (center city, areas directly contiguous east, as well as north and west Monroe County areas) ~ a bit under 30 minutes drive from Rochester get on I-490 eastbound expressway and travel to exit 28 (for NY Rt 96 southbound, in Perinton) ; from the exit 28 ramp turn left/southbound onto NY Rt 96 south ; from NY Rt 96 south turn left/eastbound onto High St (which is opposite Eastview Mall’s southern-most entrance drive) ; from High St turn left/northeastbound onto Valentown Rd ; <take note of the Valentown Museum as you pass it on the left side of the roadway> drive Valentown Rd (to road’s end) the jct with Victor-Egypt Rd aka Co Rd 9 ; turn right/southbound onto Victor-Egypt Rd, and then a quick left/eastbound into the driveway for MFBBH.

[Alternatively, I-490 expressway to exit 26 for NY Rt 31 eastbound, to Victor Rd aka Co Rd 52 (which becomes Victor-Egypt Rd aka Co Rd 9) ; turn right onto Victor Rd and travel to 235 Victor-Egypt Rd driveway for MFBBH ; turn left/eastbound into the driveway.]

CARPOOLING:

Carpooling in name of efficiency is encouraged due to distance from Springwater and also in light that this is a joint hike with VHT.

Named sequential carpool points (unsupervised), corresponding with directions to the hike (as written above) are: (1) <gather 12:40PM, leave at 12:50PM> Springwater Town Hall at 8022 S. Main St (aka NY Rt 15), in Springwater ; (2) <gather 1:00PM, leave at 1:10PM> Hemlock Lake Park parking lot, located at the northern end of Hemlock Lake and accessed via Rix Hill Rd immediately off NY Rt 15A (and a bit south of the jct with NY Rt 20A)  ; (3) <gather at 1:15PM, leave at 1:25PM> in the hamlet of Honeoye on south side of Main St (aka Rt 20A) in the Honeoye Commons Plaza (~ 8567 Main St) parking lot of CVS/Subway/etc, optimally you wanna park closest to Main St. The entrance drive for Honeoye Commons Plaza is the next entrance drive past the entrance drive for Shurfine/Dollar General stores. (additional reference point: Honeoye Commons Plaza is ~ opposite Honeoye Central Schools).

Please note this sequential carpooling arrangement is set up so that those from further south will make a stop at each further north sequential carpool point, and potentially take on added passengers or reconfigure.  There is an allowance of ~ 5 minutes from arrival to departure at each, to allow for loading, and not much fudge factor beyond that.  Assuming all goes well, arrival at MFBBH for the hike is calculated to be ~ 1:55PM.

Additional information: can be gained from checking the VHT website, Facebook, Meetup or the VHT voice message line [phone: (585)- 234-8226], as well as checking the ST website for updates.

SPRINGTIME BIRDING:  

An additional Article on “Birding” on the ST website, in anticipation of this Bluebird hike, for those who wish to learn a bit more about “Birding” in Springtime.

Subnote: (reference to a future hike)

Hikers may wish to take note of Valentown Rd (nearly opposite MFBBH entrance driveway), as a future ST hike will in part refer to historic “Valentown” which is situated at the western end of Valentown Rd & High St (in the Town of Victor), about two blocks away from present day Eastview Mall.

Hints: * Valentown was built in anticipation of a chartered railroad that was never built, the CNY&N RR (Central New York & Northern).  This railroad was a one-time planned northern extension of the CNY&W RR (Central New York & Western), and was akin to the CNY&W. Come August 1, 1899, the CNY&N was consolidated with its parent company the CNY&W.

** (spoiler alert!) The CNY&W was a predecessor in lineage of the PS&N RR (Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern), and August 2, 1899 the CNY&W was merged with a number of shortline railroads in Pennsylvania into the newly formed PS&N RR.  Both the CNY&W and the PS&N in successive lineage routed high above Stony Brook Glen through what is present day Stony Brook State Park.  Both respective sets of railroad high bridge abutments that remain in Stony Brook Glen were in this railroad lineage.  

(credit to the book by Paul Pietrak “The Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad Company” for some information cited herein.)